The overuse of antibacterial cleaning products, including disinfectants in the home, may be producing strains of bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics are known as multi-resistant organisms (MROs).
As a marketing strategy, media advertisements suggest that bacteria in the home are harmful and must be eliminated by using any number of the antibacterial or antimicrobial products available.
These cleaning products are no more effective at preventing infection in the home than good personal and household hygiene using ordinary soap, warm water and plain detergent.
Avoid using antibacterial or antimicrobial products unless you have a specific medical reason to do so.
Household products that are labelled as antibacterial, antiseptic or antimicrobial include:
Many of these products contain antibacterial agents such as triclosan. These ingredients are valuable in hospitals and other healthcare settings, but their effectiveness could be compromised by unnecessary domestic use. Their widespread use in the home could make some bacteria resistant to these antibacterial substances.
There is evidence that the use of antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaning products – combined with the over-prescription of antibiotics – may produce strains of bacteria that are resistant to disinfectants and antibiotics. There are several issues involved:
Disinfectants are often not used correctly. For example, they are not mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (more is not better).
Antibacterials such as triclosan can enter the environment and accumulate over time, leading to antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization refers to antimicrobial resistance as “a looming crisis in which common and treatable infections are becoming life threatening”.
In response to this, the Australian Government has produced Australia’s first national antimicrobial resistance strategyExternal Link 2015–2019 – Responding to the threat of antimicrobial resistance to outline areas for activity and actions being undertaken.
Most bacteria actually help humans. For example, intestinal bacteria help us to digest food. The ‘good’ bacteria that naturally live on and inside our bodies help us stay healthy by keeping the numbers of ‘bad’, disease-causing bacteria under control.
When you use antibacterial or antimicrobial cleaning products, good bacteria are also killed. This could be harmful if the ratio of good to bad bacteria is disturbed, and bad bacteria get the upper hand.
Healthy households do not need antibacterial cleaning products. Effective hand washing with soap, and household cleaning using warm water and a plain detergent, is the cheapest way to get rid of germs.
Avoid antibacterial or antimicrobial products – they are more expensive, no more effective at cleaning and their widespread use may pose a wider health risk.
Researchers have suggested that the modern obsession with cleanliness may be partly responsible for the increase in allergic asthma and conditions such as hay feverExternal Link (allergic rhinitis).
It has also been suggested that some exposure to certain microbes may actually help regulate the immune system. This exposure may reduce the body’s tendency to develop an allergic reaction against common allergens.
This is based on the observations that growing up in a large family, being in child care from a young age and living with household pets seem to reduce the chances of developing allergic disease.
More research into this area is needed, but current understanding seems to suggest that the immune systems of children may need some exposure to bacteria and other microbes in order to function at their best.
In other words, a little dirt never hurt anyone. We should target our hygiene practices to the areas of greatest risk, such as washing hands after going to the toilet and before handling food.
Food poisoning is a major health risk. Around 11,500 Australians are affected by food poisoning every day. This is caused by poor food storage, preparation and handling. To reduce this risk:
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