Clean versus sterile - calling science buffs.

[whomovedmychocolate]

I've been watching some adverts for biocides (you know the ones for sprays from Dettol et al that 'kill all viruses' etc.).

Well I have a question:

Is sterile the same as clean? If I sterlise something but it is still dirty - does it stay sterile or does the bacteria just multiple madly on the dirty bits?

If this is so, surely cleaning is better than using biocides?

Also, why are all cleaning products liquid when bacteria require moisture to flourish - surely dry cleaning products would work better?

Come science types - enlighten the slovenly one

I clean and then sterilise (ussing dettol spray.

Yeeeeesssss....but why? Surely if you do one you don't have to do the other?

hmm a bit out of my area here, but while we are waiting for someone in lab coat... I don't think you can properly sterilise somethign dirty. eg if it's a still milky baby's bottle the bacteria will breed in the manky milk. A microbiologist friend who makes those kills all germs stuff says that clean is good enough unless you are immuno compromised or v young or old in which case sterilise as well.
I guess the products are liquids so they can cover the surface & the bacteria can't live in them (eg bleach) although they could in water.
Besides, aren't we all too clean anyway? (Throws mop away outs feet up)

CLEAN - REMOVES DIRT, STUCK ON GRIME/STAINS.

STERILIZE- KILLS GERMS

Sorry about the cap lock.

Kingfix - oh I think so, I eschew biocides because I reckon they make you vulnerable. My granny used to say 'you have to eat a shovel of dirt before you die' (ie you have to get exposed to live but you'd have to let it get really bad before it harmed you).

But see, the thing is: let's say I have porridge left on my spoon and I dump it in bleach and the porridge has dried on. The bleach would adhere to the porridge and surely kill at germs providing a sterile level. UNLESS I scratched that layer, does it stay sterile?

I don't use anything like that unless someone has weed or worse on the carpet.

The way I see it, the more we kill off randomly all the bacteria in our homes, whether good or bad, the more chance the really nasty ones have to multiply.

I learned to think this way last year while suffering from a superbug.

It was awful - apparently nothing kills it, unless you use bleach - however it does not stick to surfaces, so you have to wash everything including your hands with soap and water, as this washes it off even if it doesn't kill it.

Also taking antibiotics was the best way to allow it to take hold enough to cause problems - they kill off the usual bacteria, including the good ones, and the ones that would normally keep the small numbers of naughty superbug in check, aren't there any more so it can go mad and make you ill.

Does that make sense? I strongly believe that alcohol gels and overdisinfecting in hospitals are responsible for superbugs being spread - they kill off everything else which should keep a good protectove balance around us, allowing the real nasties to take over. Many people still aren't aware that alcohol gels in hospitals don't kill C diff.

Marne - perhaps you need to spray it

I am taken with your cutlery drawer full of porridge-encrusted sterile spoons, wmmc... I wonder, though, if the porous nature of the porridge would allow it to be fully sterilised?

like that theory a lot!

I caught blooming threadworms by using alcohol gel thinking it was better than soap and water

Habbibu - the only sterile thing in this house is the cat!

Thanks, but I am unsure whether i have answered your question!!

I am not finding the image of bleach on porridge, very - erm - condusive

wmmc, wouldn't you need a pneumatic drill to even scratch dried on porridge? That stuff could hold houses together!

Well, one of the big problems with antibiotics is not taking the full course, obv - the resistant bacteria don't get a sufficient dose to kill them, and the less resistant ones get a chance to rebuild and then be excreted to infect others.

In hospitals it's really difficult, isn't it? I mean, you've got severely immuno-suppressed patients to whom the smallest transfer of bacteria could be very damaging, together with the problems that FA mentioned. I think good soap and water hygiene is hard to beat in most cases.

Good point differentcupID - I actually only make it from oats - nothing else so it does tend to be quite crusty.

I don't use bleach actually. We use washing up liquid to clean pretty much everything and the cheapy stuff not the biocide stuff.

The kids get colds of course but nothing else. In fact DD has had a stomach bug just once in 27 months!