Dettol Liquid > Reviews (11)

Dettol is an antiseptic disinfectant which has been around for more than 70 years; I love the smell of Dettol, it reminds me of my childhood in some way as my mum always used to use it; mainly as a first aid remedy, but it can also be used for many different other things in and around the home. The smell of Dettol is one which you will either love or hate, personally I think that it has a very fresh, clean and hygienic smell; similar to the smell you would associate with the hospital or dentist. I think Dettol is a product which is a must have in anyone's cupboard or first aid box, I always make sure that I have a plentiful supply of it in the house because I use it on a regular basis for cleaning purposes as well as some minor first aid purposes. Because Dettol is an antiseptic disinfectant liquid it will kill approximately 99% of bacteria and germs in and around the house as well as on your skin if used for first aid purposes.

Dettol is available from most supermarkets and is extremely reasonably priced, I have seen cheaper branded imitations of Dettol before but to be honest I wouldn't actually purchase the cheaper imitations because I am too fond of the original Dettol and most of the time cheaper imitations don't really live up to the real thing as you end up using more of it or you find out that it isn't as good as you would have hoped. The different sized bottles of Dettol which are available to purchase are 125ml, 250ml, 500ml, 750ml and 4litre I usually purchase the 250ml bottle of Dettol from Tesco's and pay £1.59 for it; which is a very fair price considering it is a concentrated antiseptic disinfectant and you don't need to use a lot of it at a time.

Dettol is supplied in see throughplastic bottles which have a white screw on/off plastic lid which also acts as a measuring cap. The colour of the Dettol liquid is clearly visible through the bottle so it is easy to see how muchyou are using and how much is remaining inside the bottle. The colour of the Dettol disinfectant is similar to that of apple juice.

There are three main ingredients in Dettol which make it an effective antiseptic disinfectant; normally I wouldn't talk about ingredients in a review but in this instance I think that it would be more beneficial, especially as Dettol is mainly used for first aid and hygiene remedies.

Chloroxylenol is mainly used in medicine as a antibacterial and anaesthetic which kills bacteria, reduces inflammation and relieves itching, redness or pain in skin infections and conditions.

Pine Oil is mainly used as an essential oil in aromatherapy and is a common ingredient in some bath products such as bubble baths and bath oils. Pine oil can be used as a mild antiseptic or as a disinfectant; in personal hygiene purposes pine oil is mainly used as a scent, massage oil or an antiseptic which can be used to treat skin conditions and kill bacteria and germs on the skin. As a disinfectant pine oil is effective at killing some types of harmful and potentially dangerous bacteria such as E-coli or salmonella.

Isopropanol is a liquid antiseptic most commonly known as rubbing alcohol. Isopropanol is most commonly used to soothe and cool the skin, it can also be used to kill bacteria and fungi on the skin and on surfaces in and around the home.

As I have previously stated Dettol is used as a first aid remedy for small cuts and grazes as well as bee/wasp stings and bites; as it is effective at cleaning and sterilising the wound and killing most bacteria and germs which could be lurking on the skin. I found that as my son got more active he was forever falling over and grazing his knees so keeping a plentiful supply of Dettol in the cupboard was always handy. To use Dettol for first aid purposes such as grazes and cuts all you need to do is add one capful to a pint of Luke warm water; dip some cotton wool into the pint of Dettol solution and bathe the area which is grazed or cut. You should also note that Dettol is a concentrated solution and you should never use it undiluted on broken or cut skin as this could irritate the area and make it worse than it already is. If you do apply Dettol neat onto the skin then you will damage the healthy skin tissue which could lead to dry flaky skin, irritation or a rash, so remember to dilute it as directed if it is going to be applied onto the skin.

