According a Clorox commercial on TV today (during a baby show, meaning lots of Moms saw this ad) you should sanitize not only your child’s toys but also their BOTTLES and SIPPY cups in a bleach and water solution.
Are you freaking kidding me?
Bleach is a huge cause of calls to the poison control center, and the makers of Clorox Chlorine Bleach want us to soak young children’s food containers in it?
These are just some of the oh so useful suggestions found on Clorox.com under AMAZING — USES. Heh… the only amazing thing about bleach is its ability to strip fabric of all colors and eat through fabric when used repeatedly or in higher concentrations (and that SMELL!)
Chlorine bleach is bad for the environment and more importantly, it is bad for the health of our families and our homes. While traditional household concentrations of bleach won’t cause any life threatening reaction if ingested, it is still a toxic chemical, one that our homes should be free of.
The MSDS for Clorox Regular bleach states: “DANGER: CORROSIVE. May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and skin. Vapor or mist may irritate. Harmful if swallowed. Keep out of reach of children.”
I’m just absolutely shocked at the recommendation to clean an infants bottles and sippy cups with a bleach solution. For one, WHY do we need to sanitize to the level of killing all bacteria (good and bad)? If for some reason, sanitation is required, boiling water works wonders without chemicals. Many dishwashers on the market today have a sanitation cycle, you can stick lots of toys, bottles and sippy cups on the top rack and they come out sparkling clean.
According to Clorox, one should mix one tablespoon of bleach with a gallon of water and soak prewashed bottles in the solution for two minutes. Then you should pour the solution through the nipples and drain dry. They don’t even recommend a final rinse.
I’d like to think that we are well beyond the days of feeling like we have to sanitize our children’s bottles. But if you do want to or have been advised to by a Doctor, then use boiling water (you know, the old fashioned method our parents used when we were infants). There are also options on the market for microwave sanitation.
That’s marketing for you. Thanks for this informative post. Useful outgoing links which I really appreciate. I can tell you’re passionate about the topic, rightfully so!
PLEASE check out this great blog post regarding cleaners, sanitizers and disinfectants and a great product. I think many people are just confused and this could be a big help!
http://www.vitaloxide.com/vitaloxide-blog?p=28&Itemid=193#comment-2
I am a farmer, and i sell raw milk. I BLEACH THE HECK out of my equipment, kitchen, sink, anything that could potentially come into contact with the milk INCLUDING a capful of bleach in warm soapy water to wash clean the cows udder.
Why? Because milk borne disease are tragic. YOu don’t want to get ecoli for one.
saltwater which is what is left from bleach isn’t going to hurt anyone.
Thank you for this! This post is an opinion. Not supported by fact or science. Once oxygen evaporates from bleach, it becomes salt. Are we going to stop consuming salt too? Because it is just as harmful in high concentrations. By the way, thank you for the work you do 🙂
Agreed! I BLEACH EVERYTHING in my home down, from toilets to kitchen counters, fridge, and yes ( don’t judge me) even my kids toys and sippy cups! I rinse them thoroughly and let them air dry, like I’m supposed to, and been doing this for 22 years with no issues! Bleach can kill you if you drink it, so can a lot of normal chemicals that we use on a daily, but whose gonna drink it? Or allow our kids to consume it? You put it up the same as you do all cleaning chemicals! Clorox is my best friend, and that smell? I love it! It’s so clean and refreshing!
Disgusting!! Bleach is a neurotoxin! You’ve been brainwashed to think you need something THAT TOXIC to disinfect something. There are better options I promise. That are affordable. EPA approved too. I can’t judge you for what you exposing your family to, BUT when it comes to what’s going into MY WATERways, then it DOES become my business. Wake up please!
Also thought of another reason for bleach which is not necessarily what i would use in this situation but it works. IF one of your pets gets parvo youll have to bleach everything and every where that pet has gone. Most likely your pet will die. But if you want another pet your going to have to kill parvo and there is only a few things that will kill it. Direct sunlight is one. which is very hard to do indoors. Other than that you use formaldehyde, which is called formalin in the 9% buffered solution, and bleach around a 9 -12% solution. That is the only thing that will kill parvo.
There are other diseases as well that require those chemicals. They are nasty bugs that will persist.
There is no way to eliminate parvo completely from a home or yard. My friend’s puppy came down with it. He did not die but received treatment. Our puppy could not visit his home for 6 weeks until their final booster.
I think your example is flawed, but I think I get what you are saying. There is a time and place for bleach. It is just overused and toxic the way most household use it.
So what should us green-minded moms use in lieu of a bleach pen on the occasions we need to remove a stain from a white piece of laundry?
I rarely use it, but do keep one in my home and never really thought about it.
Crimson Wife…Try this…pour cornstarch onto the stain and let set for 15 minutes or so. Cornstarch absorbs moisture so it will lift a lot of the stain. Wash as usual.
Thanks for this great post!!! That commercial drives me nuts too! I just want to go right through the TV. I’m going to blog about this too and link to you within. The power of blogging!!
Rebecca- great tip for stains!
Also, I use hydrogen peroxide directly on the spot. Vinegar and lemon juice are also effective. It may take some experimenting to figure out what works for which stain with you water (harder or softer water can cause differing results!).
I make a paste out of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and my Eco’s liquid detergent. Then apply with a toothbrush (another great use for old toothbrushes). Only make a small amount as the hydrogen/baking soda mix will cause foaming, etc… and make a mess if you try to store it!
Good Luck! I cannot STAND Clorox.
Hydrogen peroxide is a much more dangerous chemical than bleach.
I’m glad to see all the helpful tips on how to “green clean” stains. I have to admit, I did use bleach a couple months ago. We had a septic problem, and it migrated to the kids’ bathtub! That would be my one “excuse” for it… but then I green cleaned it numerous times before the little guy set foot in it.
Otherwise, I agree: there are plenty of alternatives.
I just saw this commercial this weekend and couldn’t believe it. After soaking, just rinse and let dry. Really???? Why not mix some bleach in with the juice for a nice cocktail. I really could not believe this commercial. Even in the days where I was sanitize happy – I was extremely careful about what I used to clean things that went in my kids mouths.
I used to work as a preschool teacher. We sprayed the bleach solution every day on all toys and hard surfaces. When RSV threatened my sons life I wasn’t so worried about the bleach. The bleach evaporates after it is dry. Also, those of you who have city water are most likely ingesting it daily. I am an RN now- and there are plenty of nasty germs out there that can only be killed by bleach- spores and molds included. As far as not killing the “good” bacteria… I’d be really thrilled to see how you would differentiate between these microscopic organisms. Maybe you keep a microscope under your sink but I don’t. We’ve never had one child sickened from bleach exposure, but many due to viruses, bacteria, molds, spores, and fungus. Just my two cents…
That is because you would not recognize a bleach sickness, you would never connect it to that. I cannot use it, I become sick immediately. Bleach causes more long term effects and can build up damage in the body. So the small amount used in cleaners and disinfectants at a school wouldnt show any effects unless over used. Using it in a hospital where it may be warranted to keep sickness down I get. Using it in a day care occasionally when it is flu season or once a week to sanitize toys…..giving the weekend to dry and ONLY when a day care has a ventilation system is different (not the one that I worked in that DID NOT have a ventilation system and promoted bleach use every day several times a day and did not allow for windows to be opened in the center either) But using it extensively is ridiculous and not good. There are no germs out there that can ONLY be killed by bleach? Who is telling you this?
Well gosh Natalie… you’d be dead if your body didn’t have any ‘bleach’ in it. You see, we get chlorine in our regular salt intake. And if you don’t get salt… you die.
The average adult human body contains approximately 0.2 percent (by weight) pure chlorine. Salt (sodium chloride) is made of equal parts sodium and chlorine. Salt is absolutely essential to life. It maintains your PH balance, lets your nerves and muscles operate, and is essential in your blood and in digestion of nutrients.
However, salt does NOT exist as sodium chloride after it is dissolved in water. It separates out into free sodium and chlorine floating around in your body. So the average adult has anywhere from a quarter to a half pound of pure chlorine in their body.
So while you should be careful to not breath it, or handle in pure form, it’s also no use to panic at the thought of chlorine.
