01/06/2012
Anti-bacterial Soaps: Unecessary and Dangerous
Anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners have become quite the rage (read ”marketing success”) haven’t they? And it sounds so good. I mean, who doesn’t want to avoid germs these days?! I mean, what’s a clean house all about?
But what if I told you that anti-bacterial soaps have not been proven any more effective than regular soap in preventing infection among average consumers? Would that make you stop and think? Okay, so what if I also told you that the substances that make a soap anti-bacterial are actually herbicides, pesticides and fungicides? Would that make you say, Whao?
Some of these “active ingredients” have been linked to some serious health problems including liver, kidney and digestive damage; behavioral problems in children; damage to the nervous system; and brain development and reproductive defects. Even more, overuse of these products can impair the body’s ability to fight off common infections.
The bacteria fighting agent, triclosan, is of particular concern. Unfortunately it is in all kinds of products from liquid soap to acne creams, toothpaste (!) to deodorant, and a slew of household products besides. Look for triclosan on the labels of things you buy. It may also be listed under the brand names of Microban, UltraFresh, Amicor and BioFresh. There’s a slew of information on the web about triclosan, but suffice it to say here, You don’t want it in your body if you can help it.
So, do you ever need to use anti-bacterial cleaners? According to leading microbiologists, they are needed only when someone in a household is seriously ill or has low immunity. Otherwise, plain old soap and warm water will do just fine.
What can you use instead? For house cleaning, try soap and hot water, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, alcohol or lavender oil either by itself or suspended in a solution of mineral oil. For hand soaps, try Trader Joe’s “Next to Godliness.”
Hope this helps. Love to hear your comments!!
Bald Mt. Press
Supak.com Free Stuff and Guides to All Kinds of Things
Cheoy Lee said,
01/10/2012 at 10:46 am
Goodness, thanks for this. I guess putting “anitbacterial” on something might seem like a quick sell from a soap manufacturer’s point of view when actually it’s no different! But in our haste to protect our own and our loved ones’ health we rush to buy. Always good to be informed!
Janitorial Cleaning Products said,
01/12/2012 at 7:51 am
Hi,
Thanks for such a great information. In these days its hard to find a honest blog about a Janitorial products and Office Cleaning Services
This is sooo exciting! I love your blog and check it every day.the blog has grown so much. Wish you & the blog more success!
God bless
Janitorial Supplies Company
Hotel Furniture Suppliers
Wholesale Janitorial Supplies
cleaningproz said,
01/13/2012 at 9:03 pm
thank you for your kind words! Stop by often.
Craig Sedoris said,
01/12/2012 at 4:31 pm
Most people don’t realize just how dangerous anti-bacterial soaps really are. At the rate we’re going with these cleaning products, it’s only a matter of time before the Superbug is created. These are definitely great alternative products!
toilet cubicles said,
01/16/2012 at 3:28 pm
Broadly speaking, an antibacterial is an agent that interferes with the growth and reproduction of bacteria.
nicky said,
01/19/2012 at 2:23 pm
Thank you for this kind of information i think it will help my cleaning company so much and i look forwarded it reading for about this and other information you have to offer.
KateH. said,
01/19/2012 at 9:40 pm
Great article! It takes a pro to cut through the hype and speak the truth. The tried and true methods from before the days of “new and improved” are the best of all AND the least expensive! Thanks for setting us straight! Keep up the good work!
KateH.
Cleaning service said,
01/20/2012 at 4:50 pm
keeping my house clean is almost impossible, i love hiring people to do it for me. it removes enormous amounts of stress and puts me in a good mood! thanks
German- lavado de alfombras said,
01/21/2012 at 11:15 pm
Thank you very much, you very good advice I think the cleaning chemicals in the long run harm the environment including the Altena you give is not ideal, I will try in my small business
Gilbert said,
01/24/2012 at 2:35 pm
Thanks for the information. Besides having the hazardous chemicals included in these soaps, there may also be a biological threat. While antibacterial soap kills bacteria there’s the possibly that stronger resistant strains will survive and spread. So you may actually be helping the bacterial in your home become stronger and resistant to the soap. I agree that plain old soap and warm water will do the trick.
Rick Spencer said,
02/02/2012 at 8:47 pm
This is an interesting thing. Because of all the people using these anti-bacterial soaps more and more. Thank you for bringing this to light
cleaningproz said,
02/02/2012 at 11:29 pm
You are right. I wish more was being written about this especially to mothers of young children who seem to be the worst offenders. I hope whoever reads this post will help get the word out.
