It almost smells like Radox! Less stinky alternative to dettol (Savlon Antiseptic Liquid)

Member Name: norton501

Product:	Savlon Antiseptic Liquid
Date:	03/09/09 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: smells less potent, does not turn the bath white, quite cheap, good first aid liquid

Disadvantages: It does not have a child safe top so keep it on a high shelf

Having always gorwn up with a bottle of Dettol in the bathroom (I swear my mum had OCD as she would have up to 3 baths a day with Dettol in it.... looking back this is not normal behaviour!), which tends to leave a Dettol smell lingering in the house- over the years I have grown to dislike the smell of dettol. And to me, dettol and stronger antiseptics now smell like the aftermath of a police clean up (you know the smell when you walk past a doorway in a city that has been "cleansed" after an accident or an indicent or someone fell ill). Urgh.

Therefore- I was pleased to see this on sale as an alternative antiseptic liquid to put in the bath or to soak your cut up feet in after wearing new shoes and finding your feet mangled in the name of fashion (it happens..!).

*The Product*
Savlon Antiseptic liquid is sold in 500ml bottles for around £2 in most supermarkets and chemists and also online (ebay, Amazon and online chemists etc). It is a clear liquid and it smells much less "antiseptic-y" and less like a hospital ward than Dettol liquid (its biggest rival) and certainly smells less potent than TCP (another popular first aid type liquid).

*Uses*
The bottle states "for first aid and personal use" ie: cuts and grazes, bites and stings, minor burns and scalds, bathing and midwifery. It states "dilute before use"- therefore it cannot be used neat like TCP liquid can.

The uses for Savlon antiseptic are the same as Dettol liquid- and the warnings on the pack are the same- do not drink, skin irritation may occur, if accidentally swallowed drink milk or water and wash your mouth out and see a doctor asap, if you get it into your eyes wash with water for atleast 10 mins. All the same as Dettol liquid.

*Advantages*
For me, I have used this when bathing and for soaking damaged feet and the most striking things I have noticed are:
1: It does not turn white in the water like dettol. It does not alter the colour of the water at all. Even if you put a large-ish amount into a small amount of water it does not affect the appearance of the water.
2: The smell is actually pleasant- it is actually not dissimilar to a Radox smell. It is only very mildly medicated and smells more fresh than anything. I prefer this over Dettol and certainly over TCP as it smells more sociable (you will not smell like you have been de-loused or have been in a hospital after using this!).

I can see if you have children who often get into scrapes and tumbles, this is a less stinky alternative to dettol. Some children may appreciate the milder smell.

*Disadvantages*
As I prefer this to dettol, comparing it to dettol directly, the only things I can think of is some people may actually like the strong dettol smell (a comforting smell to some?) or may like how it goes white in the water turning your water opaque for example if you are bathing your feet and you just do not want to see them (i'm clutching at straws..).

Oh- It does not have a child safe top- you do not have to push and twist the top you simply unscrew this to use- so if you have small children, I would make sure you keep this on a high shelf. Thikning about it, I cannot recall if Dettol does have a child safe cap- I do not think it does. Maybe i;m being too safety conscious, but to me it would make sense to put safety caps on things like this...

I have only seen this on sale in 500ml bottles, and I know Dettol comes in other sizes. But, 500mls for me is not a huge bottle- if you buy a bottle of this, as it is quite cheap for the amount you will use (5 capfuls to a bath, 2 capfuls for personal hygiene and midwifery etc) a bottle will last a good while. I have bought one bottle in the last 12 months and we have used just over half the bottle so far.

*Overall*
This is a good multipurpose first aid liquid. Good to use for midwifery or to bathe with, to clean minor wounds and kill germs. It smells better (and less like it will strip the hairs from your nose!) than dettol- so it is more discrete to use. Using this for first aid, to clean grazes etc you are reducing the risk of a cut or graze going septic...

I would certainly recommend this as a good solid alternative to a bottle of Dettol if you are sick of the smell or Dettol or just see this on offer or fancy a change.

Summary: Good alternative to dettol- worth a try