If its sodium hydrochlorite and its mixed with an organic compound (such as mold or bacteria) or other organic chemical….its releases VOCs (volitile organic compounds) thats been proven, which wont matter outside, because its ventilated, but indoors can be very bad and can be carcinogenic. The OSHA-allowable time-weighted average concentration over an eight-hour period is 10 ppm. The OSHA highest allowable peak concentration (5 minute exposure for five minutes in a 4-hour period) is 200 ppm. If used properly and limited it can be beneficial for fighting viruses but other methods can be used too. When disinfecting most surfaces, 1 part liquid household bleach to 100 parts water is sufficient for sanitizing. Stronger or weaker solutions may be more appropriate to meet specific goals, such as destroying resistant viruses or sanitizing surfaces that WILL NOT be in contact with food
I also noticed today during a TLC baby show, Clorox recommended soak, rinse dry for toys and soak and dry for bottles. The commercial needs to be edited at the very least to indicate a rinse for bottles as well. We mothers have to make concious decisions based on all the marketing ploys out there, it is our responsibility to make educated choices. There is likely an issue the lack of education on the use manufactured chemicals and sterilization for any application.
You need to get your facts straight. Every product needs to put scary disclaimers on it’s product. For goodness sake, WATER is corrosive as well. Should you not use that around your baby? Bleach breaks down mainly to salt and water.
Fiona Murray is right when she states that Clorox Liquid Bleach breaks down to saltwater — which is back what it begins with. Also, It’s viruses that really make kids ill. Bleach is one of the reasons why so many lives have been spared over the years due to it’s viral killing properties — it has saved thousands of lives. If you don’t believe me, go ask the Red Cross to prove it to you. So before you jump off the deep end, and get everybody stirred up with a bunch of ignorant inaccuracies — get your facts straight Jaime — and quick spreading lies about the “myths” around Bleach.
Rick- everything stated here is factual. Clorox does not break down to saltwater completely. There are byproducts left over which Clorox states will be taken care of by the septic or sewer system. I’m not sure about yours, but my septic tank treats NOTHING and chlorine bleach is highly discouraged for users of a septic tank because it kills all the beneficial bacteria causing septic issues, like nasty overflow. There’s some virus and bacteria to make people sick. We do not use chlorine bleach in our home and my children and daycare children are sick less than average, so I don’t buy that its necessary to prevent the spread of illness. There are plenty of alternatives out there.
Rick, I did ask the authorities – not the Red Cross, but the CDC, that is the Centers for Disease Control, and they do not agree with you. Well, the pharmaceutical industry’s marketing is alive and well. Growing up in Europe, I can assure you that my mother never used bleach. For some reason, my sister and I both reached adulthood without succumbing to deadly viral or bacterial infections. Our baby bottles and other feeding accessories were sanitised with steam, a method that worked so well that I also used it for my daughter who is now 13. I do not have bleach in my household. I use vinegar, lemon-based cleaners, Method products, etc. I also do not use antibacterial wipes or soaps. I think this is mostly an American mentality, and I have noticed that you have one of the highest rates of allergies in the world. The use of all these products weakens the immune system, and it also causes bacteria to become resistant resulting in even more dangerous infections. It’s a vicious cycle.
Bleach is a horrible health hazard. I use to use it to disinfect my house. I now have chronic lung problems because of it. When ever I am around bleach even in the smallest amounts it takes my breath away and I can not breath!!!!
It is a shame too because it is used in all childcare centers. I can’t believe it is even recomended for use there. I hope more kids don’t develop breathing problems. Vinager in a 5 percent or higher solution works just as well as bleach and it is safer.
Susan,
Vinegar is not a disinfectant. Please visit the Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov or the US environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov.
If you tell people it is a disinfectant they might believe you and use it to disinfect their cutting board after preparing raw chicken. This could cause a food borne illness in the household that will not only make someone very sick but if you are elderly or less than toddler age, could be deadly.
just because something breaks down to salt and water, does not mean it is “safe’ or does not pose a risk of health hazards. the chlorine in bleach is the hazard, oxygenated bleach is generally safer.
This is proof that idiots are taking over the world! Dishwasher will not kill most viruses or bacterial organisms you need something stronger that will stop the spread of infectious diseases. I run a day care and will put a table-spoon of bleach to my dishwasher to sterilize the toys and dishes. Just because one idiot failed to follow the directions and call the company for proper use don’t allow them to change the world. People who can’t breath around bleach are 95% of them are smokers and will not tell you. If you follow the safety sheet of the product or use the MSDS material safety data sheet will not have problems. Medicines in the cabinets are more hazardous, paints, gas, and oils in the garage or basement are worse to the environment human health then bleach!
I totally agree with you! I am a nurse and I have been using bleach to disinfect things for years. Since chlorine evaporates within minutes, it is safe to use on toys and bottles. However, if you are not comfortable doing this, simply rinse with clear water to remove the bleach smell or taste. I like to rinse my tea pitcher with Clorox, not because it is stained from tea but, for some reason, after awhile it takes on a moldy smell and taste. The Clorox kills the mold on contact!
Bleach is bad news period. The fumes? Anything that smells so strongly that you must use it in a well ventilated area doesn’t belong in my home.
Bleach DOES NOT break down COMPLETELY to salt + water:
“The remaining 2 percent to 5 percent breaks down to form by-products that are effectively treated by municipal wastewater treatment plants or septic systems.”
That was quoted directly from Clorox’s website on bleach and the environment. So, we have salt, water and 2-5% of unknown by-products which will be effectively treated by wastewater plants or septic systems?
Huh…. by the way, chlorine bleach kills the good bacteria lurking in your septic tank… you know the little guys who eat up all the junk and keep your septic from having major issues.
The use of chlorine bleach doesn’t fit with a chemical free home… and we that’s what we are all about here. Some people want to gloss over chlorine bleach by making claims such as “breaks down to salt+water”, etc… when in fact those claims are not the complete truth.
If a product has nasty (eye burning) fumes, eats through clothing, burns my skin, etc… it’s not coming into my house and it definitely isn’t being used on my children’s products.
I am also a daycare provider. I have a natural home without any commercial chemicals. We use vinegar, lemon juice, tea tree oil and water for disinfecting and cleaning purposes. I can tell you we do not have more illness than any other daycare, I would venture to say we have less than most in our area. Bleach is not necessary to clean and disinfecting is only necessary when there is a virus or bacteria present (which isn’t often). Over disinfecting leads to more illness because we can’t fight off the germs.
No home should have hazardous substances like paint, gas and oils laying around. We certainly don’t. Paint gets used and then RECYCLED… the same with motor oil and cooking oils… we only bring in the amount of gasoline needed to run the mower and don’t store any extra outside of the mower. These items are not (or shouldn’t be) sitting in the house (or used in the house) where a child has access to them and you certainly aren’t using them on your child’s toys and bottles.
Silly girl! What do you think they put in city water to purify it? And the swimming pool? Chlorine of course! Neither vinegar, lemon juice or tea tree oil disinfect anything. You are kidding yourself if you think it does.
Wow this is ridiculous. Bleach is one of the best sanitizers we, as the human race, have to kill microorganisms. If you eat at a restaurant or a bar or ANY food service establishment chances are they use bleach diluted to 100ppm with water to sanitize. You do not need to rinse anything with water after using this dilution of bleach. Its RECOMMENDED by the FDA and is very common in food safety.
The fact is that this quote, “We use vinegar, lemon juice, tea tree oil and water for disinfecting and cleaning purposes.” doesn’t jive with food safety. Vinegar, Lemon Juice, and tea tree oil are acids. Acids are effective at killing SOME bacterias, but I would venture to say they are about 80% less effective than a simple dilution of bleach. You need the oxidation property of bleach to thoroughly kill bacteria and disinfect surfaces.
If you want a “safer” alternative to bleach, I would suggest hydrogen peroxide, as it acts as an oxidizer.
If you are so against using bleach I suggest two things; Stop spreading ludicrous claims with no scientific evidence to support your conclusion. And secondly, perhaps you should pick up a chemistry book, learn something about science, and then make a claim.
