Wanted to pass this along...

[amaranthe]

Like most parents, my kids have chores to do around the house. While watching one of my kids clean the bathroom the other day, I noticed that he just sprayed the cleaner/discenfectant on the surfaces and wiped them immediatedly. Then, it hit me that I had never taught the kids that in order for the disinfectants work, they need to sit on the suface for at least 10 minutes, or that they should clean the suface first, (also allowing the product to sit for several minutes first to loosen the dirt/grime), and THEN, spray the product again, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes in order to disinfect it, and then to use a clean cloth or paper towels to wipe it up, (so they don't recontaminate the site they have just disinfected.)

I just wanted to remind other Moms out there to be sure and tell your kids too, since mine probobly aren't the only ones that have been doing it wrong. (It also probobly wouldnt hurt to remind your hubbys too! My kids told me, "Well, Dad never waits 10 minutes either!") Though, I HAVE told my DH to do this before, he is just too impatient to wait those 10 min on the 2 occasions a year that he cleans anything! Men! UGH! So, I just go back behind him and disinfect things things myself.

Anyway, just wanted to remind other Moms out there to be sure and teach your kids this when you are showing them how to clean.

Hope this helps someone!

[ICNDonna]

If an effective solution is used, it shouldn't be necessary to let it sit and then repeat. They don't usually even do that in hospitals. I use clorox wipes to clean in my bathroom.

Donna

[Mel53H]

I am a janitor for the City Hall, Library and court offices for the city I live in and I don't wait for 10 minutes after I spray disenfectant. If I did, I would never get done. I have been a janitor for over 12 years and I was an housekeeper for a retirement home for 5 years before that. There is no need to wait before you wipe.

[amaranthe]

It may be possible that the disinfectants that are hospital grade or from the janitorial supply companies are a different grade than the household disinfectants that I have read about. I am not sure about the differences. However, if anyone wants to be sure what works for their particular disinfectant, most products will list the required contact time on the back.

For anyone curious as to where my information came from, just put "disinfectant 10 min contact time" into a search engine, and you will see thousands of articles about this. The search engine I just used listed 512,000! Or, you can put in, "disinfectant contact time" or look up the specific product you use to find out what the required wait is for it. From what I have been reading, some viruses and bacteria require longer contact times than others.

[Briza]

Thanks for the tip! My house is probably crawling with germs! Where's the Clorox Cleanup????...I'm the spray and wipe kinda gal, better than nothing, I guess, but thanks for the tip. Will keep that in mind. I imagine the longer it sets the better it works.

[ICNDonna]

I purchase Clorox wipes for cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces. They don't leave enough moisture that you even need to wipe it off.

Donna

[Mel53H]

I have always used good ole Ajax or Comet to clean bathrooms and I wipe them down with a disinfectic like Mr Clean. For the city and for the retirement home. Oh well! You learn new things everyday!

[jen74]

I guess I can see the logic in leaving the stuff set awhile to ensure that the bacteria are killed. But now they are making all these new cleaners like Donna mentioned, the clorox wipes. They even show the commercial where the mom wipes the baby's high chair tray and it is suppose to be immediately disinfected so much as to let the baby eat off it. Who knows though for sure. My husbband helps clean the bathrooms and I know he never lets the stuff sit. But we were actually using the hand held steamer to clean with. They say steam will kill ALL germs. That is another option for people who have chemical sensitivities.
Jen

[mary124]

I use good ol' comet spray for the sink area- just spray & wipe. For the tub--the comet cleanser and whatever else that will clean the main bathroom!! (what can I say? its the "men's" bathroom and you can tell.
However, my youngest who is 20, cleans pretty good, does a little bit of everything since I can't right now....He even washes the clothes!