Stardrops..I have seen the light!

morganb

Hiya - yes I use it watered down to clean windows, UPVC, sofas, etc. Apart from the sofa, where I use a sponge pad to scrub at it, I use the stardrops and then rub it in / clean it up with a microfibre glove that I've got. Means I get to do the house and windows in about 1 1/4 hours ... for a 4bed, that's not bad at all ... and that includes all the surfaces / lampshades / TV / radios etc

steph25

Ooo thanks Morganb....I need to get a spray bottle from somewhere...but am gonna try a little bit of stardrops and warm water in a bowl on the couch 2nite!
Woooo I know how to live it up on a Friday _party_
I'll have a look round for some of them mf cloths and mitt.
Thanks for your advice
Steph :wave:

Paulie'sGirl

Can I just make a professional point here. I love Stardrops, and I love OS, but I feel the need to add a caution here.

I work in Health, Safety and Environment, and I know everyone thinks we're killjoys, but we really do just believe in common sense really (there are a few wackos that the media make hype about)

Occupational or contact dermatitis is seriously nasty stuff. If you develop red, itchy inflammed skin which you believe to be associated with any chemical product, you MUST cease its use immediately.

By all means try it once more to be sure (I'd suggest thinking about what else you'd used before the onset of the dermatitis, and then avoiding those things before the 2nd test).

But you must not mess about with irritant contact dermatitis. It has a very serious tendancy to progress rapidly from just a bit of redness and itching to the cracking and bleeding already described on this thread. That cracking increases your chances of infection.

But what is more worrying is that the more you suffer these bouts, the more likely it is that they will become permenant. It can quite literally force people out of work.

Now, I appreciate that you may not feel that a home cleaning product can have these effects, and you may wish to think that I'm overreacting.

In the workplace, exposure to such chemicals is strictly controlled by law, in your own home you're free to act as you wish. You can bathe in nitromors if you so desire (I wouldn't recommend it!) But for illustrative purposes I'll outline what I would insist on if this chemical were being used in my workplace:

gloves, nitrile (marigolds would be a decent substitute)
probably barrier cream
hand washing after contact
application of a restorative cream after washing

In summary, what I'm saying is, ladies who have had an adverse reaction to the use of this, DO NOT ignore it. If you suspect you have irritant contact dermatitis please consult your GP as it may affect your health and ability to work if unchecked.

Your friendly, balanced, H&S person

benedictadams

Paulies Girl

Aren't workplace chemicals stronger than what is sold for domestic use?

I would have thought that any household cleaner would have had to go through a barrage of tests before being able to be sold

angelatgraceland

Whatever cleaning agents you use-wherever you are-put on your rubbers! Always wear protection! hahaha

Paulie'sGirl

Hi benedictadams

You'd think so, wouldn't you? But no, that's not necessarily the case. You see the law on workplace chemicals is very stringent, and different to the law on supply for use in the home.

I'll illustrate with 2 examples:

You can walk into any hardware shop, your local B&Q and buy 5 litres of nitromors, the paintstripper just as you would buy nails or paint.

That same substance is so hazardous that the paint manufacturer I worked for banned it from site. The effects from it are such that we couldn't justify its use. I should also mention that when I buy it for a business, its accompanied by a 5 page document explaining its flammability, its irritant effects to the lung lining, the government imposed limits on how much of it a worker can be exposed to (how much vapour can be in the air he breathes) and just how little of it it takes to kill a rat...

The other example is cement. Its nasty stuff. If you breathe the dust over a prolonged period, it gives you silicosis, which is similar to asbestosis, only worse. Yet you can buy it from B&Q no bother.

What I was trying to say was that if you are experiencing adverse effects, whether acute or chronic, you must not attempt to use it again, as the effects can be severely dibilitating. And until the law changes to protect the consumer more, that's the best we can do.

Its worth remembering that the manufacturer discharges his duties to you as the consumer under law by the warnings he places on the packaging. If you disregard those warnings that's your fault. In the workplace, its the role of people like myself to enforce the warnings for the good of the user. There's no-one looking over your shoulder telling you to get your gloves on!!!

I hope I don't sound reactionary, but my vocation in life is to protect people, even those who aren't legally my responsibility!

benedictadams

Thanks Paulie's Girl

The bottle only gives a warning about getting in contact with eyes (previously the label says it is gentle on your hands)

I know that i use it at a higher concentration than advised for general cleaning (working it out i should only be putting 2ml instead of 50ml in a 500ml squirty bottle) and luckily i have had no adverse effects

Note to self will pay attention to the bottle in the future

Fivenations

Great though it is I have had to stop using Stardrops. Not only does it dry up my hands - I could with that by wearing gloves - it starts me coughing when I spray it so I have gone back to my Flash - which bought in bulk works out at not much more, possibly even less. Cant recall as I last bought it over a year ago. 5l lasts for ages.

BARGAINADDICT_4

Ive never had any problem with it, I think its great and can clean pretty much anything(no need for seperate bottles of cleaners,so reducing waste too!)
Used it last in a carpet cleaner I borrowed, much cheaper than special carpet shampoo and did quite a good job. I was suprised as although I use stardrops,I would never of thought of putting it in the cleaner.

katmad99

well...after raving about this product i had just heard of thanks to this website..my OH came home with a present for me..yup..Stardrops!!! Bless him! So i'm gonna have a day of cleaning soon (marigolds included) and see how good it is!!!