Disinfecting/sanitizing around the house...

[Mrs-M]

With my old resurrected thread, Drying/wiping out kitchen sink basins after dish washing (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?259-Drying-wiping-out-kitchen-sink-basins-after-dish-washing), and Tussiemussies thread, How do you stay self-sufficient when something is too gross for you to do (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?7400-How-do-you-stay-self-sufficient-when-something-is-too-gross-for-you-to-do), I have disinfecting and sanitizing on my mind.

Sure, we all take the time to clean bathrooms (toilets/sinks/tubs), garbage pails and cans, floors, counters, etc, but how often do you think of disinfecting/sanitizing the likes of doorknobs and handles? How about other things such as kitchen drawer handles? How about the keyboard you use daily?

I never used to, but germs and viruses run rampant in a large family home like ours, so I've started taking to cleaning doorknobs and things on a regular basis, and I feel better about it, and just thought I'd ask what your disinfecting/sanitizing routine consists of in your home.

[Float On]

I had a friend who disinfected/sanitized everything and her kids were always sick. I did not disinfect/sanitize everything and my boys were rarely sick and neither has asthma. Three of her five her children do, and someone in their house is always sick. I think that can of lysol she packed around like a sharpshooter from the wild west may have had something to do with their breathing issues.

[MamaM]

Once a week, as I am going along. I don't know if it helps or hurts. :)

[Zoebird]

I tend not to worry about most stuff. :)

My main focus is on keeping the body strong (immune system) rather than decreasing the number of viruses in the home. Largely because you don't know if you're actually successful, and even if you are, you aren't always at home. So, it's better to be strong -- so that no matter how many you come across, you won't have that problem.

This doesn't mean that I'm not clean (i do clean these sorts of things a lot largely because of spills and mess of having a little one with sticky fingers), but that i'm not concerned about disinfecting/etc -- except for obvious areas.

When DS started kindy, we had lots of illnesses come through. I did some immune boosting stuff, and now when he starts (like just last week, his new school year), he doesn't get sick -- he might run a slight fever off and on for several days. . . but that's just his immune system working. So, I don't even worry about that, and it usually runs from 3 until 7 on the day that he gets something, and then he's fine and no bigs.

So, that's what I do. I focus on boosting immune system rather than disinfecting. :)

[Rosemary]

We clean with vinegar and dish soap, and that's it. After someone's been sick, I might wipe off light switches and door knobs (with these same 'cleaners') but usually I ignore them. When someone's been sick I wash hand towels more often.

We don't get sick often, and it's generally mild when it happens; I attribute this to our vegetable and fruit heavy diet and hand washing. When DD does get a cold now, it lasts for 2 days, compared to closer to 5 days a few years ago before we upped our produce intake.

My SIL uses all sorts of cleaners and has an asthmatic child. I don't know which came first, the cleaners or the asthma, but I do know that those cleaners are not good for anyone with asthma.

[Zoebird]

We are vinegar/dish soap as well. :)

[Lainey]

FWIW, a friend of a friend was diagnosed with MRSA at the ER. She thought it was a rash that just wasn't going away. She got treated and is okay now, but the first thing the ER doc said to her was to stop using any anti-bacterial soap, cleaner, laundry product, etc.

That said, I do think it's prudent to clean refrigerator handles, computer keyboard/mouse, light switches, etc. as others have mentioned with just normal cleaning products.

[Gardenarian]

I don't worry about disinfecting stuff either. It's all I can do to keep things looking decent, never mind the microbes!

[herbgeek]

No disinfecting here, unless there is an unusual reason (something contagious or a bout of stomach flu). But that's what you likely expected from this lazy housekeeper. :laff: We don't have kids, and are very rarely sick, so it seems unnecessary. If one of us had a compromised immune system, I'd consider it.

[nswef]

Herbgeek, I'm a lot like you. I hardly ever use disinfectant. Just wipe stuff. No kids, no one ever really ill. Very lucky!!

[treehugger]

My DH *does* have a compromised immune system (anti-rejection drugs) but I also don't disinfect or sanitize much. Proper cleaning is enough for us. He had to use anti-bacterial soap when he was on dialysis, but now that he's done with that, we never use any sort of anti-bacterial products.

Kara

[Blackdog Lin]

Shoot, I'm lucky to get around to "normal" amounts of cleaning, no way I'm gonna go around the house sanitizing. :) So short answer: never.

We ARE more careful in the kitchen, as in when dealing with raw meats and eggs etc. we do sanitize the countertops and throw all linens in the laundry after that use - but that's about as far as it goes.

