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?

This. I'm a cleaner and I had to use bleach in the bathroom the other day. Without going into details, nothing else would have done. My client uses eco products and they don't work. They use eco laundry products and the clothing smells. Things still smell unclean after I've used them. I bring my own products which aren't strongly smelling, as I have issues with my respiratory system, but they are non eco products. Bleach is fine if it's diluted properly and used only in areas where it's really needed.

Mil always used Ecover toilet cleaner and her toilet always stank even when I'd scrubbed it and scrubbed it.

Bleach doesn’t physically clean a toilet, you need to mechanically remove the debris too.

Bleach is very effective against dangerous microbes and mould, and it’s the one agent that they can’t develop a tolerance to.

Care needs to be taken when using it with other chemicals, especially vinegar, as it can release toxic substances like chlorine gas.

I think bleach should be used sparingly but not banned altogether. I don't use much but I still want it occasionally.

If you object so strongly to your cleaner demanding you buy bleach for her you could consider doing your own cleaning. I do all my cleaning, I am disabled and a grandmother and I do NOT use bleach and never have! I care more for the environment, particularly waterways, seas and oceans than to put chlorine bleach down the drain…….sheer ludicrous and so dangerous to sea life!

I do think bleach is essential for the level of whiteness I want in my toilet. Without it limescale builds up and even a toilet cleaner doesn't remove it as effectively. Yabu.

I use Ecover for everything but the toilet, their toilet cleaner doesn’t work.

Bleach doesn’t affect limescale, only an acid-based descaler cleaner will.

Bleach does not remove limescale. It just bleached the stains that it holds onto.

Smol dishwasher tablets, like most other dishwasher tablets contain bleach.

Yanbu. We don't use bleach a d don't have any problems cleaning. Sounds like she's being lazy.

Oxy-Gen Eco Bleach | Eco-Friendly, Oxygen-Based Bleach https://share.google/jsqQfEme1nQW7tQkL

Perhaps get her some of this? It's expensive though so she'd have to use it sparingly and only in the toilet and shower tray.

I've stopped buying ecover and Method since finding out about who owns them these days

How ethical is Ecover (UK) Limited? | Ethical Consumer https://share.google/gpXlRkkUYJCUZyUK6

But our drinking water is so full of chlorine that I can't see how adding a bit more is going to make that much difference. For those saying that bleach is toxic, I hope you filter your water.

The cleaning liquids were pointless, I may as well have sprayed plain water on the shower screen. Thankfully I'd only bought the trial packs as it all went in the bin.

There are two types of bleach, chlorine based and oxygen based. Most Ecover and similar green products contain the latter - so they do contain bleach! Most people who think they are avoiding bleach are probably not.

They contain peroxide, so not a chlorine based bleach

The toilet! Genuinely how do people take a shit / have other members of their family take a shit and then not use at least a small bit of bleach down the loo 🤢🤮 Please don’t tell me you have one of those poo particle toilet brushes that sit by the loo with human waste on them all day- particularly if you don’t use bleach on that either 🤢

You can't do that if you have septic tank. It would kill the tank and then you'd have much grosser problems than a few skid marks.
We're only a two-person household and we both just clean any skids with a bit of bog roll and a hand wash after. I also clean the toilet bowls weekly as they get a bit iron stained from the water here otherwise - it's my sponge's final job before being binned, and I use a bit of bicarb.
Spotlessly clean toilets, no bleach, and a happy septic tank.

Hypochlorous acid is even more effective at killing certain germs and bacteria!

The fact that, unlike bleach, it isn’t toxic to humans is a massive bonus. The WHO recommended it for killing Covid.

It's perfectly possible to clean properly without bleach.

I'm not on mains sewers and can't put bleach into my septic system

I only use bleach to clean my toilet and my kitchen sink, although I quite like dettol which I know some people hate the smell of but I don’t. I have extremely sensitive airways and bleach goes straight to my chest.

I rarely use bleach. Studied river polution as my biology dilatation but the chemicals that go down the loo isnt a issue by far. Could you compromise by saying use sparingly and rarely?

Bleach is very effective in tiny amounts. It's only dangerous to inhale when mixing as it releases chlorine gas. If its the gas that worries you look for another oxygenating bleaching agent . Chlorine like any gas disapates fast so it only kills the person doing the mixing. Hopefully the cleaner doesn't want to poison herself.

Bleach isn’t removing the limescale, it just removes the colour so you can’t see the limescale. You need to use something acidic or physically scrape the limescale off the porcelain.

Bleach fools you into thinking the loo is clean. It’s disinfected, but not limescale-free.

Hmm. I've still got 7.5 litres of white vinegar left from the 10 litres I bought in 2019. It ain't all that - plus, bleach does not harm your pipework, but vinegar does if they are plastic. (Not sure about metals and cant be bothered to find out.)

Basically, bleach releases chlorine when in contact with water. What remains is salt. Vinegar is an acid and remains intact in water, it just dissolves to a weaker acid. You should never put it in your washing machine.

I use citric acid and it kills germs.

Do you have a young child who's likely to inhale some/ be in actual danger from it's presence OP? If so, I'd let the cleaner know, and arrange for the bleach to either be removed from your home by her when she's not cleaning (So she stores it and brings it every time), or arrange a safe, lockable place which she has a key to, so it's well out of any young children's way. Also ask that rooms are aired out after it's been used, and the toilet is flushed so it's not left sitting in it.

I'm quite surprised at the amount of people who claim not to use bleach at all to be honest - I always have and thought everyone did. What are you using on your toilets if not bleach?