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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Can I use a capful of bleach in hot soapy water to disinfect table tops etc.

29 replies

HappydaysArehere · 18/03/2020 10:22

As I have been unable to buy disinfectant or anti biological spray anywhere I am wondering whether I could wash kitchen cupboards and laminated counter tops with the above without damaging anything. I have a black speckled counter top and cream cupboards. Kardean floors. Can anyone help?

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 18/03/2020 10:24

Hot soapy water is good. Wash thoroughly and dry. Same as you do with your hands.

endofthelinefinally · 18/03/2020 10:25

Bleach will damage your work tops. I know from experience.

Ridingthegravytrain · 18/03/2020 10:28

Be careful with karndean. It likes stuff that is ph neutral

PopcornZoo · 18/03/2020 10:29

I wouldn't mix bleach with anything, could create poisonous gases. Does it say on the bottle how you can dilute it?

ArtisanBreadBin · 18/03/2020 10:30

Bleach is highly toxic and corrosive and will add no value.

5zeds · 18/03/2020 10:32

Bleach is better used in cold water.

Daisiest · 18/03/2020 10:33

Karndean is a fucker. Unless you use unicorn tears that stuff doesn't like it.

Just use hot soapy water on tops etc.

InDubiousBattle · 18/03/2020 10:34

Just use hot water with washing up liquid. I don't think you need to disinfect your kitchen cupboards.

jenthelibrarian · 18/03/2020 10:41

I've found my Karndean floors to be tough as old boots.
I usually sweep up all the crud then go over them with an e-cloth microfibre floor mop thing, spraying the floor with a solution of detergent from a plant-spray bottle as I go. This stops the floor being absolutely soaked in water.
Hands and knees with hot soapy water and a cloth if the kitchen floor is very dirty.

Don't add bleach to hot water, it breaks it down and it becomes useless.

sleepyhead · 18/03/2020 10:42

Hot soapy water is fine. You don't need bleach.

SurpriseSparDay · 18/03/2020 11:01

Don't add bleach to hot water, it breaks it down and it becomes useless.

Truly? How have I lived so long without knowing this?

5zeds · 18/03/2020 11:02

Bleach is highly toxic and corrosive and will add no value.
Confused maybe if you chug it near but even basic chemistry suggests it breaks down into salt, water and oxygen, surely?

Bleach is an excellent disinfectant but soapy water is better at removing greasy grime.

TreestumpsAndTrampolines · 18/03/2020 11:09

The decontamination regime I read for if you have someone infected in the house was soapy water first (to get rid of dirt and physically remove the virus), then the bleach solution (more dilute than I realised - the capful in a bucket level, although I don't remember exactly) to kill what's left.

I don't think I'd bother with the bleach if I hadn't been out, and if no-one was infected in the house though.

e1y1 · 19/03/2020 00:35

Yes absolutely - it's how I've always cleaned.

Mix it with water hot or cold (Dilution guide on the bottle, but tbh I've always just eyeballed it) and a drop of washing up liquid; mix with NOTHING else but WUL, as mentioned above chlorine gas can be released depending on what mixed with.

Of course some surfaces may not tolerate, but generally they will.

Be cautious of the "Antibacterial"/bactericidal cleaner you use, it may not help, for the same reason antibiotics don't, corona is a virus, not a bacteria.

e1y1 · 19/03/2020 00:43

Don't add bleach to hot water, it breaks it down and it becomes useless

Half true - yes hotter water does accelerate the breakdown of bleach in to salt and water, but doesn't render it completely inactive.

HappydaysArehere · 19/03/2020 02:33

Thank you all so much. I didn’t know about not mixing it with hot water.
Thank you also for the link which is very helpful. Will use washing up liquid and hot water; or a cream type cleaner which needs some elbow grease. I will certainly be careful with the Kardean floor.