[larknm]

Yes, doorknobs, computer keyboard, car door handles. I use Everclear alcohol in a spray bottle. I got that from Hilda R. Clark's books years ago, and from the Delaney sisters, who lived until 104 and 106 and were written about. I also wash my hands when I come in from being anywhere in the car.

[Tussiemussies]

Yes, doorknobs, computer keyboard, car door handles. I use Everclear alcohol in a spray bottle. I got that from Hilda R. Clark's books years ago, and from the Delaney sisters, who lived until 104 and 106 and were written about. I also wash my hands when I come in from being anywhere in the car.

I loved the book the Delaney sisters wrote Having Our Say. :)


Do wipe off door handles, light switches with Clorox bleach wipes. I have used a lot of bleach in the past in cleaning and used vinegar with laundry detergent which works well so far. Was going to invest in a steam mop but never did.

My husband calls me the Polish cleaning lady since I like everything to be very clean, (although I am half polish and they have a very good reputation where My family comes from of being immaculate housekeepers which I have to say that a lot of the homes there have sparkling clean windows and very clean porches since itis a porch community). getting and keeping it that way is quite a lot of work...my grandmother's house was always clean and immaculate. She worked, cooked dinners every night and kept everything in it's place during the week and then on Sat. AM would go to town cleaning their home. She worked very hard!!!

Also have a lot of things in restaurants that are gross to me. I read articles and in seeing some of the shows on TV well now after touching the menu I wash my hands. Dr. Oz says that you must wash our hands for 10 seconds in order to have no ecoli remain. Then I use paper towels to open the bathroom door hold it open with my foot and dispose of the towels and then leave, never have touched the door or anything else on the way out. I won't eat at places where you can't see the kitchen at all...

:)

[creaker]

Yes, doorknobs, computer keyboard, car door handles. I use Everclear alcohol in a spray bottle. I got that from Hilda R. Clark's books years ago, and from the Delaney sisters, who lived until 104 and 106 and were written about. I also wash my hands when I come in from being anywhere in the car.

I like the idea of a disinfectant that's not only safe enough to drink, it's intended to be :)

[Mrs-M]

Love reading everyone's entries/absorbing everyone's take on the matter.

[Tiam]

I wouldn't say I'm a dirty person. But I'm a messy person. And I never "sanitize" or "disinfect" (my quotes),I clean my bathroom with bleach once a week or whatever soap is available. I even put boiling water or peroxide on my toothbrushes. I clean dishes with dish soap and wash walls and drawers and whatnot with soapy water. I wash clothes with laundry soap, no bleach. At work, I use an alcohol wipe on keyboards and phone, probably twice a month. To wit, this year (and I'm a preschool teacher ) I've only had a couple of mild sore throats and sinus stuff, but no remarkable illness to date this past calendar year. What this proves? Who knows? I guess what does it question? Well, how useful is it?

[sweetana3]

It is just me and hubby with three cats. I dont disinfect anything and use Dawn for cleaning and a bleach spray on the toilet. I spot clean if there are the rare guest and that is it.

I get maybe a cold a year at the ordinary season and that is it. I dont worry about germs or disease as with a healthy person, it is normally a rare unusual occurence to "catch" something.

Heck, we travel to less developed countries and have never gotten sick. But watch the water you drink while there and never ever visit the kitchens.

[Mrs-M]

Thanks for the additions, Tiam and Sweetana3!

[iris lily]

I like the idea of a disinfectant that's not only safe enough to drink, it's intended to be :)

That is hysterical!

[puglogic]

That is hysterical!

I like that too. And whatever's leftover from cleaning, mama gets to make herself a cocktail :D

[Forum follower]

When the flu was prevalent this winter I went crazy with the clorox wipes and lysol. Counter tops, appliance handles, light switches toilets and sinks were cleaned dailey Hand towels and dish towels were changed out a couple of times daily and sanitized in the washer. After the flu season subsided, I went to sanitizing once a week. I had a mild cold this winter and never got really sick. I don't know if it was due to the sanitizing or not, but it made me feel better that I did it. I like the house sparkly clean anyway, so it was good mood elevator to see it done.

[Mrs-M]

Good on you, Forum Follower! Couldn't agree more about it being an excellent mood elevator, too!

[Mrs-M]

One other area I regularly disinfect in the home is the garbage pail (handles/lid/inside)... and when the kids were babies, the lids/handles on the diaper pails. Pails (inside), too, got a good disinfecting when I thought of it... not as often as I should have.