Ethical alternatives to bleach - are there any?

[SuperBunny]

What can I use to:

Get stains off the work surface
Clean the loo

'bleach' cloths/ washing up brush

That will work as well as bleach?

Flat Coke good for loo I think.
Vinegar or lemon for others?
I try to lay off chemicals but sometimes only a good squirt of Domestos will do.

OK. I do use vinegar sometimes but get fed up of the place smelling like a chipshop. Lemon juice may be better.

Coke has it's own ethical issues and we never have it. Maybe using a little bit of bleach isn't such a terrible thing?

Thanks MD

No, it isn't.
My friend and I laugh at how we use soap shells but every now and then go 'Oh fuck it!' and get out the vanish spray.

my very clean mil swears by white vinegar and washing soda for everything. You could eat your tea off any surface in her house. She puts essential oil in with the vinegar to make it smell nice (though if you think your place smells like a chip shop are you sure you haven't been using malt? or onion vinegar? )

I just chuck fairy liquid down the loo every few days, chuck cloths in the washing machine, throw brushes away when they are past it. Work surface has never been stained enough for bleach.

Not hugely knowledgable but I think that bleach is pretty much the best thing you can use out of all the chemicals available. Something about breaking down in water I think...

No, it's white vinegar not malt! Honestly

Might try washing up liquid down the loo then. Will play around and see what works. Thanks for the suggestions. I am a bit embarrassed that no-one else gets stains on their work surfaces.

Oh, x-posts, chukkypig. That's what I want to hear really. I quite like using bleach. TBH, I should know what is ok and what is not as I have a degree in environmental Biology but it seems I can't remember anything useful.

don't be embarrassed SuperBunny. I just have hideous brown work surfaces, expect they are stained but I can't see them

I just use Ecover products.

There is a toilet cleaner in the range.

ecover laundry bleach is great. the soda and hydrogen peroxide in it work well

www.ecover.com