Another reason to live naturally and organic

[fdlacy]

All:

I have seen lots of posts on SD about having clean hands before plunging them into a tank, especially the more subtle contamination like soap residiue. here is an article i saw the other day that specifically mentions the impact of a chemical called triclosan on fish. Thought I would pass it along for all of you who use anti-bacterial soap.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/14/chemical-in-many-antibacterial-soaps-linked-with-impaired-muscle-function/?test=latestnews

Happy reading,

Darren

[Kal-El]

Interesting read. I never use soap to clean my hands before cleaning or sticking my hands into the tank. A good hot wash of my hand is good enough. Hasn't failed me yet.

[fdlacy]

Interesting read. I never use soap to clean my hands before cleaning or sticking my hands into the tank. A good hot wash of my hand is good enough. Hasn't failed me yet.

Agreed.

[BobDaniel]

I use that stuff as part of cleaning up before hooking up for a dialysis. This is bad news. Thanks for posting. I'll share it with the nurses.

[fdlacy]

I use that stuff as part of cleaning up before hooking up for a dialysis. This is bad news. Thanks for posting. I'll share it with the nurses.

Triclosin is bad news. We strive to have a toxin free home for everyone's health, but especially for my special needs daughter who is particularly sensitive. Unfortunately toxin avoidance goes far beyond the obvious stuff, its everywhere. After all, most drink chlorinated water, but it could kill our fish. I installed an RO system to use not only for my fish as needed, but it supplies all water to our kitchen for drinking and cooking which is where you ingest it the most. Its nice to sit a glass of water on the counter and come back hours later and have it look exactly the same. As opposed to my city water, which by all normal standards is very good, if left sitting overnight will have a pile of sediment on the bottom and still contain all kinds of trace chemicals and toxins, not to mention the leftovers of everyone's prescription medication from my sewer district.

We have also found the traditional medical establishment is not very educated to this sort of thing, so you may be educating them. Good luck to you with this information and to your health.

Darren

[fdlacy]

I use that stuff as part of cleaning up before hooking up for a dialysis. This is bad news. Thanks for posting. I'll share it with the nurses.

Have you ever tried the product Hibiclens? This is what surgeons use to scrub up before surgery. The following link shows a comparison between other products including those containing triclosan. I am not a doctor, nor should this be construed as medical advice, but i am think if surgeons can clean up with it before plunging their hands into your body, then surely it could help you for your need. I don't use it regularly as I believe in general, living in too sterile an environment is not good for your immune system's ongoing health; but when i know bacteria is present or I really need to clean up i will use this product. It is particularly effective against staph which is why it is used in hospitals.

http://www.hibiclens.com/comparisons.html#

Regards again,
Darren

[bonginator]

Have you ever tried the product Hibiclens?

http://www.hibiclens.com/comparisons.html#



Be VERY careful with this product. I have a good friend whose mother had surgery and somehow the doctor washed his hands with hipiclens and then somehow got it into her eye. It ruined her cornea and she had to have multiple corneal transplants to fix her eye. Thought I would pass this on as this can be a dangerous product.....

[BobDaniel]

I think I have some Hibiclens and use it every few days to clean around my dialysis catheter doing a treatment now and can't check). If it is what I think, it is a very powerful soap. I have surgeries often enough I have a small supply of soap they want me to wash with before a surgery. This stuff driws my skin so I can't use it too much.

I sent the links to my nurses and nephrologist. I will see them next week and follow up.

[fdlacy]

Be VERY careful with this product. I have a good friend whose mother had surgery and somehow the doctor washed his hands with hipiclens and then somehow got it into her eye. It ruined her cornea and she had to have multiple corneal transplants to fix her eye. Thought I would pass this on as this can be a dangerous product..... Thanks for pointing this out. I had heard of this danger, but never hurts to hear it again. Its like any potent item, you have to use it as directed and follow the warnings.

[fdlacy]

For my own education, I would be very interested in what they have to say, if anything. Best wishes to you.

Darren

[Orange Crush]

It has been common knowledge for many years that Triclosan is bad because it creates antibio resistant bacteria. "Supergerms". Doctors have been concerned about this for quite some time. It is one thing if, like BobDaniel, you have serious medical issues that require very sanitary conditions but, doctors are finding that more and more people are not responding to antibios that are prescribed because of things like triclosan (it is in some toothpaste as well - Colgate Total). Also, the bacteria in animals used for food are becoming supergerms as well because of the heavy use of antibiotics in an attempt to keep animals raised in very unsanitary conditions alive long enough to be slaughtered. This is why they started bleaching ground beef with chlorine before it is sold. Chlorine burger. Yummy!

[fdlacy]

It has been common knowledge for many years that Triclosan is bad because it creates antibio resistant bacteria. "Supergerms". Doctors have been concerned about this for quite some time. It is one thing if, like BobDaniel, you have serious medical issues that require very sanitary conditions but, doctors are finding that more and more people are not responding to antibios that are prescribed because of things like triclosan (it is in some toothpaste as well - Colgate Total). Also, the bacteria in animals used for food are becoming supergerms as well because of the heavy use of antibiotics in an attempt to keep animals raised in very unsanitary conditions alive long enough to be slaughtered. This is why they started bleaching ground beef with chlorine before it is sold. Chlorine burger. Yummy!

