<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/25/why-you-want-to-avoid-using-chemical-disinfectants.aspx>Why
You Want to Avoid Using Chemical Disinfectants
chemical disinfectants
Chemicals used to kill bacteria could be making
them stronger. Low levels of biocides, which are
used in disinfectants and antiseptics to kill
microbes, can make the potentially lethal
bacterium Staphylococcus aureus remove toxic
chemicals more efficiently, potentially making it
resistant to being killed by some antibiotics.
Biocides are commonly used in cleaning hospitals
and home environments, sterilizing medical
equipment and decontaminating skin before
surgery. At the correct strength, biocides kill
bacteria and other microbes. But if lower levels
are used, the bacteria can survive and become resistant to treatment.
Researchers exposed S. aureus taken from the
blood of patients to low concentrations of
several biocides. Exposure to low concentrations
of a variety of biocides resulted in the appearance of resistant mutants.
Sources:
*
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005203059.htm>Science
Daily October 6, 2008
*
<http://mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/154/10/3144>Microbiology
October 2008, 154; 3144-3153
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The invention of chemical disinfectants is
credited to Joseph Lister, an English surgeon
who, back in the late 19th century, used carbolic
acid to soak surgical dressings.
This dramatically reduced the number of
post-surgical infections, and spurred the
eventual widespread use of such disinfectants in
hospitals. In case you’re wondering, the
mouthwash Listerine was also named after Joseph Lister.
Disinfectants are indeed a necessity in the
operating room and in hospitals. But they’re also
a classic example of a good thing gone bad.
Nowadays many people go on cleaning frenzies in
their own homes, using disinfectants on their
kitchen countertops, bathrooms, floors and even in their laundry.
And while disinfectant soap may be a good idea
before surgery, there’s no need to use it every
time you wash your hands or your body.
The Risk of Chemical Disinfectants
When disinfectants are used in low levels,
researchers found that they actually make certain
bacteria stronger and resistant to antibiotic
treatment. This is true even in hospital
settings, and certainly applies to the low-level
disinfectants many use around their homes.
While building up antibiotic-resistance and
thereby contributing to the creation of
superbugs, chemical disinfectants disrupt the
balance of bacteria, both good and bad, in your
home, making it much easier for the bad bacteria to flourish.
Meanwhile, the chemicals themselves are toxic in
their own right. For instance Lister’s carbolic
acid, now known as phenol, is a common main
ingredient in household detergents like Lysol,
Pine-Sol and Spic-n-Span. It’s also found in mouthwash.
Phenol is toxic and people who are hypersensitive
can experience serious side effects at very low
levels. Studies have linked phenols to:
• Damage to your respiratory and circulatory systems
• Heart damage
• Respiratory problems
• Damage to your liver, kidneys and eyes
• Nonyl phenol ethoxylate, a common ingredient in
laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners, is
banned in Europe, and biodegrades slowly into even more toxic compounds
Other chemicals found in household disinfectants include:
• Formaldehyde, found in spray and wick
deodorizers, which is a suspected carcinogen
• Petroleum solvents in floor cleaners may damage mucous membranes
• Butyl cellosolve, found in many all-purpose and
window cleaners, may damage your kidneys, bone marrow, liver and nervous system
• Triclosan, the active ingredient in most
antibacterial products, not only kills bacteria,
it also has been shown to kill human cells
Are You Disinfecting Your Way to Poor Health?
In an ironic twist, while you’re disinfecting
your home to keep your family safe, you may actually be causing them harm.
If a child is raised in an environment doused in
disinfectant soaps and cleansers, given
antibiotics that kill off all of the good and bad
bacteria in their gut, and kept away from the
natural dirt, germs, viruses and other grime of
childhood, they are not able to build up
resistance to disease, and they are vulnerable to illnesses later in life.
This theory, known as the hygiene hypothesis, is
likely one reason why many allergies and
immune-system diseases have doubled, tripled or
even quadrupled in the last few decades.
For instance research has shown that 10 percent
of children born into families who used cleaning
products such as bleach and carpet cleaners were
twice as likely to battle wheezing problems than
those who were exposed to cleaning products the least.
Keeping Your Home Clean, Safely
I strongly encourage you to think about ditching
all of your chemical disinfectants, including
your antibacterial soaps, laundry detergents and
bath and kitchen cleansers, in favor of more natural alternatives.
Why?
Because no study has shown that a vigorous
program of home disinfection leads to a reduction
of illness in a family. Yet, studies have shown
that disinfectants can cause you and your family harm.
For those times when you need to do a bit of
cleansing, one of the best non-toxic
disinfectants is simple soap and water. You can
use this for washing your hands, your body and
for other household cleansing. Another
all-purpose cleanser that works great for kitchen
counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar.
Simply put each liquid into a separate spray
bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed by the other.
In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, pairing the two mists
killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E.
coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and
surfaces when used in this fashion, making this
spray combination more effective at killing these
potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach
or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
The best results came from using one mist right
after the other -- it is 10 times more effective
than using either spray by itself and more
effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer.
Sunlight is another powerful disinfectant, and
drying your laundry in the sun is one of the best
ways to save energy and wind up with fresh, clean linens and clothing.
So there’s really no need to expose your family
to dangerous chemical disinfectants. As an added
bonus aside from the health benefits, using this
type of natural homemade cleanser is much less
expensive than commercial varieties.
Related Articles:
[]
One of the Best Disinfectants is Simple Soap
[]
<http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Deadly-Hospital-Superbug-Infections-Increase-by-22-Percent-in-Only-3-Months-30296.aspx>Deadly
Hospital Superbug Infections Increase by 22 Percent in Only 3 Months
[]
Demand For "Greener" Cleaning Products Sparks Industry Changes
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