Your mindset is the exact reason we don’t have nuclear energy as out main source of power. Misinformation and drawing conclusions from hearsay or not fully understating. Here is a little FYI Nuclear plants produce about 97% less radiation than coal burning plants. I bet you would have said that the other way around…
My aunt used to run a restaurant in Germany (30+ years), and I can assure you that she did not use chlorine bleach. She was very eco-conscious before it became fashionable and popular, and used natural cleaners, etc. Despite that she never had any health issues. Her place was spotless, and passed every safety and health inspection with flying colours. Again, I think this is a uniquely American fixation/issue.
BTW, her place was extremely popular among American soldiers and tourists who would rave about the quality of her food and her establishment. She has thousands of guest book entries from people who came back dozens of times.
@ E magnet = So nuclear power plants produce 97% less radiation than coal burning plants – Maybe when they are functioning and you are looking at the emissions strictly. However, the waste and the contamination of reactor parts that need replaced are way higher than coal could ever amount to. Furthermore, when you have a problem (like fukishima or Chernobyl) the effects of radiation from the occurring problem last thousands of years, cause radiation that is normally not seen on earth, and contaminates areas much larger than a coal plant does. It also irradiates that contaminated zone, causing most biological life forms from earth, the inability to live and function properly.
A fully functioning nuclear power plant may not have such high emissions at first, but over the long period of its life cycle, it causes more harm than any source of energy production. Furthermore, a nuclear power fuel cell, once enriched, cannot be reduced and put back to nature at native radiation-emitting qualities. They are ‘sealed’ and buried in the ground. Except for the fact that everything exposed to that radiation degrades and eventually deteriorates causing leaks…. I suggest you learn more about science and stop making ludicrous claims.
Your ignorance of radioactive decay is apparent. I suggest you learn more about science and stop spouting anti-nuclear nonsense.
Also comparing Fukishima-Daiichi and Chernobyl is intellectually dishonest.
We’re exposed to radiation constantly, the Universe and Earth is full of it. You’re as bad as the morons who gave themselves iodine poisoning in California.
Hi,
I completely agree about the clorox bleach. It DOES NOT belong in a household. I nearly died yesterday after cleaning my bathtub with it. This product s/b banned.
So your stupid?
you are making it sound like they want you to soak the cups in a whole tub of straight bleach, you never heard of diluting with water…dumbass…
Does vinegar kill viruses? i think not. Virus are what make kids sick. You’d be better off to use an alcohol solution, vs vinegar. At least the properties of alcohol has the ability to kill viruses.
Try using the scented bleach. It does not have the strong odor as the regular strength bleach. More pleasant scent to use around the house if the standard scent bothers you.
Do you realize that hospitals, doctor’s offices, and pharmacies use bleach to sanitize surfaces? How about restaurants? They use bleach to sanitize cooking surfaces, food trays, dishes, silverware, and counter tops.
Bleach breaks down into sodium chloride in the environment. Sodium chloride is also known by its other name: table salt.
There are plenty of more dangerous chemicals you use on a daily basis.
“Chlorine bleach is bad for the environment and more importantly, it is bad for the health of our families and our homes.”
I’m just adding my 50 cents worth. If something is bad for the environment, it’s way more significant than just your family. Maybe not to you but in the real scope of things, toxins in the environment are not “out there,” they are everywhere and will harm everything. The environment keeps ALL life alive on Earth and it’s not just saving whales! Without the environment, we have no food, water, soil, resources- so the environment is way more important than a sick family. I know the truth hurts, but what can I do?
Vic… not very bright are you? Bleach is a simple chlorine solution… so is the ocean… so is the human body. In fact, you’d die if your body didn’t have about a quarter pound of raw chlorine floating around in there (almost as much as a gallon of bleach).
Does the truth hurt, now that it is in polar opposition to the environmental BS you’ve spouted?
I cannot believe the commercial! I am a Clorox user for moldy rags in the laundry, but that’s about all I use it for. I would never put bleach in my baby’s bottles.
Thank you for writing about this. I actually spoke with a lady who I once asked how to quickly remove smell from my kitchen trashcan, and she said that she is a day care director and she sprays the toddler room after diaper changes and it works wonders with removing odor from the air……., glad my toddler isn’t in that room every day. People need to educate themselves.
Sorry, JR Trantow but you need to get your facts straight. People who can’t breathe around bleach are not smokers. Bleach is a hazard, the bottle says to only use in a “well ventilated area”!
Please keep believing what the ADVERTISERS say and keep adding to their pockets. THEY wouldn’t have a reason to mislead you now would they?
Explain how a teaspoon of bleach to a gallon of water is more dangerous than the water itself with fluoride, lead, bacterias and parasites and who knows what else in it. If you’ve ever taken a chem class, you’d know baking powder, salt, vinegar can be caustic if not dangerous as well if you’re careless or over indulgent with them. The key is “clean” – whatever works, green or mean. Be responsible, do what works for you and know your facts about products and marketing.
I had several years of chemistry, and I also know that bleach and ammonia result in chlorine gas, which was used as a weapon in World War I.
Oh, and here’s another bit of information for you: A recent European study indicated that sodium hypochlorite and organic chemicals (e.g., surfactants, fragrances) contained in several household cleaning products can react to generate chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chlorinated compounds are emitted during cleaning applications, some of which are toxic and probable human carcinogens. The study showed that indoor air concentrations significantly increase (8-52 times for chloroform and 1-1170 times for carbon tetrachloride, respectively, above baseline quantities in the household) during the use of bleach containing products.
Here is the source: http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag
It’s a scientific journal.
Bleach and ammonia can react to form monochloramine, dichloramine, nitrogen trichloride, chlorine gas, nitrogen gas, and hydrochloric acid. This reaction is also very exothermic (heat generating).
I don’t care to be a part of the bleach or no bleach discussion, but for anyone reading this – NEVER mix bleach and ammonia containing products (clorox and windex for example) together.
FDA are a bunch of idiots, they once allowed the promotion of smoking as a healthy way to treat the throat!
Stay natural keep the big chemical companies out of your house.
Germs don’t make people sick, weak immune systems do.
Agreed, Bleach Sucks. I really don’t trust the FDA. They are too influenced by big pharma.
Katharine
Thank you for being a becon of light in the storm of stupidity that seems to be excepted these days.
“A government big enough to give you everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have….”
Thomas Jefferson
cindy,
i laughed when i read your post and suggestion that others are involved in a “storm of stupidity”. i was wondering what kind of “storm” you are in?
in a short post, you not only blatantly misspell the word “beacon”, but go on to misattribute a GERALD FORD quote to thomas jefferson.
if i had to guess, something tells me that you might be a beacon of stupidity.
OK so I’d love to see your immune system fight off the plague. Or tuberculosis. Or salmonella. Or Ebola….. How about e coli????
I work in a pharmacy and we compound bleach and distilled water to make a dressing that helps heal wounds that are are not healing properly. Small amounts of bleach kill bacteria. You also flush bleach thru well water systems to kill bacteria that can cause illness and swimming pools use chlorine to sanitize the water. And just recently a medical study found that putting a small amount of bleach in kids bath water can help heal eczema. All chemicals are not bad many save lives everyday. The trick is moderation and getting all the facts before you act and write on blogs.
What can I do for my skin, I was cleaning my walls with bleach and it burned the skin of parts of my hands and arms?
YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO — USE IT FULL STRENGTH AND — USE YOUR HANDS TO APPLY IT. That’s like using a weed whacker to shave your legs. Read the directions and follow them.
THe reason they do this is because bleach is completely safe. IF you know how to use it. All three of my kids are healthy and I have only used clorox to sanitize, but then again, I also have a background in chemistry and know how to make proper dilutions. my guess is that the general public does not. I do not suggest it is for every household, but you should know that Clorox bleach works well because it is oxidized, but cheap-o brands are not always so. be careful what you choose and how you do it folks! babies can be harmed by “natural” cleaners too.
@ Shalini
“I completely agree about the clorox bleach. It DOES NOT belong in a household. I nearly died yesterday after cleaning my bathtub with it. This product s/b banned.”
… a bathroom is typically a small, enclosed area with limited ventilation. Without diluting the bleach in water, of course you are going to run a severe health risk. Even with dilution, you still want to use it when the door is OPEN, with the air vent running.
