I couldn't take it anymore. I have a pile of clothes I have washed over and over again with various things, and they are not coming clean. The kids' sippy cups have been growing mold lately, and I haven't been able to get them under control with vinegar.
I haven't had bleach in my house in over two years, and the bleach I did have was here because the previous owner of our house left it here. Now I have an urge to bleach stuff that has never seen bleach; an urge to scour everything with it, just to get everything really clean, yk?
I won't buy another bottle, I promise...
__________________ Jody
Mama to two boys (5-10-98 and 6-01-01), and two girls (11-18-03 and 1-11-07)
Tea tree is the best mold killer I've ever used. Better than bleach. We had some mold issues on our bathroom ceiling in our new houw. I had dh scrub with baking soda and paint the surface with tea tree. I saw no recurrance of mold for 14 months. Then it was tiny-we just repeated it again. You could soak the sippys in vinegar water plus a few drops of tea tree after you clean/scrub with baking soda. The bleach eats at the plastic...
The clothes thing-wellare you using too much soap? Or is your water too hard too soft? Are they dingy? Greas spots? what exactly is the problem. I know while I am staying with my inlaws (who have a water softener) I had to toally change my washing routine. Maybe you cuold post a thread asking for trouble shooting.
In any case being a mom and keeping house is tough work without or with bleach
Good luck cleaning
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I broke down and bought a bottle a couple of months ago as well. My kitchen sink has stains in it that nothing else will take out. It was clean, but looked so awful, I just couldn't take it anymore. It'll probably last me a whole year.
I just wanted to let you know that it only takes a capful per gallon of water to sanitize surfaces. I one of the main problrms with bleach is that people use way too much, thus multiplying the risks without more benefits.
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Dh adds it to the wash when he washes his scrubs. I can't convince him that anything else is strong enough to take on hospital-born bacteria infections like c-dif.
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Dawn,
mama to Maxine Day(8/01) and brand new Ivan Wolfgang(6/08), partner to Jason.
Dh adds it to the wash when he washes his scrubs. I can't convince him that anything else is strong enough to take on hospital-born bacteria infections like c-dif.
How much bleach does he use? Does it discolor his scrubs? What else do you suggest to him to remove yucky bacteria?
(Just curious, cuz I need to know how to wash my scrubs if I'm not doing a good job at it)
Location: "the stars are matter, we're matter, but it doesn't matter."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunbeam
How much bleach does he use? Does it discolor his scrubs? What else do you suggest to him to remove yucky bacteria?
(Just curious, cuz I need to know how to wash my scrubs if I'm not doing a good job at it)
How much does he use? Maybe half a capful, I think.
To tell you the truth, when I'm doing the wash, I just don't use it. I'm hoping that the hot water plus regular old target detergent does the job. (Plus you know, he's all suited up in protective gear for the c-dif patients anyway.) But he's the one to wash his scrubs most of the time. I don't know, its kind of a "don't ask, don't tell" scenario. I would like to know what other crunchy nurses think, lol.
Well, I went YEARS w/o bleach and then I got some for some reason. I am trying to remember why. Hm. Well, anyhow, I buy the smallest bottle (well okay, now I buy the medium bottle because it is cheaper than the smallest bottle) and it does last forever (I think I have gotten 2 bottles in almost 4 years). There are times when I just like bleach. For example, bleach will often take out stains that NOTHING else has in clothing. I often add a small amount to dd's really stained colors and it will improve things. And, I have found, rarely does it actually remove color from the clothing. Also, about every six months or so, Dh's undershirts are just so nasty that they stink just as bad coming out of the dryer as they did going into the wash. So, I bleach his shirts/socks. Mostly, I use my bleach pen. One of those lasted me a year and that was awesome.
*lol* I did too. Even with me making my own cleaning products....the whites in our laundry were not looking good. Hopefully someday we can afford a water softener...I am sure the very hard water is my biggest problem with keeping my dh's work whites white.
That is what I bought the bleach for. (whites in laundry)
I did have to go back to store bought toilet bowl cleaner. That is the one cleaner that I can not make myself to a high enough quality to actually clean the toilet. Buying both of those items was tough.
I just don't care about our whites looking clean I don't wear any white shirts, though, so it's really just undershirts for DH and play shirts for the boys, and underwear, and my socks. NOthing vital to be white.
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Heather
Birthday boy eating birthday pancakes. Happy 7th to Erik! My blog
"Before you were conceived I wanted you, Before you were born I loved you, Before you were here an hour I would die for you. This is the miracle of life."
- Maureen Hawkins
How much does he use? Maybe half a capful, I think.
To tell you the truth, when I'm doing the wash, I just don't use it. I'm hoping that the hot water plus regular old target detergent does the job. (Plus you know, he's all suited up in protective gear for the c-dif patients anyway.) But he's the one to wash his scrubs most of the time. I don't know, its kind of a "don't ask, don't tell" scenario. I would like to know what other crunchy nurses think, lol.
Well, it probably will turn out that he just doesn't feel like they are clean without the bleach, but I am a nurse, and I don't use bleach on my scrubs. I use hot water and soap, which is all we use on our hands at work anyway (ok, we also use the alcohol based stuff, but that doesn't kill c diff anyway, you have to wash with soap and water to rinse it off your hands) I think most of the viruses and bacteria we come into contact with are fragile, meaning that the act of washing them away is enough to minimize our risk.
I have 2 big ole bottles of bleach right now. I had one that I bought well before I moved last September, then I packed it up. And the other I bought while living with FIL because his washer just didn't get things clean. I'll never use all this bleach now that we've moved, LOL. My clothes do get dingy eventually but they usually get holes in them around the same time too from too much use. I use bleach about once every 6 months to a year in my washer. It heats its own water so it gets pretty hot. I wish I had a water softener though. And as for washing scrubs, if you are washing the scrubs in hot enough water, it will kill anything on them (or should). You don't need bleach for that. Of course they will fade faster that way, but I would think putting even a small amount of bleach in the water would do that anyway.
As for the toilet cleaner, well Dh bought some the other day that I absolutely LOVE. Soy blends, Soy Toilet Scrub by Bi-O-Kleen. It smells minty!!! I've had it work on mild hard water stains and I've used it on the shower door and other bathroom surfaces (it says its good for porcelain surfaces, sinks, tubs, tiles, shower doors and chrome). Plus it says its safe for septic systems (which I have). It hasn't worked on the really tough stains on my toilet yet, but once I get those gone, I can maintain with this stuff.
FWIW, I always add a squirt of grapefruit seed extract to any laundry that I think might be mold- or bacteria-ridden. I have great faith in the stuff. I have a friend who used it successfully to clean mildew off of furniture, and she said it worked fabulously.
Location: "the stars are matter, we're matter, but it doesn't matter."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amyamanda
FWIW, I always add a squirt of grapefruit seed extract to any laundry that I think might be mold- or bacteria-ridden. I have great faith in the stuff. I have a friend who used it successfully to clean mildew off of furniture, and she said it worked fabulously.
Jody
I don't wear any white shirts, though, so it's really just undershirts for DH and play shirts for the boys, and underwear, and my socks. NOthing vital to be white.
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