The Great Bleach Debate

Bleach. I am in the middle of researching a bleach issue. I do not promote its use. It is an eye, lung and skin irritant.

Clorox promotes the idea that household bleach biodegrades 'mostly harmlessly to salt water.' It is the 'mostly' we have to concern ourselves with. More specifically, the rest of it beyond the mostly. The 3 to 6% that doesn't break down harmlessly and what impact that has.

Bleach is a highly unstable product. It has a very short shelf life. People over use it. It is a mis-conception that you can 'clean with bleach.' You cannot. It is not a cleaner. Yet you go to Clorox website and there it is- they say to 'clean and disinfect' with it.

Bleach is a bacteria killer, but only under specific conditions, applied a certain way, with time and surface variables taken into consideration. What you have to ask is: is it really necessary to kill all that bacteria? We are a germophobic society. Our best defense against microorganisms is a healthy immune system and reasonable and regular cleaning practices.

Seeking to kill something off always leads to worse consequences. "Never seen no miracle of science, that didn't end up with something worse" is a line from a Police song.

Clorox website says household bleach isn't chlorine bleach. I am pasting what it says:

'There is no free chlorine in household bleach. It's wrong to call household bleach chlorine bleach because it has an entirely different chemistry. Household bleach is derived from sodium chloride - common table salt. Clorox purchases chlorine and makes household bleach by bubbling the chlorine into a solution of water and sodium hydroxide. During this process, all of the chlorine is converted to a sodium hypochlorite solution.

The issue I am researching is: How harmful is bleach? I have read about it extensively. Everyone (should) know(s) that to mix bleach with other substances-for example ammonia- is dangerous, courting disaster. It creates toxic gases that can be fatal. I have read that even vinegar (as an acid) should not be mixed with household bleach for the same reason, ie, it helps release chlorinated gases.'

Just today, however, I come across an online source that promotes mixing bleach and vinegar. http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Vinegar-increases-killing-power-of-bleach-8067-1/ huh?!? What is up with that? It must be one way or the other, it can't be both.

So, I have written and sent an email inquiry to a state source to see if they can help sort this out for me.

This is what makes it hard for people to know what to do. The inconsistency.
I will update the blog as soon as I get an answer.
C Anne