@ Jamie Irvin:
“Bleach is bad news period. The fumes? Anything that smells so strongly that you must use it in a well ventilated area doesn’t belong in my home.”
If you want a “chemical free home” make sure to filter all your tap water, for every purpose… ever. Tap water has trace chemicals which sanitize it (chlorine, for example… found in BLEACH nonetheless, fluoride, etc)
@ E Magnet:
Yes. I agree 100%
@ the majority of the people saying “BLEACH IS THE DEVIL”… get serious. Learn to dilute things, and how to handle it properly. Heck, even vinegar can be dangerous… splash some of that in your eyes and see what happens.
here’s a solution, if you don’t like it, don’t use it. don’t knock the people who do. its a personal decision, what works for some might not for others. just use common sense while using any chemical.
Microwave to sanitize????? Really I though better advice would have been given by this website. DO NOT — USE A MICROWAVE!!!
bleach water is required to be used in the food industry and in childcare! Its one of the finaly stages when cleaning anything. And your not allowed to wipe it off or rinse it off our it deplites the purpose. Bleach water drys and isn’t harmful or they wouldn’t make it reguired!
Laura- most American’s have a microwave in their homes and several companies make microwave sterilization kits for baby bottles. Our home is microwave free, but I recognize that most people do use one.
SJ- Bleach water is NOT required in my state for childcare, it is RECOMMENDED. There is a difference. Believing that governments will only require or recommend an item that is SAFE is incorrect and unsafe thinking. The FDA has proven this many times over. I am a Registered Childcare provider and I do not use chlorine bleach in my home for anything. My inspectors are aware of this. I use hydrogen peroxide or diluted lemon juice or diluted tea tree oil in a spray bottle to disinfect after I clean. It is a safer option for home and the earth.
I just was cleaning for many hours with straight bleach. Now I can’t stop coughing, today, my eyes keep watrering & I keep sneezing, I feel all stopped up in my nose, & I just plain can’t breath very good. What the heck is going on. And what do I do about this. ?? TY. Concerned. Now I feel like I am getting a headache, as well.
Sherry- I would advise lots and lots of fresh air and a call to the Doctor. If you start experiencing respiratory distress, then go to the ER. I’m not a Doctor, but I do know that inhaling chemicals esp. at full strength can be dangerous.-Jamie Ervin
That is also why “It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” Good luck, read the label next time and I hope you feel better soon.
I think some people have chosen to go without Clorox because of the adverse affects that they have experienced after using it incorrectly. I think that Clorox when used with the proper ratio to water is an excellent way to clean and disinfect. I personally use it to keep dirt from collecting in the cracks/scratches in my Corelle dinnerware. It makes them like new. If I were working for Clorox I would advise them to sell their bottles with a smaller pouring spout. I really don’t believe that people use the correct measurements as they say they do. Perhaps people are just pouring straight from the bottle and not paying attention to how much has spilled out. Over pretention makes for overdose.
It is amazing that all these people, except for the ones who have spring or well water, use water all the time that has chlorine in it. The snacks and drinks that kids get cause more problems than chlorine bleach used correctly. Can you find a product today that does not have horrible warnings on it. Do you not have a place to safely store products away from children? Do you have only child safe prescription drugs in your home? Use common sense and get a life.
Nothing is funnier to me than reading chemistry lessons from the completely clueless and uneducated public. This entire thread is stupid. Maybe when your baby comes down with H1N1 this fall you will feel differently.
Clorox bleach is the only cleaning agent that will get a stain out when everything else fails. I have tried all sorts of combos-lemon, vinegar, peroxide, sunlight etc. At the end, a few drops of Clorox and the stains vanish.As far as disinfecting items like toys and baby bottles, use your common sense.If you feel there is mold or certain dirt,put the bleach into hot water,rinse and air dry. Stop whining and talking stupid!!!
You do know that bleach is added to lake and stream water to make it drinkable in primitive situations, don’t you? They sell the tablets at any camping/outdoors outfitter. The same tablets are distributed to disaster areas as well. Chlorine is added to our drinking water to kill germs that get through the filtration process. Restaurants use it to clean and disinfect. In every situation it is always diluted.
Lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda do NOTHING to disinfect! They can be used as cleaners, but they do not kill microorganisms.
There is never a reason to sanitize baby bottles. That’s an old wives’ tale that hasn’t gone the way of the dinosaur. Hot, soapy water works perfectly well for washing them.
In fact, disinfecting everything leads to weaker immune systems in people, and stronger, more-resistant germs. That’s why we now have flesh-eating bacterias, and antibiotic-resistant infections. We created the problem through our obsession with killing all germs.
Common sense, people. Common sense.
Bleach evaporates– that’s why you have to keep putting sanitizing chemicals into a swimming pool!
The directions to clean toys and bottles in bleach are to soak in a dilute solution (1:10 solution). This will sanitize surfaces after a short period of immersion, but the bleach will evaporate from the surface after being allowed to thoroughly dry.
Do some research before you take any one person’s blog entry as truth. People DO get paid to blog about specific products, you know! That’s why there are numerous advertisements on this page you’re reading.
Let all the green people quit using bleach and lets see how bad the flu viruses get out of hand. I’ve worked in the restaraunt biz for many years and you better make sure you have diluted bleach around and ready for when the state department comes to inspect! If the state requires it, it must do the job. Our church has a bleach cycle in our commercial dishwasher-are people going to quit going to church food events? I should think they would feel more confident to use our dishes and utensils than if we were washing with merely dw soap and hot water!
Last week my childrens school had a 20% absentee rate due to the various flu epidemics. 2 children out of 25 in one class were hospitalized. Lets quit using bleach so that your children can infect my children who come from a clean and bleach sanitized home. I am not a bleach freak-small diluted quantities can work quite well. As for septic tanks-asked our plumber-unless you dump gallons a week through your tank it is not harmful to the good bacteria.
I run a diaper service and I have to laugh whenever someone asks us if we use bleach on our diapers. Um, yes, unless you feel comfortable that plain ole soapy water (or vinegar — Ha, that’s a good one!) can protect you and your baby against e. coli, strep bacteria, staph infections, tuberculosis, rotavirus, MRSA, swine flu, and God knows what else! Vinegar does not kill viruses. Some people argue back that we could wash each child’s diapers separately as some services do… to which I ask, How exactly are they disinfecting the MACHINE in between loads??
Honestly, the whole thing with bleach is a concern but it is WAY overblown and bleach does have its place. Maybe it’s not absolutely necessary in the home, but it’s absolutely a blessing when it comes to public services (including restaurants). If you don’t agree, do some research on what public sanitation conditions and disease used to be like.
So bleach is a bad chemical. That’s interesting. Do you people that are against the use of bleach have a pool or allow your children to swim in others pools?
Clorox is Chlorine…..same base for pool Chlorine. Do you drink city water? That has Chlorine in it too. Another poster hit the nail on the head…Just because one person got hurt by not following label directions…………
Kurt-
Personally, my children only swim in chlorine free pools. Since we are “crazy hippies” and proud of it, we also prefer to spend our time outside in rivers and lakes.
My children also do not drink city tap water… chlorine in all forms is not good inside mine or my children’s body.
That said, I can’t speak for everyone.
clorox is the worse thing you can wuse
If you had any idea on how to use it you would not have a problem. Bleach can save more lives then kill. The bacterium and/or Eukarotic organisms that it destroys cause more problems if not cleaned out properly. Like certain amoebas if not taken out of, say, a properly cleaned bottle could be ingested and it in turn could eat its way to the brain, and having an amoeba in the child’s brain will probably not help its growth. That is only one of thousands of possibilities.
Anything not naturally chemically based is a health hazard. This is why there are some many more people dying from cancer and other major health problems. There are tons of safer ways to clean. I use Melaleuca products. They’re a wellness company that only produces environmentally save products. Everything they make is from nature. Find out the great benefits from them at http://www.melaleuca.com. Take the tour. Find out for yourself what you are missing out on.
Melissa, Melaleuca is definitely not a safe way to clean!!! Read the ingredients label of your so called “safe” products that dont harm the environment and they have the same toxic rubbish all the commercial brands have. Melalueca is another greenwashing company just like Clorox whose main goal is profit through lies and at the expense of the environment.