Dettol can also be used in your laundry to kill bacteria and germs. I only ever used Dettol in my washing machine for a short time and it was when my son was being potty trained, like most young toddlers whom are learning to go to the toilet on their own and sleeping at night time without a nappy, there will be times when they don't make it to the loo in time and have a little accident. This is when I used Dettol, I just added two capfuls of it neat into the drawer on my washing machine with the fabric softener and washing tablets and put it on for a full cycle. This was the only use I found for Dettol in laundry purposes, even although you could slightly smell the Dettol on the laundry this was very faint and the peace of mind that the laundry was bacteria and germ free certainly outweighed the fact that the clothes slightly smelled of it. Other people may find other uses for Dettol in the laundry such as people who work in factories, carers, nurses etc as you could wash your uniform/clothes with Dettol and have peace of mind that they are as clean as possible and that they are germ free.

Using Dettol as part of your personal hygiene routine is also an option as you can add between one and two capfuls of it to your bath water. One thing you will notice is that the small amount of Dettol you add to the bath will turn the bath water milky white in colour straight away; this is because two or more of the ingredients in Dettol are insoluble in water and produce what's called an emulsion. Bathing in a Dettol and water solution is good for people who are suffering from itchy or inflamed skin, boils or spots as it helps to cleanse the areas on the skin which are affected therefore removing and killing the bacteria which is around the effected area.

If you are also suffering from dandruff Dettol can also help to clear the condition, all you need to do is add one capful to one pint of water, pour it over your hair and scalp and leave on for up to thirty minutes before rinsing off and shampooing and conditioning as usual. I haven't ever used Dettol as a dandruff treatment before; as there are far more quicker and more convenient dandruff remedies available such as head and shoulders shampoo. However I have bathed in Dettol quite a few times and it was very effective at reducing the redness and itching which I experienced when I had a rash. It was also particularly good at reducing the redness and soreness of a few spots which I had. I find that whenever I have a Dettol bath I always feel extremely clean and hygienic, most probably because I know that if there are any potentially harmful bacteria on m body that the Dettol has killed them.

Household cleaning can also be carried out using Dettol as it is a multi purpose product and not just used for first aid properties. For general household chores and cleaning you can use Dettol undiluted (neat) on certain surfaces, I had a nasty smell coming from the plughole in the kitchen so I poured three capfuls of Dettol down the plughole and left it for thirty minutes and then poured boiling water from the kettle down the plug hole and the smell had vanished. The same can be done in your bathroom sink, or down your toilet all you have to do is pour in some Dettol leave it for up to thirty minutes and flush or rinse away. If you have some stubborn marks on your kitchen worktops, bath, sink etc then Dettol can also be used undiluted to clean these surfaces however if you have acrylic sinks or bathtubs then it is advised that you use an alternative cleaning product which is specifically designed for acrylic materials as Dettol could potentially damage acrylic materials. Cleaning with Dettol couldn't be easier, use it neat on surfaces and the rinse it off with a damp cloth or use it diluted in some water, if using it diluted I normally dilute one capful to every litre of water for general cleaning purposes. When using Dettol as a cleaning agent I found that it was rather good and left the surfaces clean, germ free and smelling nice; the added advantage was the fact that it didn't leave any residue on the surfaces as well.

For floor cleaning such as laminated or ceramic tiles etc, you can also use a diluted solution of Dettol (one capful to every litre of water), I have used it on my laminated flooring may a time and it has always left the floor looking extremely clean and smelling hygienically clean. There are many more different uses for Dettol, I could name lots more uses for it such as cleaning pet beds, pet food bowls (make sure that you rinse with clean water afterwards), children's plastic toys such as Lego or stickle bricks, nursery items such as high chairs, walker pens etc, food preparation areas, fridges etc.

I think that Dettol is a brilliant product which can be used on almost anything, the best thing about Dettol is the fact that it is very cheaply priced and is available to purchase from most larger supermarkets, chemists etc.

Dettol is a firm favourite in my household and it will remain a favourite for many years to come. You cant really go wrong with this product because you can use it on virtually everything and you can have peace of mind that it not only cleans the surfaces used on bit it will also kill 99% of all bacteria and germs. If you haven't already tried Dettol I highly recommend that you do as you will find lots and lots of uses for it. A 250ml bottle of Dettol costs £1.59 from Tesco's and it is available from other retailers as well although the price may differ depending on where you purchase it from.

Thanks for reading
:O) Lisa xx

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2008