Disinfect yes, but under certain conditions. Since the start of confinement against the coronavirus the French have been more picky about the household. Proof of this is that bleach sales increased 120% in supermarkets two weeks ago. And for good reason, in the face of this invisible enemy that is the Covid-19, disinfecting one's home, but also washing food that has barely been bought, is essential. However, it should be done correctly. As ANSES sees a disturbing increase in "calls to poison centers for poisoning by cleaning products" since traffic restrictions, its toxicovigilance coordinator, Sandra Sinno-Tellier, delivers some advice over the microphone of "Sans Rendez-vous" ".
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Do not mix cleaning products
"You must scrupulously respect the instructions of the products," said the expert straight away. To wash your floors, you can use a mop with bleach, but it is necessary to do it "in a ventilated room", and especially not to "mix the products". Because this can have serious consequences, especially when the bleach comes into contact with "a descaler, like white vinegar". The chemical reaction between these two products can lead to "release of chlorine" and cause "respiratory problems".
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Sandra Sinno-Tellier also explains that it is better to avoid "unpacking" her cleaning products, by putting them "in a bottle of water or soda" for example. Children, and even parents, can "drink it inadvertently". But if a transfer has already been made, it must at least be clearly indicated, "by writing the name of the product, by a label or a colored sticker" on the bottle in question.
Do not bleach vegetables, even diluted
More surprisingly, the toxicovigilance coordinator at the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, reports that some people have been poisoned after washing food with "disinfectant products". Again, it is bleach that is involved. But washing strawberries or asparagus with this product, even diluted, can cause "stomach ache", she recalls. "To clean them, you have to wash them with clean water, wipe them with a disposable paper towel, and if possible peel what can be."
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What works for food is also viable for our bodies. "We had calls from people who had washed themselves with household products for fear of the coronavirus, such as methylated spirits, or ... bleach", breathes the specialist at the microphone of Europe 1. Dangerous, this practice is also useless, since the "usual products" are enough to take a shower or even wash your hands.