Richie said,
02/07/2012 at 8:34 pm
Regular soap and hot water to play it safe. Sometimes the cure is more harmful than the symptoms.
Marian said,
05/04/2012 at 1:51 pm
That’s true for sure ! Pay attention on time !
carpet care atascadero said,
02/14/2012 at 8:34 pm
I really enjoyed this piece, it was fascinating. I have a carpet cleaning company in California and I end up using a lot of your tips during the day.
jjhenry2011JJ Henry said,
02/23/2012 at 10:17 pm
I imagine, as a professional cleaner a huge problem is odors. I keep hearing good things about a product called Room Shocker. Thought I would just share the word going around. I read more about it http://www.biocidesystems.com/roomshocker1.html
cleaningproz said,
02/24/2012 at 12:01 am
This looks really good. If you have difficult to remove odors from pets, cigarettes or even skunks this is the ticket.
Domestic Cleaner said,
03/03/2012 at 6:51 pm
Wow, I am a big fan of natural skincare and had no idea that other products you put on/in your body such as soap and toothpaste could be so harmful! I think 100% natural is definitely the way to go!
cleaningproz said,
03/05/2012 at 8:55 pm
I think a lot of us are surprised by this. You can’t be too careful about all aspects of your health and well-being.
Kane said,
03/06/2012 at 4:09 am
All soap is anti bacterial by nature, obviously some are better than others, but it’s funny how people get caught up with advertising. Great blog and great article. We are a cleaning company in Brisbane, Australia, We have products that we make ourselves, Like you said vinegar and lavender oil and water. Great mix and creates a great smelling deodorizer, multipurpose spray, disinfectant and so much more.
Sam said,
03/07/2012 at 11:30 am
“Anti-bacterial” is just a name they put on soaps. It’s a marketing tactic, I’ve read up on.
Pedro fiestas infantiles said,
03/17/2012 at 11:22 pm
Thank you for the information I work with various chemicals but choose those that are pleasing to the environment, I congratulate you for your advice I have opened my eyes I did not know much about that, I congratulate you again and move on
Hayley said,
03/26/2012 at 9:13 pm
If anyone if looking for some of the best cleaning products out there – that are also antimicrobial and user-friendly – A MUST – Unelko Corporation.
They are the leading manufacturers of the clean industry. Once I tried their products, I have never found anything comparable to them! They offer a variety of products.
A specialty of their is the Eliminate Shower Tub and Tile – it removes scale so easily and other products they manufacture prevent mold and mildew. Talk about hard water spots you can rinse them away after using Miracle Scrub. Try them!!!
Cliff VanGuilder (The Eco Engineer) said,
05/29/2012 at 7:29 pm
You really are “spot on” with his post. Anti-bacterial soaps use very harsh chemicals, and are no more effective than soap and water. A safer and effective anti-bacterial cleaner is hydrogen peroxide, a water-like liquid that is a safer cleaning and antiseptic alternative than other anti-bacterial cleaners, especially chlorine bleach. It is made up of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. Diluted to a 3% solution in water, it looks like water, but that
extra oxygen molecule makes this hydrogen peroxide a very good cleaner for households. It is available in pharmacies everywhere.
cleaningproz said,
05/31/2012 at 8:20 pm
Thank you so much for the great information. It sounds a lot better coming from you, an eco engineer, than from us.
House Cleaning said,
07/31/2012 at 9:16 pm
Thanks for sharing this useful post. Anti-bacterial cleaners can be very effective but plain soap and water can still do the trick.
Brisbane Commercial Cleaning said,
09/14/2012 at 8:54 am
now a days, there are several products for cleaning purpose in the market but it’s very hard to find which product is dangerous for our family’s health
alexleo32 said,
02/12/2013 at 7:25 pm
wow… its a really very nice blog.
Housekeeping
marc said,
03/13/2013 at 8:04 pm
I was told by a science teacher that what makes your hands clean is the physical action of rubbing them together, the soap does not do anything, but hot water can help. Its the mechanical/physical motion that cleans away bacteria, germs, etc off the skin. Also that if you keep your skin moisturized with lotion it is less susceptible for germs/bacteria to soak into the skin membranes. So to keep you skin clean and germ free, keep them moisturized and wash your hands for 45 seconds using physical motion rather than soap.
cleaningproz said,
03/13/2013 at 9:38 pm
Wow! I’ve never heard that. How about just rubbing your hands with moisturizer for 45 seconds–does that count?