Dettol Antiseptic (Dettol Antiseptic Disinfectant)

Member Name: princesslaura

Product:	Dettol Antiseptic Disinfectant
Date:	06/06/08 (144 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: versatile

Disadvantages: be careful how you use

Dettol liquid has been a family name for years. It is a concentrated antiseptic disinfectant which kills bacteria and provides protection against germs.

We mainly use it for cleaning up baby sick but it actually has a huge number of uses. These are outlined on the packaging along with the instructions on how much to dilute Dettol for the various uses. Apparently it can be used to cure dandruff and for midwifery [I really don't want to know the details of that one, I'm just grateful that they didn't whip out a bottle when I was in labour], which is something that I didn't previously know.

As well as dealing with baby sick with have been known to use Dettol to cleanse cuts and stings [for which you use 50ml of Dettol to 1 litre of water], and for cleaning toilets [use undiluted] and floors [25ml of Dettol to 1 litre of water].

The first thing that you notice when you open up a bottle of dettol is the very distinctive smell

Dettol contains Chloroxylenol as well as pine oil, isopropanol, castor oil soap, caramel, and water. It is because some of these ingredients are insoluble in water that Dettol produces a white oily substance when diluted.

Dettol is for external use only. If it is swallowed you should wash out your mouth and drink lots of water or milk and then contact your doctor. If Dettol splashes in your eyes you should rinse them with cold water and contact your doctor. It is not recommended for use about cats.

If you're anything like me then you are used to seeing warnings on packaging and pay little attention to it, however, Dettol can be a dangerous substance Apparently an English 42 year old man died from Dettol overexposure in 2007. It is used in Queensland, Australia, to kill Cane Toads. The toads are sprayed with Dettol and die instantly due to toxic shock.

Dettol is more expensive than supermarket own brands, it costs £2.33 from Tescos for 750ml. A little does go a long way though so I don't think that it is over-priced.

Summary: a powerful cleaner