Anti Bacterial spray that is eco friendly do they exist?

katy2

gromituk wrote: »

Proves my point, perhaps. Remember that children shouldn't be brought up in sterile environments, or their immune systems don't develop properly. And unnecessary antibacterial agents simply encourage bacteria to evolve to resist them, reducing our armoury of defensive weapons when they are actually needed.

Agree 100%. I only have one rule and that is buy none of this junk antibacterial soap, it is just away to get paranoid people to part with their money.

I am a firm beleiver that our houses, only need to be clean, not sterile, a safe level of germs is a requirement to having and maintaining a good immune system. We didn't have all these antibacterial sprays years ago, and by and large people were much healthier, and that is in the days when kids could and did play outside, and actually got dirty.

kittiwoz

There was a piece in the MEN recently highlighting the finding of a study carried out at Manchester University which suggested that the increased use of antibacterial agents in low concentrations such as tea-tree is a factor in causing the development of resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA. The report concluded that tea-tree oil should not be used at concentrations below 4%.

It is better either just to clean things using ordinary soap or detergent which reduces bacteria by physically removing them and the dirt that they grow on or to properly disinfect and kill them all. Using low concentration anti-bacterials will kill some but leave others and effectively immunise them. This is a problem not just with home made concoctions but also with commercially available domestic disinfectant soaps and sprays (except bleach which is effective but not environmentally friendly).

mjr600

An alcohol or ethanol based spray is best, we use lots of it at work. Add a bit of lemon juice to tart up the smell, don't spray on naked flames, although it can be amusing after drinking the stuff at 3 am to brighten up a dull night when the great unwashed have stayed at home :-)

Justie

kittiwoz wrote: »

There was a piece in the MEN recently highlighting the finding of a study carried out at Manchester University which suggested that the increased use of antibacterial agents in low concentrations such as tea-tree is a factor in causing the development of resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA. The report concluded that tea-tree oil should not be used at concentrations below 4%.

It is better either just to clean things using ordinary soap or detergent which reduces bacteria by physically removing them and the dirt that they grow on or to properly disinfect and kill them all. Using low concentration anti-bacterials will kill some but leave others and effectively immunise them. This is a problem not just with home made concoctions but also with commercially available domestic disinfectant soaps and sprays (except bleach which is effective but not environmentally friendly).

The use of all products that claim to be antibacterial are increasing bacterial resistance as no matter how effective they are in controlled situations we just don't use them thoroughly enough - most people who wash their hands don't do it thoroughly, ditto cleaning surfaces etc. Using clean cloths and hot water with a non-antibacterial cleanser will clean far more effectively than using anything antibac... it's better for the environment and our pockets.

Lizzieanne

Justie wrote: »

The use of all products that claim to be antibacterial are increasing bacterial resistance as no matter how effective they are in controlled situations we just don't use them thoroughly enough - most people who wash their hands don't do it thoroughly, ditto cleaning surfaces etc. Using clean cloths and hot water with a non-antibacterial cleanser will clean far more effectively than using anything antibac... it's better for the environment and our pockets.

I couldn't agree more!

I have many friends whose only method of cleaning their kitchen work tops is the 'spray and wipe'...never a proper clean with hot soapy water. :eek:

pboae

For anti-bacterial spray to work it needs to be left in contact for at least 2 minutes. If you aren't going to leave 2 minutes *every time* between spraying and wiping then you've wasted your money and increased the likliehood of anti bacterial resistance.

500yearvision

HappySad wrote: »

I have one question. When you make your vinega+water+teatree+lemon mixture do you need to shake it each time you use it to mix the ingredience altogether? What I am thinking is that the oils will sit at the top of the spray bottle and ever be used...

thanks everyone.

I use 1 part distilled white vinegar, 3 parts water and a few drops of lavender essential oil. I don't shake it before use as it seems to be pretty well dispersed when I use it. Let us know how you get on!

p.s. re the tea tree thread. I wonder who paid for that research?

Gingernutmeg

Like lots of other people, I make my own spray using vinegar, water, lemon oil and peppermint oil. Smells lovely, cleans well and costs pennies!

kittiwoz

500yearvision wrote:

p.s. re the tea tree thread. I wonder who paid for that research?

I had a look to try and find this on the internet and it seems I wrong about the research being done by the University of Manchester. It was done by scientists at the University of Ulster in their Food Microbiology Research Group (FMRG) and was revealed at a medical research conference in Manchester and published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Here is the press release. I found a page showing some of the recent funding successes of the FMRG which says it was awarded a grant of £546,286 by the Research and Development Office of the Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety (Northern Ireland) for a 4 year project in collaboration with Dr John Moore and colleagues at the Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory at Belfast City Hospital to study "The development, dissemination and significance of antibiotic resistance within the human food chain".

Hope that clears that up.

HappySad

kittiwoz wrote: »

I had a look to try and find this on the internet and it seems I wrong about the research being done by the University of Manchester. It was done by scientists at the University of Ulster in their Food Microbiology Research Group (FMRG) and was revealed at a medical research conference in Manchester and published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Here is the press release. I found a page showing some of the recent funding successes of the FMRG which says it was awarded a grant of £546,286 by the Research and Development Office of the Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety (Northern Ireland) for a 4 year project in collaboration with Dr John Moore and colleagues at the Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory at Belfast City Hospital to study "The development, dissemination and significance of antibiotic resistance within the human food chain".

Hope that clears that up.

So does it mean that using TeaTree is not advisable.......?Using soap & water +vinegar+lemon sounds good to me. If the teatree is going to make things worst then I would leave it out.Thanks