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Household disinfectant usually unnecessary

If all members of a household are healthy, cleaning with a disinfectant is unnecessary and may even be harmful, warned Klaus Afflerbach, head of the accident prevention forum of the German Green Cross.

“Hygiene doesn’t mean disinfection,” Afflerbach said in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa. He pointed out that excessive cleanliness could cause allergies, respiratory ailments or damage to mucous membranes, possibly due to scents or perfumes contained in disinfectants.

To kill unhealthy germs on dish towels and sponges he advised either washing them, replacing them or heating them in a microwave oven at 800 watts once a week. Kitchen worktops should be cleaned - especially after contact with meat - with normal household cleaner and water heated to 50-60 degrees centigrade.

Textiles can be machine-washed adequately at temperatures of just 30-40 degrees centigrade, Afflerbach said. Since a small amount of wash water - a source of germs - always remains in the machine, he recommended that the door and detergent compartment be opened after every washing to air it out.

But he added that a 60-degree wash cycle with detergent for white or light-coloured laundry was advisable after every four washings or so - preferably with detergent powder because liquid contained no bleaching agent.

A simple household cleaner is sufficient for the entire home. To remove calcium deposits, Afflerbach recommended a lemon-based cleaner rather than a vinegar-based one. “The effect is the same, but lemon is less aggressive,” he said.