science from kitchen

                          with surya

Cleaning products may contribute to antibiotic resistance

There is some evidence that the use of antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaning products – combined with the over-prescription of antibiotics – may produce strains of bacteria that are resistant to disinfectants and antibiotics. There are several issues involved:

• There may not be enough of the antibacterial or antimicrobial agent in these cleaning products to destroy bacteria completely.

• When exposed to antibacterial or antimicrobial cleaning products, most bacteria will die, but some may survive and multiply. These strains can become resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants.

• Resistant strains of bacteria can lead to increased infection risk in the community, and in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

• Disinfectants are often not used correctly. For example, they are not mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (more is not better).