November 28, 2007 | Bleach alternatives, Cleaning products

This week we received a question about when to use bleach. The thing is, for most purposes, I’d say never. And here’s why:

• Mold and mildew: On porous surfaces (grout, drywall, wood, etc.) mold grows deep into the surface. The way bleach is ionized prevents it from getting into the pores. Bleach is not an effective agent against mold and mildew. People believe it is because it kills some of the surface mold and bleaches the rest of it white - so that you don’t see it. But it won’t kill it all or inhibit the growth.
  • Alternatives: tea tree oil, cinnamon, chamomile, borax
• Bacteria and viruses: Bleach is thought by most to disinfect and sterilize virtually all bacteria and viruses. The fact is, it isn’t completely effective with organic material, nor does it kill E. Coli or other food borne microbes.
  • Alternatives: vinegar, baking soda, borax, lemon juice, tea tree oil, oregano oil

The dangers of bleach far outweigh the uses. The active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite, and it releases chlorine gases when acidified. It is corrosive and toxic by all routes of exposure (inhalation, touch, ingestion).  It can cause respiratory difficulties, vomiting, loss of consciousness, headache, and skin burns. Anyone who already has respiratory difficulties (asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.) should not be exposed to it.

When is it useful? When something really needs to be whitened. Say, if you’re selling your home and everything needs to gleam. Of course, you’ll want to use good ventilation and dilute the bleach well. You also might want to consider using a bleach pen, hoping it won’t emit as much fumes.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://broomhuggers.com/2007/11/28/bleach-myths/trackback/

1. stacey says:

   
   

   thanks for the alternatives! i confess that my bleach pen is a handy companion in my kitchen with very white counter tops, but otherwise, no all other bleach product are off limits around here!

   November 28th, 2007 at 9:55 pm

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website