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?

Vinegar is good for limescale. However, we had eco cleaners in my office at one time and the whole place smelt like a chip shop afterwards.

You may already have tried them, but I find these products a lot better than Ecover:

https://www.muck-munchers.co.uk/product/oxy-gen-eco-bleach-triple-pack/

https://www.muck-munchers.co.uk/product/bio-gen-eco-toilet-triple-pack/

Not OP but I use this one (since wilko is no more):

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/317765462

Bloody brilliant stuff for de-scaling kettles and shower heads.

I use bleach to clean toilets and my kitchen sink after I wash meat ( I wash my meat) it kills all germs and leaves it clean white and fresh. Don't use it for anything else. Ask your cleaner what she needs it for? If its for the bathroom it's normal in my opinion to keep it sanitary. All my family uses it?

Ditto me bleaching my bog after every shite

Ugh no the smell is awful i only use vinegar on windows and stainless steel

Is this a regional thing re hardness of water as ive never once had limescale in my toilet

Yes i don't get limescale either .

It won’t have stains if you remove the limescale. 🤦‍♀️

The amount of limescale depends on the hardness of the local water, so yes, it varies throughout the country.

Thing is, you may not be aware if you’ve got limescale in the loo if you pour bleach down it daily. Stains cling to limescale, bleach removes the colour from the stained limescale. See the problem?

If you get limescale in your kettle then over time you’ll get limescale deposits in your loo too.

Their laundry pods are rubbish as well. My clothing wasn't clean and the machine ended up stinking. Everything was fine once I went back to Ariel Bio Powder.

Just say no? You are the employer, she is the employer, if you don’t want toxic chemical cleaners used, that’s your prerogative. She may be a good cleaner but if I were employing her, she’d clean with the products I want not what she wants to use. If she decides to leave, find another cleaner, it’s not hard..

It's your toilet so your rules I say. Could always say you have a septic tank.

Saying that I'm a bleach girl. I'm old skool from the domestos TV adverts generation so nothing leaves me feeling the germs are getting a proper good nuking like bleach - I rarely use domestos though. Bleach is bleach they all do the same job. I do use toilet duck or whatever once a week to keep on top of any limescale though.

As an aside - if anybody has found a non-bleach way of removing stains under the water line in the loo, please do share it! I've been using a limescale loo cleaner, thinking it was limescale, but it's not working.

Put some bicarb in the bowl, leave for an hour then scrub it with a scourer, it'll be spotless.

I use hand sanitiser to wipe down surfaces and laundry detergent for stubborn toilet stains. I guess you might have to find a more eco-friendly cleaner if you can’t agree. I’m also very envious that you have a cleaner.

I don’t either - soft water region.

I truly hope that isn't expected of any cleaner

Pointing out an error once isn't 'an odd fixation'.

I mean, if you're cleaning a toilet you're scrubbing poo, whether it's big enough enough particles to see or not.

Probably - it's due to how hard or soft the water id we have so much more limescale where I live now (hard water) than where I grew up (very soft water). I've lived other places with varying levels.

Washing up liquid and a brush round the bowl, no smell no stains.

I think there is some middle ground to be had here.
Ecover (in my opinion) isn't that great.
But there are lots of alternatives
Some more eco/natural than others. Some off the shelf branded ones. Most of these dont contain bleach, but rather a surfactant.
You need something that will break down grease and limescale, and makes the 'grime' stick to the bubbles and cloth that you then rinse (thats my non chemistry degree understanding anyway)
Flash bicarb and Cif professional 2 in 1 are meant to be good.
Can you try a couple out for their effectiveness and then suggest them to her?
I do think if you are paying someone you should be able to provide your preferred products for different rooms/cleaning etc, provided they are effective.

There are a few of the newer eco ones and big branded ones that set my asthma off, or are just too strongly scented for me, so I think I get where you are coming from.

If she is in high demand though you might just lose her.

Ooh she’d love my homemade multi surface cleaner 😂

You don’t need bleach in a house that is clean. You especially don’t need bleach in a house with a weekly cleaner. I have germ killing things for gross stuff (cat food in a heatwave 🤢), but things aren’t that minging that it needs bleaching every week.

I didn’t hire a cleaner years ago as they said “Oh we’ll just do all of that with bleach”. Eh, no you won’t. Not in my house with my babies. They also pitched up 45 mins late to quote me, then hassled me to hire them.

Your house so she should use the products you supply, but she’s self-employed so doesn’t have to work for you.

Several bleaches are suitable for septic tanks if it states that on the label, eg Sainsbury's own brand thick bleach.

My son and his neighbours have a private drainage system that is like a septic tank so they can only use products suitable for septic tanks, so they use suitable bleaches and there have been no problems.

It’s your house and you are the boss of it, so she should do as you ask. But you will
end up parting ways I expect.
However, I met a woman recently who ran a cleaning firm and she only uses the Nancy Birtwhistle recipes and thinks they are excellent. She didn’t rate any ready-made eco products though. I myself have cleaned my sinks very well with the NB recipes too and also with green bleach, which is eco. So maybe your cleaner can be persuaded to try those.