Just come across this site, thanks a lot
OMG WTF R PPL TALKIN ABOUT?! TV = BRAIN POISON! TAP H2O = CITY POISON! POLLUTED AIR = OUTSIDE POISON! YOUR OPINION = SOCIETY POISON! SO WE CAN’T WATCH TV, DRINK CITY WATER, GO OUTSIDE, OR LISTEN TO YOUR BULLSHIT BECA– USE WE WILL ALL DIE!!! SHUT YOUR “GREEN” MOUTH BEFORE I SLAP THE TASTE OUT OF IT!
Wow, you guys are all retarded. Bleach EVAPORATES INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. Once it is dry it isn’t a problem anymore because it is already gone. Learn some basic science before you spout out how ‘deadly’ something is. Morons.
Is weed good for you too now because it’s ‘all natural’ and ‘comes from nature’? What about tobacco?
Hey Sarah,
Go ahead and drink a gallon yourself and see if you are still such a fan of bleach?! You are calling them a moron?….. you sound like the moron here! The article sounds pretty right on to me. We are so ultra paranoid about a few germs, yet it’s safe to clean things with bleach….and to let our little babies such on bleached items? That sounds pretty moronic to me!
Drinking a gallon of bleach being dangerous is your argument for bleach being bad? It’s ignorant claims like this that make writers like the author of this article so dangerous.
Ever heard of water poisoning? Yes, you can die from drinking too much water. Better remove your plumbing system and keep water away from your kids…
I wish people would educate themselves instead of believing everything they read on some eco nut job’s blog.
O-K, Sarah…being a little rude here, which does little to promote your correct viewpoint.
Marlene…bleach is not a beverage! It has a child-resistant cap and parents do need to use their heads on storage. Bleach starts out as saltwater, and ends the same in the environment. Chlorene itself rappidly attaches to water. When a dilute solution dries, it is gone.
Mis-use, like many home chemicals, can cause damage. So can table salt, vinegar, baking soda, soaps, shampoo, and most medicines!
Even the Sierra Club acknowleges that bleach is likely the safest chemical to use in the home. It is a cleaner that is quick, can be done away from home without access to boiling water.
Also, there is nothing that will selectively kill bad bacteria/virus and not harm “good” bacteria. And the whole pasturization, sanitation concept was born partially out of infant deaths from improperly cleaned bottles.
This whole article is emotional knee-jerk reaction based on no substantial fact.
People that write articles like this cause more harm than anything they’re writing about.
Uninformed, baseless claims like this with no science or evidence to support them trick equally ignorant people into doing dangerous things like not properly cleaning their children’s toys and eating/drinking utensils.
Don’t like bleach? Don’t drink tap water. That’s what’s used to keep it from giving you diseases like e-coli. It’s also used to sterilize water in survival situations. If you don’t like it, go have a nice big glass of water from your nearest lake.
Commercial drink and food processing equipment is sterilized with bleach. I use it to clean my brewing equipment in between uses. Think bleach is so bad? Don’t eat or drink anything from a store.
Of course bleach can be dangerous. So can #2 pencils if you’re stupid enough to leave a sharpened one out where your two year old can jam it in an eye. It’s called common sense. Take responsibility for your own parenting skills instead of throwing blame at every faceless corporation you can think of.
You’re as bad as those anti-vaccination nut jobs.
Anything that has a safety cap is harmful and if you think bleach is the only cleaner out there that kills 99.9 percent of germs you are wrong. I work for a company that make a non toxic cleaner that kills 99.9 percent of viruses including H1N1 so why risk your health? Instead of calling people nut jobs and dumb asses why don’t you state your opinion nicely and just leave it alone. Unless, I can call you a nut job or a dumb ass!
Rude!
Wow. There are a lot of truly impassioned comments and bits of info on this post. Please… let me add my two cents worth here.
First, I don’t like chlorine bleach either.
And yes of course you can boil your sippy cups. Great idea. Or if you have a good dishwasher with the sanitizer cycle, by all means. (NSF.org certifies the good ones!)
The bigger issue here is disinfecting.
You cannot remove the most common household germs, bacteria and viruses with out a disinfectant. If you prepare raw chicken in your kitchen and drip the juice on the counter top, floor, sink, whatever, you aren’t going to be able to fit that in the dishwasher.
Disinfectants are tested to prove their claims and registered by the US EPA. They will include an EPA registration number on the label and an explanation of how they are to be used for the job at hand.
Don’t underestimate the power of bacteria and food borne illnesses. It is not worth the risk to your family to not remove e coli from your kitchen counter.
For an alternative to bleach, please visit http://www.vitaloxide.com. Vital Oxide is a disinfectant that utilizes the power of oxygen to disinfect and has a 5 log reduction meaning if you had 100,000 e Coli on your counter, it would reduce the amount to 1 tiny bacterium. It is non corrosive, odorless and has the lowest hazard ratings given by the EPA. There are alternatives. Please, check it out.
Janine… a product that “kills” cannot be considered non-toxic”.
http://www.epa.gov.
Excellent article. I think its so important that people realize how dangerous bleach is. Not only for our health, but it has devastating effects on our environment too. Thanks for posting this article!
For everyone out there that has bothered to educate themselves in basic chemistry: You are a testament that teaching science in public schools still works. It is you I am posting this for.
It is a waste of time attempting to talk to people who have decided they know how something works, yet need to rely on generalizations and sweeping non-logical claims because they fail tremendously when asked to state or explain the actual physical mechanisms behind their claims. The reason? They have no interest in learning.
They will refuse to read, critically consider, or research information from any source containing information that cannot be manipulated to support their pre-formed conclusions and that usually contain generalized factual observations that are slanted to support a viewpoint with no true understanding of the concepts at hand. Do not ask me why – I don’t understand it either – but that’s the MO, regardless of the subject at hand.
Walk into any high school science classroom (probably middle-school, as well) and they can map out – at the molecular level – the complete chemical structure of bleach (NaOCl), as well as it’s interactions with the chemicals known as “water” (H2O) and “air” (a homogenious chemical mixture of O2, CO2, N2, and Ar) and what is produced by said reaction.
And the “2-5% of unknown by-products which will be effectively treated by wastewater plants or septic systems?” They are only “unknown” to you if you haven’t bothered to go find out. The information is available by examining the Clorox ingredients list and applying basic chemistry from a high school textbook. I won’t ruin the surprise – try putting it together for yourselves. Warning: It might actually require dusting off a chemistry textbook and working some equations.
This quote from Clorox: “The remaining 2 percent to 5 percent breaks down to form by-products that are effectively treated by municipal wastewater treatment plants or septic systems” was mis-represented as being related to the safety of using diluted bleach as a disinfectant. It is actually a statement that was made about how household use and disposal of sodium hypochlorite bleach may/may not affect the environment. Said byproducts result from common additives that stabilize the solution to keep it from degrading in the bottle.
A water and sodium hypochlorite solution breaks down to salts and water. Period. It is a scientific fact. It is not open to your opinion – it just is.
Show me a correctly balanced chemical equation proving otherwise for an aqueous solution of NaClO at the concentration prescribed in the manufacturer’s instruction for sanitizing baby objects. I’ll save you some time – you can’t.
Also – hydrogen peroxide? It has all of the same properties claimed make bleach so unsafe for sanitizing baby/child objects!
This is the MSDA for 30% hydrogen peroxide – 10x the strength of household hydrogen peroxide: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924299 Does it look like it describes household hydrogen peroxide to you? No – because it’s 10x the strength. The Clorox bleach MSDS that is for a 5% solution – right out of the bottle for the laundry. The instructions for kitchen sanitization dilute the bleach out of the bottle 48 to 1!
It’s all about the concentration. Elementary school students learn about this.
I will not hesitate to hold manufacturers responsible for making false claims about a product. However, I will also hold the remainder of society to the same standard. Shame on the author for baseless fear mongering.
thats only if it is Sodium Hypochlorite, but mix it with the abundant fragrances and other crap thats out there, which is on your surfaces, your clothes and everything else and it becomes part of an interaction between organic chemicals…….
