bathing in bleach | Imamother

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Forum -> Children's Health

Bathing in bleach

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Pandabeer

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:27 pm

my Ds has infected pimples with etter/pus. Dr recommended wshing with bleach it looks very funny to me, ever heard of such a thing? won't it eat up the skin more?

imasinger

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:29 pm

I never heard of this either, and agree that it sounds dangerous. Can you find another doctor for a second opinion?

MaBelleVie

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:32 pm

Did the dr give specific guidelines? Usually you do half a cup of bleach and fill up the tub maybe 1/4 of the way. Don't use hot water, it produces toxic fumes. Just lukewarm. And the child stays in around five minutes. You have to watch carefully to make sure it isn't irritating. You should really clarify with the dr. It's not uncommon for skin infections.

ETA my amounts may be off PLEASE check with your dr!

Last edited by MaBelleVie on Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:33 pm; edited 1 time in total

morah

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:33 pm

Do you mean hydrogen peroxide? That is often used for pimples, and also to "bleach" hair, so maybe that's why he called it bleach. Doubt he meant the kind of bleach you use on your toilet...

Dandelion1

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:33 pm

My pediatrician recommended bleach baths when my baby had a mrsa/staph infection. At first I was horrified. But google it. It is what is recommended frequently and it was very effective. It is also recommended for eczema. He said the bath should smell like a pool. And it has to be done regularly say, 3x a week, for a while. I know it sounds crazy but it isn't.

ShirleyTemple

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:34 pm

Pouring in less than a capfull of bleach is not harmful. Pools and mikvas have more chlorine than that.

I was given similar advice to kill mrsa infection. Not to wash them down with bleach but put some in the tub when bathing.

amother

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:43 pm

it will harm the skin

zaq

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 9:56 pm

You would definitely not want to use straight bleach on human skin--bleach is quite corrosive and causes chemical burns to skin, eyes, and respiratory system. To use it on skin you would have to dilute it to something like 1/1000th of its original strength, or slightly more concentrated than the chlorine in a swimming pool. Ask the dr. by how much you should dilute the bleach, but it will likely be about 1/4 cup bleach to a 40-gallon tub of water.

People who have suffered extensive third-degree burns and are basically raw meat live in imminent danger of infection, which could kill them and often does. . In hospital burn units they are immersed daily in pools of very diluted bleach to prevent such infection. Also, dentists doing root canal flush their patients' mouths with very dilute bleach to ward off infection. (oops, I was probably not supposed to say that. People get upset hearing that bleach has been used in their mouths.)

The critical thing is the dilution factor. You are NOT going to put straight bleach onto your dc skin. You must find out from the dr. what the recommended dilution is. Also if bleach spooks you, ask the dr. if your ds can use 3% hydrogen peroxide instead. Needless to say either solution should be applied with cotton or gauze, not splashed on, as even the dilute forms can irritate the eyes.

BTW if you use diluted bleach, the solution must be made fresh every day. Once diluted, it breaks down within a day and is no longer effective at killing germs.

zaq

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 10:02 pm

If I did the math right, the proper dilution is about a drop of bleach in a cup of water, or 4 drops in a quart.

greenfire

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 10:12 pm

I also thought maybe he meant peroxide - till one of you mention the chlorine in pools ...

maybe get some pool stuff & follow the instructions - scratch that - it's too strong & you would have to wait for it to settle - just like a pool for 30 minutes or so

http://www.aaaai.org/condition......aspx

http://www.bleachbath.net/

what about an epsom salt bath ...

nancy

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 10:18 pm

My dc's allergist perscribed bleach baths 3x a week for my dc due to eczema. She told me to do 1/4 cup bleach in a bath but ask your doctor for exact measurements and directions(ie: bleach must be totally diluted before child goes in etc) Don't be scared to try it-it can really work wonders.

dalia1

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 10:34 pm

My sons allergist and pediatrician and dermatologist recommended for me. It literally was a lifesaver. My son was getting so many staph infections and MRSA from open sores from his eczema...it made his skin soft and healthy again. I was scared as well, but it saved us from more rounds of antibiotics. For those whose knee jerk reaction is to say "it will harm him"...I get it, but do your research before jumping to conclusions.

2cents

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 11:22 pm

in many states, health department regulations include a three sink method of dishwashing: lather, rinse, and dip into a sink full of water with a 1 to 15 proportion of bleach mixed in. there's no final rinse after that dip.

amother

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 2:19 am

amother wrote:

it will harm the skin

No it will not.

When my baby had a staph infection, I was advised by three drs to do a bleach bath.
Is the only thing that helped b"h.

I used about a half cup bleach to a half filled tub. No harm done.
I first washed his hair and face, and then added the bleach and let him sit in the tub another few minutes.
Ask another dr if you aren't comfortable.

rachel6543

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 3:13 am

I occasionally do a bleach bath for myself. I have some skin issues and I find that a bleach bath helps to clear up my skin. A dermatologist is the one who recommended it.

finallyamommy

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 4:58 am

zaq wrote:

Wait--I'm sorry, this is not relevant to the thread--but re: your last line, are you saying that if you water down bleach and then use it for cleaning you can't then reuse what's left in the bottle? :-(

JewishMommyNYC

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 6:31 am

I was advised to bathe my daughter in bleach. She had a bad infection and I was told to do this once per week. I would fill the tub about 1/4 of the way because I didn't want it getting into her eyes. with a cup, I would pour the bleach and water mixture over the upper portion of her body. I made sure she dried right off when she was done and that she didn't touch her eyes.

I want you to know that she never had a bad reaction to this.

I mixed about 3 cups of bleach with 1/4 tub of water. I mixed with warm water because I didn't know that it created fumes. I never would have done that if I knew this was true.

Best of luck and do not worry. It is pretty common for doctors to recommend however, I know there is a special soap you can use instead of this bleach. I explained that I didn't like the idea of bleach near my child and the doctor finally told me about a soap I could use but by that point I didn't need it any more. Be sure to ask of there is an alternative, but if there isn't don't worry.

Jewishmom8

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 6:34 am

I have 2 kids with very bad eczema that is prone to infection.
about 1 to 2 times a week they take baths with about a half a cup of bleach in it.
It helps them so so much
I can really tell the difference the weeks I run out of bleach or forget.
I have had many dermatologist and drs tell me to do it. It was also written about in the ny times.

willow

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 9:38 am

An ent told my dh for a burn to quickly splash bleach on it for 5=seconds and wash off it reallyhelps it not to blister

octopus

Fri, Mar 28 2014, 11:15 am

definitely heard of it for eczema.

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