OT-Chlorine bleach

[Carriemel]

My husband and I are REALLY hot about something that happened yesterday. We live in a condo complex, 4 units upstairs, 4 units downstairs. We have an 8 month old and we don't like to expose her to any chemicals of any sort...bleach especially. Well, our downstairs neighbor took it upon himself to wash down his sidewalk with chlorine bleach. No warning posted, and no time for us to take the baby to gramma's house. We still have a slight smell of bleach in the house.

The downstairs guy got PO'd at my hubby for making a stink about the situation. We're probably going to wind up talking to the complex manager about it. My question is, would YOU talk to the manager or would you let it go?

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

Depends on where "his sidewalk" is. If it is part of the common area where people could walk or animals could get to it then you definitely need to talk to the manager. He created a hazardous situation to others in a public space. If the area is his private space and he doesn't regularly clean with bleach then I would probably let it go this time but if it becomes a regular event and affects your ability to enjoy your condo then you need to speak to the manager.

 

[Carriemel]

It is a common area, right down at the end of the stairs leading from our condo... Dogs walk there, small kids...

 

[princessmom29]

I don't understand what the big deal about bleach is????? I am a chemist and I can tell you that "exposure to bleach" is not harmful unless you drink it or breathe too much of the vapors from the liquid. Walking on a sidewalk that has been cleaned with it will not hurt your child!!! The smell of bleach in the air is not harmful in any way. It requires direct skin contact or prolonged exposure to concentrated vapors to do any damage. The bleach is sodium hypochlorite mixed with water. Sodium hypochlorite is basically table salt with added oxygen. The added oxygen is the cleaning/ disinfecting agent in bleach. It is not more of a "harmful chemical" than lemon juice and is just as natural.The difference in the two really lies in the amount of water present. Concentrated lemon juice is just as caustic as bleach, and bleach is one of the safest cleaning agents out there that will actually disnifect. You can't get much more natural than salt and oxygen. I just don't get the "let's not expose our child to any chemicals" thing. It is completely impossible because everything, our own bodies included are completely made up of chemicals. Water is a chemical. Every chemical has some sort of naturally occuring source. You cannot just create something form nothing.

 

[Mom2Nick]

Let it go. It's not as if the man used Sulfuric Acid on the sidewalk. He used a cleaning agent to clean the sidewalk which are outside.

 

[powellrj]

I would let it go.

 

[Kit'smommy]

I think you are completely overreacting. Bleach is an effective, relatively safe chemical to use to clean concrete and remove mildew.

We use it occasionally to treat the mildew in our shower and to disinfect toilet bowls.

 

[scrapquitler]

Personally, I think that you are overreacting. Some bleach being used to clean the sidewalks outside is not a big deal.

Great that you are minimizing your child's exposure to chemicals when possible, but realistically, she is living in the modern world and you can't completely eliminate the use of chemicals all around her; when she is in school chemicals will be used to clean the bathrooms and the floors, and she will sometimes breathe fumes from them. She'll be exposed to diesel exhaust when she rides the school bus. The apartment complex will hire a lawn care company that will use chemicals on the lawn, thats just the reality, and you aren't going to be able to completely protect her. Minimize yes, totally eliminate, no way.

 

[scottish mum]

I would just be glad that someone was cleaning the area rather than letting it get all dirty and yucky. its only bleach and it will not harm your baby by letting them breathe in a small smell of it.

 

[dis-happy]

When I was running the children's ministry at our church some questions came up about sanitizing the toys. I did a lot of research on bleach water and whether or not it is safe to spray and leave on the toys. Basically, it is harmless and very quickly dissipates. Think about all the places that chlorine is used...in the public water supply, swimming pools, etc. If you bathe your dd in tap water or take her swimming she has already been exposed. It's not anything to worry about.

 

[brergnat]

I think that you should THANK your neighbor for keeping his sidewalk CLEAN with bleach. At least he cares enough to do that.

You could have the exact opposite problem...

I have preschool aged boys. I clean their bathroom once a week with diluted bleach water solution. I think it's the safest thing to use to kill germs, viruses, bacteria, etc, while being also one of the most economical.

You need to try to relax a bit. And, possibly educate yourself a bit better about what is harmful and what is actually GOOD to use to clean around your daughter. For example, diluted bleach solution is probably the BEST thing you can use to clean your baby's toys, did you know that?

 

[pixiewings71]

It's bleach, it's not a big deal. Don't worry about it.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Can he come to my house?

The front porch and the rocking chair on it need to be cleaned off and bleach is what I use.

She'll actually be fine. The bleach outside won't hurt her a bit.

 

[famofsix]

I am in the camp that your DH should apologize to the neighbor. It would be another story if he was spraying pesticides or something. A simple apology for over-reacting is in order.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well it's not harmless to me. I can go into asthma when I smell the fumes, and I have a skin reaction to it if it's used on my clothes.

Obviously my body hasn't taken the classes to tell it that bleach is not a poison to it.

 

[bear_mom]

Well it's not harmless to me. I can go into asthma when I smell the fumes, and I have a skin reaction to it if it's used on my clothes.

Obviously my body hasn't taken the classes to tell it that bleach is not a poison to it.

Doesn't mean it's poison. My asthma acts up from flowers and trees. My skin reacts to any kind of detergent that has perfumes in it.

 

[Kit'smommy]

Well it's not harmless to me. I can go into asthma when I smell the fumes, and I have a skin reaction to it if it's used on my clothes.

Obviously my body hasn't taken the classes to tell it that bleach is not a poison to it.

Different people have different triggers for their asthma. The cleaner that is my worst trigger is Pinesol and it is used in many public places. Bleach is one of the few cleaners I can stand. Just because things trigger asthma attack doesn't make them poisonous.

 

[famofsix]

Well it's not harmless to me. I can go into asthma when I smell the fumes, and I have a skin reaction to it if it's used on my clothes.

Obviously my body hasn't taken the classes to tell it that bleach is not a poison to it.

my nephew is allergic to grass but his parents keep growing it

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

At my preschool, bleach/water solution is used to clean everything from diaper changing areas to tables to toys that children mouth. For most everyone bleach is safe and very effective at killing virus and bacteria on solid surfaces.

 

[allison443]

What is supposed to be the danger of using bleach?
I honestly have not heard that.
I think some people use bleach on their babies' cloth diapers, don't they?