To refuse to buy bleach?

[Eastie77Returns]

First world problem alert.

Our cleaner has asked demanded that I add Domestos bleach to my cleaning products. There's been a bit of an ongoing issue for a while now as I have trialed various eco-friendly cleaning products over the last few months and she generally doesn't like them. I have changed a couple of times in the hope she will get on better with a new range but she has a preference for products that contain high levels of chemicals. I understand they are the go-too products that she trusts but I just don't want to use them.

At the moment she is begrudgingly using the Ecover products I most recently bought. Now she is insisting she needs bleach to clean properly because Ecover doesn't really cut it. I said no as I just can't have it in the house. The smell is one thing but it's so toxic and dangerous (I'm absolutely haunted by an acquaintance whose young child inhaled some). She is a really good cleaner and in high demand. I'm aware she's already given notice to two households on our street because they did not fall in line with her requests (not cleaning product related, something else).

Has anyone used any of the 'natural' bleach products currently out there and were they effective?

Humans are toxic and bad for the environment too.

Bleach has its uses, only on here is it treated like plutonium or something.

This is typical cleaner behaviour. Start looking for a new one.

Well it kills aquatic life when it goes down the (not very long where we live) run to the Southern Water plant who then just tip it straight in the river, so there's that!

I grew up in a house with a septic tank, so there's was never any bleach in the house & I've continued on that basis with cleaning products ever since. I think the chemistry lesson where they pointed out you could make chlorine in your toilet if you mix bleach with the wrong other cleaning product also put me off.

I can't bear the smell of bleach - it makes my eyeballs burn on its own, never mind if you end up with homemade chlorine gas 😨

That’s a bit strange - it’s your house and you’re paying for the service so you should be allowed to choose what products are used, especially if you are supplying them yourself. I can understand if she thinks eco-friendly products won’t annihilate germs like bleach would, but that isn’t a priority for everyone and it’s not her house so what is her problem?! I recently found a cleaner, having spent ages researching companies, and plenty of them advertise their use of eco-friendly products, so I would recommend finding a cleaner or agency that specifies that. I’m particular about cleaning products because of environmental concerns and because I have sensory issues so I can’t stand certain smells, and my lovely new cleaner completely understands this.

I vlean houses, everyone asks me what products I prefer yo use and they buy them!! Inc bleach!! I'd bin you off straight away

I rarely use bleach now, love the smell, but those drops stain everything! X

Bit baffled. There are hazardous to the environment chemicals in some cleaning products. Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) isn't particularly one of them.

It's too reactive to linger long in the environment. I mean, it'll literally being used to make your drinking water drinkable.

Its not especially good to breath in the fumes - but your cleaner is the one that'll suffer from that. And should probably have a COSHH assessment accordingly.

Just buy the poor woman some bleach. Most of this "Ecover" stuff is just marketing spiel...

Many water authorities now use chloramine rather than chlorine. Chloramine has added ammonia and unlike chlorine, chloramine won’t evaporate off standing water, eg if you draw water and leave it for a bit in an open jug, and it’s harder to get rid of,

I get citric acid from Amazon, it’s great for getting rid of limescale. We are in a super hard water area. Cleans well too.

I do use bleach & will continue to but not as an actual cleaner, to kill germs. Interesting that so many people who use Ecover or Method & mention about the bleach going into the waterways etc, yet don't seem to have a problem with their parent company animal testing the products 🤔

Honestly she can’t be that good if she can’t survive without bleach.

I don’t use ecover by I have a sibling who does and her house is so beautifully clean. I don’t use it because I can’t afford it! But I only keep bleach for absolutely emergencies and often forget it’s there. It’s not necessary.

Il be honest every eco cleaning product I have ever tried has been crap. I tried cleaning bathrooms without bleach for a month and it was just not very clean.

We are not on town sewerage, and can't use harsh chemicals in our bio-cycle waste disposal. They kill the good bacteria, munching away doing their bit for the environment. So, yes, no bleach, and our cleaning lady is perfectly happy, and so am I with the result.

I’ve lived most of my life in houses with septic tanks when using bleach is a big no no. It’s absolutely not necessary

I live alone and do my own cleaning but I would have to have bleach in the house, especially the bathroom and kitchen .
I have tried various eco friendly cleaning solutions before but they just don't do the job to the standard I want, also they cost more, so I won't bother again.
Bleach or bust for me 😊

This ⬆️

I use ecover toilet cleaner and its fine, just leave it on a bit longer and scrub with a toilet brush. The smell is much nicer too but it depends, is she cleaning an already clean bathroom or is she having to scrub like dirty tiles next to the toilet or a peed on floor or? If so, I'd let her use bleach if it makes her happy.

I guess everyone's products are different and what we get used to. I am a 'Smol' product subscriber but every so often do use beach down the loo or for a sink clear through.

Can you Google translate and print out what she wants bleach for and that you have issues with the smell and can we find an alternative together.

If you want specific products used clean your own house.

I love bleach, it gets everything so clean. I don't trust weaker products to kill germs as efficiently.

Bleach isn’t as toxic as people think.

other cleaners contain detergents and bleaching agents which are just as bad if not worse- benzalkonium chloride for example will kill your cat, whereas bleaching agents won’t.

i use bleach as it’s less problematic and more effective than other cleaners 🤷‍♀️

Yes, I don't like bleach but I'm not convinced it's the environmental disaster some are making out. My understanding is that it breaks down really quickly into salt and oxygen.

Is she Spanish, OP? We love bleach in Spain (and diluted ammonia too BTW - not at the same time as bleach though!)

The only thing I use bleach for is my white sink. Had I known it would have been such a pain to keep white o wouldn’t have bothered. (It isn’t porcelain) I don’t clean anything else with bleach. I wouldn’t want a house smelling like they at all.

Oh I’m sick of misinformation too, but also the deliberate misinformers. That seems to be the modern disease.