OS cleaning - Throwing a cat among the pigeons

Calephetos

jenniferpa wrote:

The most recent product in stores here (and I don't know if it's made it to the U.K.) is a product marketed as a disinfectant so mild that it can be used anywhere (the T.V. ads show a mother spraying round its toddler as it sits eating in its high chair). The mind boggles.

Jennifer

Oooh, there's an ad like that over here; it makes me rant at the TV every time! Usually along the lines of "If you want it to eat off something clean, then put a damn plate under its food!" and "Natural selection!! You're just encouraging the germs!"

At this point, J tends to turn the TV off 'til it's gone and I stop fuming...

kittiwoz

I think that what non-disinfectant cleaners do is not to "simply move germs around" but to remove dirt and grease which germs can feed off. There will still be germs on the surfaces but not so many and they will be less hospitable to germs. I know lime and lemon juice are mildly disinfectant so I would imagine vinegar probably is as well.

jackieb

Do most Americans put bleach in with their laundry? I'm a member of another site and it seems they're obsessed with it.

jenniferpa

Well I don't. I've never really come to grips with the concept of "color-safe" bleach (mispelling intentional). I mean, either it bleaches or it doesn't. On the other hand, I'm a transplant, rather than a US born - maybe it's something you understand when you're born here LOL. Actually, I think it's a function of the detergent formulations over here. Due to run-off pollution concerns it seems like the detergent doesn't clean as well - I think it's something to do with sulphates (maybe). Even the "regular" bleach doesn't work as well as bleach in the UK.

Jennifer

Anne_Marie_2

Think that we are far too sanitized for our own good. Look at all those superbugs which we can't fight nowadays. Far too much use of chemicals and anti-biotics. (Will stop now as could write for days on this one!)

I don't have a dishwasher, so have to wash dishes by hand. I rinse dishes off, but know fine well that DD and DH don't, and never been poisoned yet.
For general cleaning in the kitchen I use a spray made up with washing up liquid, vinegar and water - another spray bottle has surgical spirit added - just depends on what I am cleaning.

Have a couple of "glass" chopping up boards, either side of the hob - great for putting hot pans/cooking stuff on too. Have a spray bottle made up with water and essential oils to wipe over to "sanitize" for preparing food. I do change the combination of essential oils about though - don't want all the germs in the kitchen to become immune to tea tree, lavender, geranium, lemon or whatever. (If anyone wants recipes for making up a counter spray bottle, let me know, will dig out details and post).

I use a mixture of microfibre cloths, sponges and brushes for cleaning. For cleaning them:-
microfibre cloths - boiling water with soap powder
sponges - sort of same treatment, but not so hot water
Bristle brushes are good in boiling water, but never had the nerve to do that with plastic brushes - use baby sterilizing stuff.
Those green scrubby thingies - well, I have to bin them after cleaning my oven doors - hang my head in shame!

mgardner

Everything in my Grandmothers house, including me, got a good scrub down with carbolic soap once a week, and what she called a lick and a promise in between. I dont think germs bothered her very much, probably like the rest of us they just didnt dare.

Blairweech

There's a lot of research coming out now to suggest that excessive cleaning actually exacerbates conditions like asthma and exzcema. Example: one of the posters on here used to use tons of Sh@ke and V@c because her son's skin was bad - stopped using it and her son's skin cleared up.

I always wash my chopping boards *really* well, generally using washing up liquid and boiling water. Anywhere that I've ben preparing chicken or fish gets disinfected too. Everywhere else, just a wipe with vinegar/baking soda though.

savingpennies

Vinegar and lemon juice are mild acids anyway and as such would kill quite a few germs.

pollys

I don't use antibacterial sprays or bleach, hot water and soap work fine. The fewer chemicals used on all surfaces the better, including the humans in the house!