For years we have been told that the best way to get rid of bacteria in your house and work is to simply bleach them clean. And we have been using bleach and products containing bleach for anything even remotely connected with bacteria. However, all this bleaching has some serious side effects to your health as well as the environment.
One of the recent studies in cells have found that an active ingredient in bleach called hypochlorous acid (HOCl) causes protein to disintegrate thus killing organisms such as bacteria. However, it does not differentiate between types of protein and kills both bacteria and human cells. This poses a serious problem for human immunity, especially in people with compromised immune system. We all have heard about the latest outbreaks of various infections in hospitals and such… The problem is still more serious when we take into consideration the fact that many bacteria have developed a certain kind of immunity to killing agents, such as bleach for instance.
As for the environment, chlorine bleach has many negative effects. It is corrosive and releases vapors that are toxic, especially when mixed with other chemicals. Moreover, chlorine reacts with organic matter found in drinking water giving rise to trihalomethanes (chemicals that possibly cause cancer and developmental issues) and using bleach in laundry produces chloroform, which is a human carcinogen.
Luckily, there are many safer alternatives to bleach on the market these days and they include eco-friendly products such as (one of my favorite) Seventh Generation or simply soap (make sure it’s the green variety) and hot water for your general cleaning and laundry or the chlorine-free bleach, which is basically hydrogen peroxide. It does the job well and is natural and safe for both your health and that of the planet we live on.