Calcium hypochlorite, is made by reacting chlorine with calcium hydroxide:
2Cl2 + 2Ca(OH)2 → Ca(ClO)2 + CaCl2 + 2H2O
It is used in many of the same applications as sodium hypochlorite, but has the advantages of being more stable and containing more available chlorine. Calcium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in bleaching powder or “chlorinated lime”, which is usually a white powder containing calcium hypochlorite, calcium hydroxide and calcium chloride. A purer, more stable form of calcium hypochlorite is called HTH or high test hypochlorite. Bleaching tablets contain calcium hypochlorite plus other ingredients to prevent the tablets from crumbling. A supposedly more stable mixture of calcium hypochlorite and quicklime (calcium oxide) is known as “tropical bleach” .[19] Percent active chlorine in these materials ranges from 20% for bleaching powder to 70% for HTH. The problem here is not a science lesson, it is knowing the difference between which cleaning agents you are using and what you are using in conjunction with them. So you can lose the everyone is not smart enough to keep up with reality scenario.
CAUTION: In my opinion, a one time chemistry major, the products of bleach that has long since expired are a possible threat to life and property, due to the increased likelihood of fire! The chemistry has long been known (see Watt’s Dictionary of Chemistry Vol 2 available online). Bleach breaks down mainly into salt (NaCl), NaClO2 and NaClO3 (or Sodium Chlorate). The latter Sodium Chlorate was used in World War I to fill artillery shells. It is a strong oxiderizer and when dry and in contact with organic material may increase the likelihood of fires. So when your bleach manufacturer tells you to change your bleach there is possibly more afoot than just good marketing!
A spectacular story occurred when workers clothes were exposed to ammonia and then fumes from a leaking container of Chloric acid (HClO3, who salts are chlorates). Due to the formation of ammonium chlorate (NOT found in your bleach, a more powerful and dangeruous oxiderizer than NaClO3) from just the vapor exposure, the workers clothes sponanteously burst into flames!
You can’t make this stuff up. Don’t worry though as you are not likely to read such tales on your bleach bottle.
only 2-5% of a gallon of bleach is actually bleach… 98% is water.. so your saying 2% of one full gallon completly evaporated out would then have to be physically sperated out again into 4 different chemicals dried and purified to produce one super fire chemical we all should be scared about it making contact with organic susbstances…
We could avoid this by not sperating out all the chemicals and tossing them into the yard.. Shew.. Iw as getting scared for a second.
Chlorine solution is used in every restaurant as final rinse of all dishes. They are then air dried, the chlorine vaporizes off, and the dishes are germ-free. The same thing can be done at home with your own dishes. You can buy the powder the restaurants use and the test strips to make sure the concentration is right in large commercial applications, or you can use approx. one capful of household bleach per sink of water. Leave stuff in for only a minute or two. Clear plastics may cloud in this, so avoid doing them. This works well for all kids’ stuff, too. I regularly sanitize all our things, just like my mother and grandmothers did. Bleach is cheap, works easily and wonderfully, and is extremely safe when used properly.
They add bleach to your water to remove bacteria at the pumping station. Bleach is not as dangerous as you seem to think. It has been used around the world as a cheap way to sanitize drinking water for villages. Oh but you probably think that we are trying to poison the poor villagers. Lets start a mob…. kil’ the evil chlorine monster…. get ur pitchforks… the uses of bleach are very practical.
I use bleach all the time when I wash dishes , especially when I use meat. Kills the nasty e-coli. Bleach is a must when cleaning the washroom. Bleach evaporates and leaves salt behind. Life without bleach is unimaginable. You’re not drinking a bottle of Clorox, you’re disinfecting with it. Use it diluted. Besides a little amount of bleach is in the water you drink. For all the people that don’t use bleach, their homes must be infested with soo much bacteria. Baking soda, vinegar that’s not going to clean much and you would need a lot of hydrogen peroxide to clean on a regular basis. Nobody saying bathe in a tub full of pure bleach…….
Emotion over science again. If you foolish people understood how many lives the use of bleach has saved you would recant your idiocy. The assertions without facts are useless. Try some science.
i work in a restaurant, and there are alot of older people that I work with who are bleach crazy. they use it for anything and everything that needs cleaning. I look at them and think to my self, wtf is in this stuff, crack?? I am 23 years old, and been on my own for about 4 years now, in my home i bought some dawn dish soap for washing hands and doing dishes, and haven’t gotten sick. I believe that bleach is poison. I won’t put it near my dishes or my food. But on the contrary, bleach does have some really good uses in my opinion like laundry and bathroom cleaning. I just recently bought a gallon for 1 dollar, and used some on the toilet, and the thing looked brand new. but im not going to treat my dishes like my toilet.
Well I believe to each there own, I’ve used clorox bleach for lots of things my whole life, just as my mother and her mother, and so on and so forth! It in no way harms you unless you are dumb enough to misuse it, everything in the whole world is harmful in some way, i think people just need to get a life instead of trying to bash and put down everything around them. And further more, yes i have spoken to poison control about it as well and they agree that even if ingested it may be painful and make you sick, even then it will not kill you!!!
I came looking for a scientific breakdown of bleach and its properties and instead found a bunch of hysterics.
“don’t want it in my home”
Jesus Christ, grow up.
Richard,
Over time, bleach will undergo a disproportionation reaction (a redox reaction with itself) and form NaClO3 and NaCl. This reaction can be slowed by raising the pH and diluting the bleach. Hope this is helpful.
I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and didn’t purify my water–other than by using bleach: two drops per liter, via an eyedropper. I heard about this from a guy I met who had a friend who’d hiked with the director of water safety for the state of New Jersey–and he did the same thing.
Chlorine is what they use in pools, and a little is not gonna kill anyone.
(Were moms always this annoying, or is this a recent phenomenon?)
(Were moms always this annoying, or is this a recent phenomenon?)
It´s more a recent phenomenon, I think.
Moms wish to be perfect and bright clean, santifyed, the best in the world.
It´s another manifestation of idiot vanity which comes with ignorance and propaganda from the new world order angels.
I applaud all of your efforts to sustain our planet and lead healthier lives, but for almost a century, chlorine bleach has helped the human population in many ways. Do you use your city’s water? Have you contracted cholera from it yet? If you live in the continental U.S., I: think not. Think if when you go to your neighborhood grocery store, and you happen to glimpse into the butchery and you see the maintenance personnel cleaning up after raw meats with lemon juice, vinegar, and tea tree oil, would you feel comfortable buying meats for your family’s consumption? Imagine, your children become sick with a terrible GI bvvirus causing vomiting and diarrhea, would you feel comfortable cleaning soiled surfaces with lemon juice, vinegar, and tea tree oil. You take a vacation to
I applaud all of your efforts to sustain our planet and lead healthier lives, but for almost a century, chlorine bleach has helped the human population in many ways. Do you use your city’s water? Have you contracted cholera from it yet? If you live in the continental U.S., I: think not. How would you feel if your local government used vinegar or tea tree oil or lemon juice to clean waste water? Would you bathe with or cook with your water? Think if when you go to your neighborhood grocery store, and you happen to glimpse into the butchery and you see the maintenance personnel cleaning up after raw meats with lemon juice, vinegar, and tea tree oil, would you feel comfortable buying meats for your family’s consumption? Imagine, your children become sick with a terrible gastrointestinal virus causing vomiting and diarrhea, would you feel comfortable cleaning soiled surfaces with lemon juice, vinegar, and tea tree oil. You take a vacation to India, and you need to drink water from the river Ganges, would you feel comfortable sterilizing your water with vinegar, baking soda, or lemon juice?
Let’s be reasonable, how many people do you know enough have had food poisoning directly related to improper sterilization practices in foodservice ? How many people do you know who have developed cancer or have given birth to children with difficiencies or deformities because of their using reasonable, appropriate amounts of bleach for the right applications? Bleach is a wonderful product, and it deserves a little more respect.
Back when there was no bleach, there were not as many diseases floating around, and people died in great numbers from simple viruses.
In today’s world, bleach is a necessity, and like salt, and firm counsel, when used in moderation, is a good thing.
Reading this article lowered my IQ.