OP posts:
bumblingbovine49 · 19/03/2020 02:46

I personally would clean all surfaces with hot soapy water . The I would mix cold water and bleach as part mixing instructions in a spray bottle and spray all of the surfaces with it and leave it to dry. The is double cleaning and disinfecting method is used in hospitals etc. The disinfectant or bleach you use has to stay in wet contact with the virus for at least a few minutes to kill it properly..Hydrogen peroxide solution 3% will do the same things as bleach solution as will mixes of 70% alcohol..

DroubleTrouble · 19/03/2020 03:20

F

girlFRI3 · 25/03/2020 14:42

I researched this to disinfect after I had to have a repair man in last week. As I understand it a .1 (POINT 1)strength bleach is sufficient to do the trick. Domestos household bleach diluted according to Domestos' directions shld give you a .3 strength solution according to a savvy chemistry student I know. Domestos say (on the container) use 180 ml of their bleach mixture to 5 litres of water (ie 180 ml to 5000 ml as 1 litre =1000 ml).
I calculate this reduces to 36 ml Domestos to 1 litre of water. (5 x 36 = 180)
Somebody please correct me if I am mistaken. Domestos recommend this strength for household disinfecting worktops and vinyl floors. But notice from remarks above first wash with soapy water then rinse and when dry wipe with bleach solution. Leave it to air dry. Took me ages to find this out. The recommended Chlorax etc is very difficult to get hold of at the moment.

girlFRI3 · 25/03/2020 14:47

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Can I use a capful of bleach in hot soapy water to disinfect table tops etc.21
18/03/2020 10:22HappydaysArehere

As I have been unable to buy disinfectant or anti biological spray anywhere I am wondering whether I could wash kitchen cupboards and laminated counter tops with the above without damaging anything. I have a black speckled counter top and cream cupboards. Kardean floors. Can anyone help?

18/03/2020 10:24endofthelinefinally

Hot soapy water is good. Wash thoroughly and dry. Same as you do with your hands.

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18/03/2020 10:25endofthelinefinally

Bleach will damage your work tops. I know from experience.

18/03/2020 10:28Ridingthegravytrain

Be careful with karndean. It likes stuff that is ph neutral

18/03/2020 10:29PopcornZoo

I wouldn't mix bleach with anything, could create poisonous gases. Does it say on the bottle how you can dilute it?

18/03/2020 10:30ArtisanBreadBin

Bleach is highly toxic and corrosive and will add no value.

18/03/2020 10:325zeds

Bleach is better used in cold water.

18/03/2020 10:33Daisiest

Karndean is a fucker. Unless you use unicorn tears that stuff doesn't like it.

Just use hot soapy water on tops etc.

18/03/2020 10:34InDubiousBattle

Just use hot water with washing up liquid. I don't think you need to disinfect your kitchen cupboards.

18/03/2020 10:41jenthelibrarian

I've found my Karndean floors to be tough as old boots.
I usually sweep up all the crud then go over them with an e-cloth microfibre floor mop thing, spraying the floor with a solution of detergent from a plant-spray bottle as I go. This stops the floor being absolutely soaked in water.
Hands and knees with hot soapy water and a cloth if the kitchen floor is very dirty.

Don't add bleach to hot water, it breaks it down and it becomes useless.

18/03/2020 10:42sleepyhead

Hot soapy water is fine. You don't need bleach.

18/03/2020 11:01SurpriseSparDay

Don't add bleach to hot water, it breaks it down and it becomes useless.

Truly? How have I lived so long without knowing this?

18/03/2020 11:025zeds

Bleach is highly toxic and corrosive and will add no value.
confused maybe if you chug it near but even basic chemistry suggests it breaks down into salt, water and oxygen, surely?

Bleach is an excellent disinfectant but soapy water is better at removing greasy grime.

18/03/2020 11:09TreestumpsAndTrampolines

The decontamination regime I read for if you have someone infected in the house was soapy water first (to get rid of dirt and physically remove the virus), then the bleach solution (more dilute than I realised - the capful in a bucket level, although I don't remember exactly) to kill what's left.

I don't think I'd bother with the bleach if I hadn't been out, and if no-one was infected in the house though.