All true, thus the title of my post. My family only eats certified organic beef, chicken, produce, all sourced from local farms. We order on Sunday based on whats available, pick up in my small downtown on Wednesday, eat it that week. All natural products as often as is possible and practical including toothpaste, soap (Dr. Bronner is the bomb), cooking ingredients (Whole Foods / Whole Paycheck as we call it), deodorant, cleaning supplies, etc. I have even been making my beefheart mix with organic beefheart from the same farm where we get our beef. They use it for dog food otherwise, so they were happy to sell me some for my fish. It comes trimmed and deveined for $9 for the whole heart.

You should have seen the look on the farmers face when I told him it was for my fish. Priceless. Discus people don't realize how extreme they are until they talk to people who don't keep discus :-)

Darren

[Second Hand Pat]

...Discus people don't realize how extreme they are until they talk to people who don't keep discus :-)

Darren

I love this statement. Thanks for the chuckle Darren.

I happen to agree that we humans are trying to live too clean and have forgotten how to eat a little dirt.

[yim11]

In our home, we make our own dish washer detergent, laundry soap, glass cleaner, and all purpose cleaner (409). About 90% of the meat we eat I harvest and process, all the eggs we eat are from the chickens in the backyard, most of our herbs and some of our veges come from the backyard also. We find it very rewarding. It's easy, cost effective, and we control our own chemicals/ingredients. The mulch/compost goes on the garden and we put out more recycling than trash every week. It's a great way to live IMO.

Thanks,
-jim

[fdlacy]

In our home, we make our own dish washer detergent, laundry soap, glass cleaner, and all purpose cleaner (409). About 90% of the meat we eat I harvest and process, all the eggs we eat are from the chickens in the backyard, most of our herbs and some of our veges come from the backyard also. We find it very rewarding. It's easy, cost effective, and we control our own chemicals/ingredients. The mulch/compost goes on the garden and we put out more recycling than trash every week. It's a great way to live IMO.

Thanks,
-jim

Sweet.

[Second Hand Pat]

Jim, you ever look into hydroponics? Would fit nicely into your lifestyle.

[Pardal]

Interesting read. I never use soap to clean my hands before cleaning or sticking my hands into the tank. A good hot wash of my hand is good enough. Hasn't failed me yet.

+1

[shoveltrash]

In our home, we make our own dish washer detergent, laundry soap, glass cleaner, and all purpose cleaner (409). About 90% of the meat we eat I harvest and process, all the eggs we eat are from the chickens in the backyard, most of our herbs and some of our veges come from the backyard also. We find it very rewarding. It's easy, cost effective, and we control our own chemicals/ingredients. The mulch/compost goes on the garden and we put out more recycling than trash every week. It's a great way to live IMO.

Thanks,
-jim
impressed :)
what is the base ingredient of your soaps?

and btw, I'm a surgical nurse - the most effective surgical skin prep used now is plain old isopropyl alcohol (70% solution). it's been proven to have the longest residual antibacterial effect, fast acting, broad spectrum, and doesn't irritate skin as much as other chemical prep agents. just fyi :)

I now just rinse my hands too, for tank maintenance.

[Orange Crush]

This is what I use to wash my hands. It is unscented and has no residue http://www.everydayshea.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11&idcategory=
Everything I use is free of perfumes, dyes, etc. Laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, body wash, deoderant, etc. My school (Bastyr Univ.) requires everyone to use products that contain no added perfumes/scents. You would be amazed at how strongly other people smell once you go scent free. Nasty. Many people now smell like that one lady in the opera that you can smell from 10 rows away. lol

[shoveltrash]

OC, it says "With unrefined Certified Fair Trade shea butter and virgin coconut oil, this rich, instant foaming hand soap gently and thoroughly cleanses your hands, leaving them clean and moisturized" which would lead me to believe that the moisturizing agents/oils are residual (?). looks like a great product though. I agree 100% re perfume & dye free :)

[Orange Crush]

I see what you are saying. All I know is that when I used other products, including many natural unscented ones, I would rinse my hands but never felt like it would rinse away completely. Where as with this stuff I feel like all is rinsed away very quickly. I've never had any issues with it.

[shoveltrash]

yeah, it IS all-natural residue, if anything :D
can't imagine a tiny bit of coconut oil, or shea butter residue causing problems......

[DiscusDrew]

Interesting.... Perhaps a quick rinse with hydrogen peroxide before plunging into the tanks instead? Just a thought... I use H2O2 an awful lot in the fish room, effective yet quickly turns to H2O which then has zero effect on well...anything. Maybe I can settle for a hot water rinse but my overly cleanly self doesn't like that idea, but now I am done with using soap for obvious reasons.... Suggestions would be appreciated.