I bet you eat meat.. I bet 99.9% of resturaunts and grociery stores use straight bleach to clean. I worked in the meat industry and gorciery stores for years. Everynight the butcher area from the floor to the meat saws had a bleach and hot water solution sprayed onto them and allowed to soak followed by a light rinse later. If you drink wine most industries use bleach water solutions to clean the vats and equipment used to process your grapes.. as well as the bottles.. if everything wasn’t killed by the sanitizer you would have a bottle of very bad stuff when you went to drink it. The dairy industry uses the same standards..t he dairy itself uses bleach to clean all the equpment.
The center for deases control even suggests 1/2 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water for drinking if you are having to get dirty water for survival.
Bleach DOES evaporate with air. Infact the bleach will be evaporated before the water that it is mixed with.
And if your kid is drinking bleach the problem isn’t that you had bleach in your house it that you didn’t store it properly and or wasn’t paying close enough attention to your child.
The dishwasher soap has bleach in it so what’s the difference?
My dishwasher soap does not contain bleach.
It is so unfortunated that the big Manufacture companies really don’t have the best interest of the consumer in mind. The bottom line is the $ signs. I have been in the health and wellness industry for the past 19 years and with research I have found that clorox bleach is the worst product that can be in anyone’s home. I know alot of you are thinking well my parents and grandparents used the product and you are so right. But, today the ingredients are different, you maybe looking at the branding of clorox but the manufactures are using a cheaper ingredient but they are increasing the price that is pass onto the consumer. Have you every wonder why juvenile cancer is on the rise? as well as breast and prostate cancer. The clothing that we bleach THE MOST are the white clothes which consist of under garments. If you use bleach, think about this. It takes 17 rinses to get out all of the residue from your clothing if you are using the basic powders, liquid etc., so if you can take a birth control patch and place it on the skin and it can stop you from having a child, just think about what clorox bleach is doing to our skin and blood system when a piece of clothing is sitting on your skin all day. Sodium Hypochlorite(clorine bleach), Lung and eye irritant. Household bleach is the most common cleaner accidentally swallowed by children. If mixed with ammonia or acid-based cleaners (including vinegar), releases highly toxic chloramine gas. Short-term exposure to chloramine gas may cause mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems. (Source: Children’s Health Environmental Coalition) There has been a call from the U.S. Canadian Commission to BAN BLEACH in North America. BLEACH is LINKED to the RISING rate of BREAST CANCER in women, REPRODUCTIVE problems in MEN, and LEARNING & BEHAVORIAL problems in Children. Furthermore, the FDA is nowing finding out that alot of the products that they approved for consumer use is now causing alot of medical illnesses, so the FDA is only part of the big manufacture companies as well. DID you know…Cancer is the #1 CA– USE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN today(after accidents), There’s been a 26% INCREASE in BREAST CANCER since 1982. Breast cancer is the number one killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54. PRIMARY SUSPECTS: LAUNDRY DETERGENTS, BLEACH, HO– USEHOLD CLEANERS, AND PESTICIDES. This was just some food for thought.
I have changed to a healthier, better value product. Eco-Friendly, no chemicals. I have not suffered anymore from migraines – used to use bleach as a cleaner! I know use all this companies cleaners as well as earn money to boot as a stay at home mom! I LOVE what I do helping families live a healthier life! You have a choice on how you raise your children, and how you keep your home! Do what is right!
Did you know there are more than 80,000 new “cleaners” on the market, and most of them have not been tested. In fact, if the CDC (Central for Disease Control) doesn’t dispute them within 90 days they are approved by default!? How scarey is that? I have all kinds of eco-friendly cleaners! No bleach, don’t worry! 🙂 My laundry detergent sells for $20.99 and with a high efficiency washing machine you get 480 loads, only needing 1/2 teaspoon of it. With the older type of machines, you’ll get 240 loads, needing 1 full teaspoon but it still a wonderful deal! That is just one of the great number of WONDERFUL products I have to offer!
If you are interested in more information, please feel free to contact me about any of my products at tyreeseanthony@yahoo.com. My website is http://www.norwex.biz/pws/meghanmiller/tabs/home.aspx. I have some before and after pictures posted on my facebook page as well. That link is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meghan-Miller-Norwex-Independent-Sales-Consultant/599332466762089?ref=tn_tnmn.
It’s great to see families getting away from all of these harsh chemicals, including Clorox! It might be an initial cost, but thinking long term… the benefits cannot be greater!! <3 to all!! Keep ridding the environment of these NASTY cleaners!!
I completely forgot to mention that Norwex’s laundry detergent has no fillers, no allergens, no phosphorus, and is gluten free also. It is guaranteed to get your whites whiter and your brights brighter!! 🙂
I do agree that perhaps using bleach is a little over board for cleaning bottles, toys and whatever else related to children, but there is nothing wrong with the info the the company is presenting (based on what I have read in the posts). If you drink tap water you are drinking bleach. If you eat out, the food prep devices and prep surfaces (cutting boards) that the food is prepped on is using the same concentrations that Clorox is suggesting in the commercial. Not to mention bleach decomposes. The chemistry is sound. However, again using bleach at home on baby bottles? Do we really need that sterile of an environment, or use such a powerful substance. a little soap and water should do the trick.
There are so many great green cleaning solutions. I don’t know why people still use so many chemicals in their cleaning routine.
There are great green cleaning alternatives to the chemical products, I really can’t understand why people still use dangerous cleaning supplies when they can use cheap and eco-friendly cleaners which are already in their homes, such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice etc.
Best regards! Merton Park Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Jamie Ervin’s article is a great example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
First, the world is full of dangerous things. The answer to this is not to live in fear, but to use common sense in their storage and use. My kids grew up in a home which included a laboratory full of chemicals, and a workshop full of machine tools; along with many other dangerous things. No one got hurt, nor was there ever even a close call. Why? Because doors, cabinets, and storage areas were locked. But more importantly, children had guidance, discipline, and attentive family close at hand. They also grew up with a far greater set of skills and more scientific knowledge than most kids.
Chlorine bleach is a valuable chemical in the maintenance of a home. It is effective against a great many pathogens. The only residue it leaves behind after drying is a small amount of salt, which rinses away quite easily. If you don’t rinse after using it to clean it will soon dissipate and the cleaned item will be safe to handle. However, I think it would be inexcusable not to take a moment to rinse with a little fresh water, rendering it immediate safe for your children to handle, and avoiding even a small window of risk.
Perhaps worth considering is the danger which pathogens represent. Which is more worrying – a dangerous substance which can easily be rinsed away and locked away when not in use, or a deadly micro-organism which can’t be seen, much less “locked away” ?
To be honest, many people over worry about both. Children raised in an overly hygienic environment may fail to develop a fully mature immune system, resulting in greater susceptibility to disease. This phenomena is widely believed to have had a key role in the Polio epidemic during the middle of the last century.
If I was going to pick a “germ fighter” to be concerned about, it would be the ubiquitous presence of triclosan (Microban) in plastic products intended for children and for kitchen use. Many scientists were very concerned by the FDA’s unwise approval of this use, and we are now beginning to harvest the fruits of this irresponsible action. The FDA is finally beginning to investigate the undesirable results which many of us predicted quite explicitly at the outset.
Chlorine bleach is a great product when responsibly used, and parents who can’t be bothered to supervise their children or secure household products are the real hazard. Chicken Little is driving public opinion far too often.
“Chlorine bleach is a valuable chemical in the maintenance of a home. It is effective against a great many pathogens.”
There are millions of people, some of whom just as, if not better educated than you (btw, it’s phenomenon, not phenomena, which is the plural, and would require the plural article these rather than this), who would disagree with this statement. I grew up in Europe, and neither my mum, nor any of my friends’ parents kept or keep chlorine bleach in their houses nor did they consider it valuable or necessary for the maintenance of a home. We are not vegan hippies (nothing wrong with that), but well-educated people, including physicians, engineers, nurses, uni profs, teachers, bankers, diplomats, bankers, etc.
I have had my own household for 15 years now, and have never used chlorine bleach. Surprisingly, all of us are alive and well and rarely ill. We have no allergies, no mysterious rashes, no sensitivities, etc. Europe has very strict guidelines regarding the use of chlorine, and unlike the US, the use of chlorine on chickens is prohibited. Our pools are frequently sanitised via ultraviolet rays which destroy microbes and inactivate viruses. In Germany, and several other EU countries, even public drinking water is not routinely chlorinated.