18/03/2020 11:12TreestumpsAndTrampolines

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html

There it is - it was the CDC advise

19/03/2020 00:35e1y1

Yes absolutely - it's how I've always cleaned.

Mix it with water hot or cold (Dilution guide on the bottle, but tbh I've always just eyeballed it) and a drop of washing up liquid; mix with NOTHING else but WUL, as mentioned above chlorine gas can be released depending on what mixed with.

Of course some surfaces may not tolerate, but generally they will.

Be cautious of the "Antibacterial"/bactericidal cleaner you use, it may not help, for the same reason antibiotics don't, corona is a virus, not a bacteria.

19/03/2020 00:43e1y1

Don't add bleach to hot water, it breaks it down and it becomes useless

Half true - yes hotter water does accelerate the breakdown of bleach in to salt and water, but doesn't render it completely inactive.

19/03/2020 02:33HappydaysArehere

Thank you all so much. I didn’t know about not mixing it with hot water.
Thank you also for the link which is very helpful. Will use washing up liquid and hot water; or a cream type cleaner which needs some elbow grease. I will certainly be careful with the Kardean floor.

19/03/2020 02:46bumblingbovine49

I personally would clean all surfaces with hot soapy water . The I would mix cold water and bleach as part mixing instructions in a spray bottle and spray all of the surfaces with it and leave it to dry. The is double cleaning and disinfecting method is used in hospitals etc. The disinfectant or bleach you use has to stay in wet contact with the virus for at least a few minutes to kill it properly..Hydrogen peroxide solution 3% will do the same things as bleach solution as will mixes of 70% alcohol..

19/03/2020 03:20DroubleTrouble

F

Today 14:42girlFRI3

I researched this to disinfect after I had to have a repair man in last week. As I understand it a .1 (POINT 1)strength bleach is sufficient to do the trick. Domestos household bleach diluted according to Domestos' directions shld give you a .3 strength solution according to a savvy chemistry student I know. Domestos say (on the container) use 180 ml of their bleach mixture to 5 litres of water (ie 180 ml to 5000 ml as 1 litre =1000 ml).
I calculate this reduces to 36 ml Domestos to 1 litre of water. (5 x 36 = 180)
Somebody please correct me if I am mistaken. Domestos recommend this strength for household disinfecting worktops and vinyl floors. But notice from remarks above first wash with soapy water then rinse and when dry wipe with bleach solution. Leave it to air dry. Took me ages to find this out. The recommended Chlorax etc is very difficult to get hold of at present

EcoCleaner · 27/03/2020 11:34

In a word....no.
Bleach and washing up liquid when mixed together will counter act eachother, making both products useless. It’s as effective as washing with plain water.
The virus strain that causes Coronavirus is fat based, so hot soapy water is effective at killing it.
Also remember that with bleach solutions, to get the full effect, the recommended contact time is 30 minutes. So unless you’re willing to leave your surfaces covered in bleach for 30 minutes, you’d be wasting your time.

www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/interiors/news/a2600/hidden-dangers-toxic-bleach-washing-up-liquid/

Tallilah · 27/03/2020 11:38

There was a piece on This Morning and it was said 15 ml bleach and 500ml water in a spray bottle is a disinfectant you can use on some surfaces

You would need to rinse hot soapy water right off to wash germs away, it’s not completely possible

girlFRI3 · 28/03/2020 11:53

Cannot get my reply psted whatever I tryd

girlFRI3 · 28/03/2020 12:19

Try once more.

In case ECO was replying to me, I understand that soapy water shld be used BEFORE disinfectant to clean any visible or barely visible grime. Soapy water weakens or kills some of virus but does not destroy it completely. To avoid soapy water cancelling out bleach, rinse it off with a clean cloth in fresh water, dry it and then wipe with as wet a cloth soaked in diluted bleach as you can get away with without dripping it everywhere. Leave the wet surface to air dry. For hard surfaces obviously.
Bleach solution may be less effective on a grimy surface. So wash it first.