Have we become obsessed with antibacterial soaps/cleaners/wipes, etc?

K-9 · 29-07-2010 08:18PM

storm2811 wrote: »

During the whole swine flu scare they started putting those alcohol foam dispensing things everywhere,the stink was fcuking brutal,never used them but everyone else was using them like mad afraid to die of swine flu ffs.:pac:

I only use anti bacterial stuff on the chopping boards or counters if I've made food on them.

I remember one of the HSE guys on the radio about that. He didn't mention anti bacterials at all, just soap. Apparently, you don't even need warm water as many schools mightn't have that. Getting a lather from the soap and a good wash is the key.

I-Shot-Jr · 29-07-2010 08:31PM

I use quite a bit of it because I handle quiiiite a lot of cash but I would rarely think or bother to use it outside of that situation, I do wash my hands quite a lot though purely because Im prone to getting spots on my face through rubbing it. But if or when I have kids I wont be following them around with a powerhose mixed with dettol, let the little ****es get sick.

mardybumbum · 29-07-2010 08:48PM

But if or when I have kids I wont be following them around with a powerhose mixed with dettol, let the little ****es get sick.

Might just be the best thing for them.

http://asthma.about.com/b/2009/09/22/hygiene-hypothesis-asthma-dirty-is-better.htm

southsiderosie · 29-07-2010 08:48PM

A friend of mine is a pediatrician who splits her time between a government-subsidized family clinic and a wealthy private hospital. I asked her about the whole kids and germs/allergies thing, and she said that observationally there seems to be some correlation between 1) food allergies and family income and 2) immune problems and family income. The main issue is that upper middle class parents freak out about everything, try to control everything they eat and their children eat, and clean too much, whereas working-class and immigrant families have healthier kids (in terms of immune systems and allergies) because they don't keep them in a bubble. Poorer kids in the US do tend to have more problems with obesity and asthma though (although the asthma thing is environmental).

zuroph · 29-07-2010 08:49PM

Some idiots will fall for the ad, and it'll sell. said the exact same thign the econd I saw the ad, its not like your touching it again after. unlike the tap, and the door handle.

Blisterman · 29-07-2010 09:13PM

Talk about stupid advertising. I saw one recently which said something like this

"Did you know, normal kitchen cleaner doesn't kill ALL germs? Well, Detoll ( or Cilit bang, flash etc), kills 99.9% of germs.

Mrmoe · 29-07-2010 09:22PM

All of these products are a bit overkill for the home but they should definitely be in workplaces and other areas where people come into contact a lot. The chances are that you will have immunity to most bacteria and viruses that are found in your home. However, in a work place for example door handles and fittings would be a good reservoir for infection for which you would not necessarily have any imminity to.

baltimore sun · 29-07-2010 09:41PM

I'll admit I'm a bit of a freak and I carry one of those anti-bacteria handwash things with me all the time.

I'll always use it after I come out of a public jacks coz most feckers dont wash their hands in public toilets and also if I've been handling a load of money in work, I'll wash my hands with it

It's only because I got a massive stomach bug years ago that was caused by some kind of mad germ I got somewhere, HSE wanted to investigate the place and everything but it was in England so they couldn't do anything about it.

Mike 1972 · 29-07-2010 10:53PM

"There are more germs on your chopping board than on your toilet seat."

The overwhelming majority of bacteria cause little or no harm to humans. Some are even beneficial.

Living in an environment *overwhelmed with chemicals on the other hand.............

* And like bacteria not all "chemicals" are necessarily evil either but overexposure to combinations of all manner of chemicals cant be doing us a whole lot of good

Pope Benedict · 29-07-2010 10:54PM

with hands that do dishes...

BluesBerry · 29-07-2010 11:17PM

Pope Benedict wrote: »

with hands that do dishes...

With mild green fairy liquid :pac:

starbelgrade · 29-07-2010 11:27PM

baltimore sun wrote: »

I'll always use it after I come out of a public jacks coz most feckers dont wash their hands in public toilets and also if I've been handling a load of money in work, I'll wash my hands with it.

You wash your hands with money?! F*cking hell... what do you wipe your arse with? :eek:

MultiUmm · 30-07-2010 12:10AM

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

I wash my hands mainly if they look of feel dirty. If they're grand I dont bother.

I havent had a cold since last autumn and I know of people who are fanatical about the whole "you'll infect your sambo with AIDS!!!" thing and they always seem to be ill.

Er, do you wash them after using the jacks though? :pac:

K-9 · 30-07-2010 12:32AM

Hope everybody cleans their keyboard regularly*. One of the biggest traps of germs.

*For non fapping reasons seeing as this is AH.

JuneBug29 · 30-07-2010 01:44AM

There was a medical professor in England whom i read about last year. He was saying that peoples obsession with household cleaners were directly contributing towards MRSA and the likes because our bodies then cannot deal with bacteria when it's not being subjected to it.

If you avoid bacteria and kill off every instance of it how can you expect your immune system to cope with it? My parents are in their 70's. They grew up in the days of going to the local stores with slabs of meat thrown on the shelves for anyone to take. No refrigeration or anything. Never did either of them any harm and even if food falls on the ground to this day my father will pick it up regardless of how long its been on the ground. Both of my parents are more healthy than a lot of people younger than them.

All of these ads are scaring people into thinking that they need to sterilise their houses up and down or else they'll become ill. Scare mongering if i ever heard it. Let kids at a bit of dirt once in awhile. If people think killing EVERY germ will help them and their health then they are very misinformed and easily lead.

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 30-07-2010 01:50AM

This actually reminds me of a story told by a teacher.

When he was a young fella he went off to England for a summer and was working on the roads out in the country somewhere with a load of irish and english.
All the irish lads were country boys and had grown up drinking water from wells or dodgy local schemes. The english were all from the city who had a good water supply.

There was a stream by the road they were working on and as it was hot one day they all drank from the stream. The english lads were all out the next day with stomach cramps, vomiting and the squirts. The Irish lads were all grand.

You need to let your body build up a resistency to germs, simple as

storm2811 · 30-07-2010 02:03AM

JuneBug29 wrote: »

Let kids at a bit of dirt once in awhile. If people think killing EVERY germ will help them and their health then they are very misinformed and easily mislead.

I used to live in my sandpit and the turf shed for nearly the whole time when I was a toddler,only got the flu twice in my whole life!

Have we become obsessed with antibacterial soaps/cleaners/wipes, etc?

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