Can anyone give me a quick chemistry lesson?

[LooL00]

I know (or think) that soap and detergents work by carrying the dirt away in the washing water. And I 'know' that bleach 'kills' stuff (but how?). But how does bicarb or vinegar work, and what do alcohol rubs do that a nice bar of soap doesn't. AND wtf is 'antibacterial' ??
Please educate me.

Interesting thread, I'm a chemist, love that Dad in the shower conversation.

I try and avoid anti-bac stuff too, Triclosan creeps into all sorts of things, including toothpastes. I think the amount of scrubbing is the critical component of most cleaning processes, rather than what cleaning stuff you are using. This goes for handwashing too.

I think bicarb is so useful because it is mildly abrasive as well as mildly alkaline, and it certainly zaps odours. I only use bleach for whitening purposes and down the drains if they get very pongy. It is bad for the eco-systems that keep sewage works going. I use kitchen spray but not anti-bac stuff (Ecover).

Actually forgot to ask in the original post :

What is disinfectant? Does it mean anything at all or is it just a term like antibacterial that they write on things?

It is a similar meaning, kills bacteria and other micro-organisms.