Whilst I agree with the general tenor, and particularly your concern about triclosan and the FDAs approval process, I do not agree with your conclusion that bleach is a great product. Just because chlorine was once considered the best, and indeed, the only reliable source for many waterborne diseases such as typhoid, does not mean that it’s still the best thing there is. A similar argument can be made for many other chemical compounds; 100 years ago, quinine was the top treatment for malaria, but it’s since been replaced with other medicines that are more effective and have fewer negative side effects.
Here is some food for thought:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/05/27/are-americans-too-obsessed-with-cleanliness
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11225280
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/chlorine.htm
Bleach is just chlorine it’s found in a lot of different things including our drinking water. When you air dry your children’s sippy cup after soaking it in bleach, the chlorine will evaporate. Boiling water is effective but you have to get the water to 180 degrees Fahrenheit so that the surface of the dishware gets to 160 degrees. Hot water at a kitchen sink only gets to a max of 120 unless u have a booster. Heat, chlorine, quaternary ammonia, iodine and uv light are the only ways to sanitize. Don’t be scared of it just make sure you know what you are doing. Also you have to make sure u dilute the bleach in water to about 200ppm. You can get test strips yo make sure. I am a health inspector so I kind of know what I’m talking about.
Let me tell u what happened to me
I used Clorox to clean my jet tub…just like the manufacturer stated I should…I turned it on full power(my mistake) and had hot water going thru it…
I knew immediately that was not good..I immediately removed my dog and opeed all the windows and doors and went out side.
I went back in bathroom and turned off too …late
I was “dizzy…instant headache , eyes burned, ski burned, just felt lethargic and breathing was shallow
I called poison controlled they told me to go to ER immediately..I was experiencing chemical poisoning
They put me on oxygen and told me he’s had chemical poisoning..
Also the fumes burned my one eye..but thankfully my eye healed itself in time..
I was very lucky..it took me months to overcome all the side effects..had to go to all specialists to make sure did not damage lungs and nasal and eyes
Also it was reported to Clorox and the called me every couple of days to make sure was getting better
Also poison control.
I had to get people in to clean bathroom with masks cause the fumes got into my heating and plumbing ..had to get septic cleaned out as well…when he cleaned it I was outside and you could smell the harsh chemical ..it was a horrific experience,.,I now am highly allergic to Clorox,,.Soecialist at ER told me to never use the stuff… Should be banned and to use white vinegar instead,..I admit using it was my fault…but these are the consequences that can happen ..
I call your comment BS…..
Not only are you an alarmist you are wrong. When used as directed bleach is the only consumer availble product that kills most bacteria. EVERYBODY’S was, edpecially undergarmets are loaded with fecal bateria and the only way to kill it is with very hot water andvor bleach. Most importantly standard house hold bleach is not loaded with surfactants and is most derived from salt and water and evetually returns to it’s base element. There are numerous things in the average household much more dangerous than bleach including your wash detergent. Clorox and others expect parents to exercise proper handling and simply be cautious and smart parents. It is expectations of abosolute safety and placing the blame on eveyone but the person that is actually responsible that has made the US such a litiguous country and the cost of living to be so high. Its called safety locks, teach your children and watch your children….it is what it is…….
WRONG – about underwear –
kill germs by washing clothes & the HIGH heat cycle in dryer is what kills the germs
and
when EBOLA hit Africa — they used a high strength commercial HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (verydangerous) but NOT bad to breath —– sprayed on ALL surfaces to kill ebola
bleach created DIOXINS (cancer causing ) somehow (google it ) and when breathed harms the LIVER
TRUE about the overly litigious with everything tho
Boiling toys is a great old solution. I can`t believe that people use bleach. I am against using toxic cleaners at home. If you have a child is double responsibility. Thank you for sharing this article. Best regards!
You’re a fool, there’s nothing wrong with using bleach as directed as a disinfectant, in fact it’s the best thing to use. You have merely succumb to sheer stupidity by trying to avoid “chemicals.”
I so strongly disagree with this nearly hysterical article on the use of bleach in our homes. Chlorine bleach is a great product and has been used for decades and decades to safely disinfect and clean so many surfaces, containers of all types, and is indispensible for killing mildew and germs of all types in bathrooms, shower stalls, swimming pools, ect. Like rat poison ( coumadin or wayfarin ) used for blood pressure control, is an example of a poison “safely used” in human’s bodies to help regulate blood density, bleach is an economical product that can be used risk free for dozens of purposes. Thousands of products, otherwise harmful in one sense, such as medicines, household and even industrial chemicals can and have long been safely used with a little “common sense” and attention to directions. If you were to pay attention, most of the cleaning products you already use in your home contain bleach, just in tiny amounts and perfumed so the smell doesn’t stand out. I prefer to buy the raw product and do my own diluting, which saves me a lot of money. I understand concern for our children, I’m a father of three grown and married daughters, who have blessed me with grandchildren, and believe me, my use of bleach in tiny amounts in cleaning their clothing or making surfaces safe from germs never made them skip one beat as they grew up. It seems fear is rampant in all walks of life in our world today, we have so many things to be afraid of, so say the fearmongers. I wonder how I ever grew up, with a mother who smoked, no seat belts in any of our cars, I fell out of tree houses, set things on fire, shot BB guns, stepped on glass and cut my feet, and got into fistfights, too. So I urge you…be emboldened, use some bleach today ( follow the directions, now ) and then walk outside and thrust your fists into the air and say ” I refuse to be afraid of bleach… I “WILL” disinfect my home and I don’t care who doesn’t dig it !
This is a really bad article. Bleach is an amazing cleaner that stops the spread of disease. Bleach is THE reason we don’t get sick all the time from waterborne bacteria. Bleach is in all city water systems as bleach, or as an ammonia and bleach mixture called chloramine.
Bleach is sold as a concentrate, you should dilute it for use. If you are worried about concentrates, you can buy pre-diluted cleaning sprays at the story, sprays made “with bleach.” that way, you never have a concentrated chemical at home. Bleach used on a clean on a surface, (i.e., used to sanitize a cleaned countertop) will fully evaporate away into salt. When interacting with organic material, such as a dirty countertop, a small amount of chemicals called “AOX” are produced. There aren’t health effects in people because the concentration of AOX chemicals produced is so low.
Chemicals that are “bleach free” and commonly regarded as safe may not be a good alternative. Quaternary ammonia compounds, sold as “bleach free cleaners” accidentally cause mice to become restrictively sterile when these chemicals are used to clean animal homes in the laboratory. These cleaners can also intentionally be used to produce sterility in mice during. This is because quaternary ammonia compounds build up in the environment over time to a harmful dose. But bleach can’t build up, because bleach breaks down in air and water. Yes, bleach smells when it is used at higher concentrations. But it does not cause cancer, reproductive issues, and in home use it quickly breaks down leaving no pollution, except for a small portion of extremely dilute AOX chemicals that have never been documented to harm people in their homes.
It’s easy to dilute bleach, or to buy it pre-diluted, so don’t demonize a very useful, very important chemical that save lives every minute.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/news/a31982/cleaning-with-bleach-not-safe-for-kids-study/
Yup you’re right. Bleach is totally safe even though it causes allergies to people who have never had them. Causes respiratory infections, pneumonia.
Don’t forget schizophrenia, early onset Alzheimer’s, birth defects, rheumatoid arthritis, and tuberculosis. It’s all a conspiracy. Clorox is in bed with the government. And please don’t forget about fluoride in our drinking water. That’s also a government plot to keep the American people dumb and docile. But that’ll soon change. Thank God we’ve now got a man in the White House with the smarts and BALLS to stand up against our government and tell it like it is! He’ll be the one to shut down these shadowy illegal government practices.
TRUMP 2024!
Oh Andy FYI the occupational health and safety have strict guidelines for using bleach in schools, hospitals and restaurants from using bleach due to health hazards and some cities have banned bleach from being used in schools
http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/eyes-ears-nose-throat/are-bleach-fumes-dangerous-bleach-exposure-increases-risk-of-infection-in-kids/
https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/chlorine/basics/facts.asp
CDC website.