DH is an idiot, he thinks only bleach kills germs, house smells like a ...

[OneLieIn]

swimming pool. We are trying to sell our house (yes, i know at the worst time ever recorded). DH thinks only bleach kills germs and has washed everything with bleach, kitchen sides, table, chairs, floor - it smells like a really nasty swimming pool.

I told him (in my wisdom) that he could use something else. "No" the smart answer was "only bleach kills germs"

I told him he was wrong and if only bleach killed germs, does that mean that every dish you ever wash in fairy liquid is still covered in germs? He is ADAMANT (and wrong).

So am hoping on MN there is a smart professor that can tell me the difference between what germs bleach kills versus say fairy liquid.

(Also his hands are like sandpaper as a result, so they are not sanding my skin today until he realises he is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG).

ooh i love the smell of bleach.

Sorry am not a smart professor

You like bleach? YOu and my Dh would make a great team. Living in bleach heaven!

He's wrong. Antibacterial soaps and sprays aren't bleach. Heat isn't bleach. DP told me he heard on the radio that the bacteria's cell wall is broken by soap, so hot soapy water would do the job. I couldn't say if this was 100% true, but often it's all I use on kitchen surfaces and tables. I don't like odd chemicals on these surfaces.

And didn't he hear that the smells that sell houses are baking bread and roasting coffee? Your viewers will think you're incontinent and trying to hide it!

id think it was REALLY sketchy if i viewed a place and it reeked of bleach ! id wonder what on earth had been going on!

yes i love it. dh hates it and moans.

Exactly - I have had all of the doors open this morning to get rid of the smell. BTW, I am not incontinent (she says clutching her pelvic floor)

I shall google bacteria cell wall and see what comes back

why is it so important to kill the germs anyway? you haven't got the plague or anything I presume?

I'm not keen on the smell of bleach all over the place. Makes my eyes water. Open the windows and air the place a bit, to get rid of it. Agree you don't need to use bleach to clean everything. Hot soapy water should be fine for most things, and definitely for anything that food or people are going to touch. Can irritate the skin otherwise.

I do not have the plague Franny - we are a pretty clean house. DH has a sister that is a total obsessive clean freak and I think he has it from her.

I am going to hide the bleach. But he is still WRONG

Is he a Scorpio? My DH is and cleans everything within sight with bleach, as do two Scorpio friends.

I am an Aquarian Slut.

I am a home loving Cancer and he is an Aries - whatever that means. Maybe I should wash his cup for tea in bleach and then he can see how sht it tastes.

I am not a smart professor but I do have a degree in microbiology.

Your dh is wrong.

When you have an infection does the doctor make you drink gallons of bleach?!

I get worried about dirt and germs! So I can sort of sympathise with him a bit.

However, I do not have any bleach in the house. I never use it. Bleach itself is in fact a very nasty substance. On all the areas you have described, it's more dangerous than a bit of dirt.

Every day dirt like crumbs/spillages on highchairs, surfaces etc - I get this up with baby wipes usually. I'll only use something antibacterial (like a wipe) once a fortnight or something. An ANTIBACTERIAL wipe removes bacteria - they have stuff in that kills e coli and salmonella etc. You don't need bleach to do that.

Bleach makes me really wheezy. It's good for making the sink all nice and white again, but I don't like using it.

I once shared a house with a girl and I came home one day to find her bleaching the cups! Good job I didn't take a swig.

I use antibac when I clean the surface down during the day.

Before I go to bed, I get very bleach happy in the kitchen . I love bleach

Yuck! Why would anyone want to remove all the bacteria? Bacteria are a normal part of everyday life. Bleach is a toxic chemical, and antibacterial soaps and sprays are suspected to increase the rise of resistant bacteria.
Soap is fine for cleaning and smells nice. I would be seriously suspicious about a house that smelled of bleach.

Bleach is one of the most effective "household" antibacterials - but it is not the only one. Dettol etc. will do the job.

Bog standard washing up liquid will not kill germs - it washes away the dirt which they live on. You can get "anti-bacterial" washing up liquid which will kill many germs - but will not be as effective as Bleach.

Having said that Bleach is probably one of hte most dangerous substances one can get off the shelf of the supermarket. We do not keep it in the house. It is not necessary. Dettol spray and wipe is adequate for most purposes unless you have a had a infection of the bubonic pague or something.

but the buyers won't be able to tell how many bacteria are in your house? I agree it needs to LOOK and SMELL clean but am wondering what dp's motivation is here
unless they will come round with petri dish and microscope?

Oh and BTW Bleach is not very good at cleaning. That is a big mistake that many people make.

You need a detergent to clean dirt away.
You clean the dirt away and the bacteria have nothing to live on.

LOL at Mrs SchadenFreude asking if he's a Scorpio, after Scorpio the MNer said she loves the smell of bleach!

BTW, a warning from my SIL: never ever use that Domestos Zero Limescale in a sink, it takes the shine off it.

i love bleach, dp hates it i wont let him wash up as he wont bleach the draining board and drainer before hand so i am convinced that he would be putting all the clean plates in germs!!

it was proved on a tv programme i saw that anit bac cleaners like dettol are actually more effective at killing germs than bleach.

Things that kill germs and bacteria:

Lemon juice! Yes, rub a cut lemon over surfaces...it's excellent, I use it for my breadboard

White Vinegar: it's acidic, just like a lemon but not such a nice smell, but is cheaper.

Neither of these will kill people if ingested (unlike bleach)

Sunlight...yes, sunlight is a strong germ killer, my granny always dried sheets off a sick bed in direct sun

Salt: yes! Before the days of listerine housewives rubbed salt into their wooden kitchen tables to kill bacteria (aka germs)

Spit: yes, it can act as a germ killer

Tea tree oil: fantastic natural antiseptic and germ killer (a tad pricy)

Bleach should be an absolute last resort as it smells, is corrosive and can damage a large number of household items.

Your DH should spend a little less time being indoctrinated by marketing people.

I have a friend who never buys synthetic chemical products and just uses lemon juice and tea tree oil and vinegar with bicarb of soda. Her house is like a new pin, none of her family are dying of lurgy (in fact they are all sickeningly healthy) and the place does not smell like a victorian public toilet.

If I viewed a house that stank of bleach I would immediately assume they had something to hide. I would also walk straight out as bleach brings me up in hives and DH swells up like a puffball.