To say this even though I will get flamed for it?

[Friendswithwhenifits]

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. However, I am asthmatic. Numerous studies have shown a link between bleach and lung diseases. Thanks to a Christmas Eve bleach the house session I am now on Day 3 of difficulties in breathing.

You are sensible adults, if you feel ill- see a doctor. However, if I help anyone to prevent harming their lungs by switching to gentler cleaning fluids then it will be worth getting my arse handed to me.

Before you buy the bleach ask yourself if a different product might be healthier for you and your family. In these dangerous times, any little change might make a difference.

Bleach is awful stuff, never use it anyway. It is so bad for the environment I feel very judgemental of people who do use it!

My MIL was locked in with us during the first lockdown and stayed about 12 weeks. During that time my asthma which is very mild (maybe 3 occasions of blue inhaler use a year) went crazy.

I was using my inhaler up to 6 times a day!

I eventuality twigged it was down to my MIL and her fear of leaving a smell in the loo so she was putting bleach and toilet cleaner down every time she went. 😳

I ended up hiding the bleach and refusing to let her bring any more into the house.

I now find she squirts the hand wash into the toilet bowl after she's been.

I only really use bleach in toilet when people are sick

Bleach is an excellent product when used correctly, obvioulsy a lot of people just don't read intructions or use it too concentrated.
Mixing with other cleaners is asking for trouble.
We use it for cleaning the bathroom, works well. Just about everwhere else I use flash.

What are the best eco friendly products?

I use bleach in the toilet and vary what I use in the shower. The cif bathroom cleaner (yellow bottle) makes me cough, so I’m guessing there’s too much bleach or I’m spraying too liberally. Or I sometimes use the mould & mildew remover, which doesn’t make me cough like the cif stuff does.

But I’d like to be a bit more environmentally friendly!

Swimming pools set off my asthma! Probably chlorine + cold water + exercise in combination, as bleach doesn’t seem to do anything to me (like most people, I use Cilit Bang type stuff on bathroom mould once in a blue moon but no other bleach).

I use method products, I believe it causes no harm to the environment and is animal cruelty free.
I only use bleach if someone has been ill with D&V.

I very occasionally put bleach down the plug holes in the shower and sinks. Other than that I never use it.

I also never use 'air fresheners', which despite the name do not make the air fresh, but make people's homes stink overwhelmingly of harsh perfumes.

Where I live I can smell it as I walk pass people's houses and in fact can often smell it when I'm in the park nearby as it seems to be seeping out into the atmosphere. God knows what it's doing to people's lungs who live with it all day every day. Vile stuff.

Olive branches where do you buy the method products ? I only found the hand wash in Sainsbury’s, but are there other solutions by method ? I have a septic tank so am careful what I use.

Dh bought a set of mugs lately which due to the outside finish need to be hand washed. Not wanting to bleach them to get out stains I started using a euro scrubby which is non scratch. Hot water some fairy liquid and good scrub and we are good to go.

I was brought up using bleach but only use it on the toilets and use the spray which is not that strong on the kitchen sink. Also use it on mold.

Having another “I feel like an idiot moment” thanks to MN... but I thought you were supposed to dilute a small amount of bleach with water to use it? It’s got instructions on the back telling you how to do this...

@AnnabelDickson

I knew a lady who would bleach everything, including cups. Mmmmm, bleachy tea

Can't stand the smell of bleach. I used to work with someone who took it upon herself to bring bleach into the office and clean our kitchen area, including our tea and coffee mugs! I had to have words. She also used to wipe the worktops down and then you would lean on it to wash your (bleached) mug and it would take the colour out of your clothes. I would only ever use it in the toilet.

Years ago I used harpic and bleach to clean the toilet - I didn't know that was a huge no no, omg, I was coughing up blood streaked catarrh and had a terrible cough for weeks.

Air fresheners should also be avoided, especially those bloody plug-in ones.

What amazes me is that they are advertised using pictures of children and dogs in the room with the plug-in. Manufacturers should be prosecuted for that.

Yanbu, i only have mild asthma but i remember working in places and asking them to stop spraying the desks with a cleaning product as i felt short of breath and started coughing but they just shrugged and the attitude was "look princess this needs to be done"..

I wonder why there aren’t more alcohol based home cleaning products as alcohol kills the majority of viruses and bacteria plus if we can drink it, it just be safer for living organisms than bleach!

I use a Bio d which I buy direct from them. They’re a company in hull so very green in terms of air miles (or lack of air miles). I would say they are the best I’ve use and reasonably priced. I’ve bought a rotating brush from Lakeland to help me scrub stubborn stain.

I don't think this is anything new, the doctor told me about not using bleach over 25 years ago when my DC had lung issues.

I don't use it but LOVE the smell of it.

This has been a good read tho. Thanks OP.

Why would you bleach your house (even if you don’t if have asthma) and why think I’d be stupid enough to do the same

I use an anti bac spray for surfaces in the bathroom and the cat litter tray. I always assumed it was fairly innocuous, but a lungful of that will set my asthma off. Worse, I have an empty anti bac bottle full of water for spraying my house plants. The other day, I committed the classic error and got the bottles mixed up....misted my plants with antibac. It's killed a couple of previously healthy plants.

Stop throwing bleach down the loo, its so wrong. Bacteria is needed to break down deposits and keep the sewer system working (i live in the countryside with our own septic system and well (not close together obviously) and it always amazes me how many throw bleach down the toilet, I have no idea why but it can really mess with septic systems and sewers.

Is this not known to everyone anyway? Why would you use bleach to clean your house if you are asthmatic??

Bleach is the one strong cleaner I can use (due to migraines triggered by strong smells) but I rarely use it apart from down the loo and very diluted on the kitchen surfaces.

Way back when I was a cleaning supervisor, in my late teens, I remember training cleaners and would always ask them if they were asthmatic when using bleach. I didn’t know it was a problem, but it just seemed sensible that it might be.