A very good question!!!
Bleach is in quite a few things -- most dishwasher detergents, for example. The heat and steam from the dishwasher release bleach fumes into the air!
Bleach is very hard on
all living things. Over-exposure has been linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer.
http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/23/chlorine.htm
As for disinfecting, unless you're performing surgery in your bathroom
, you don't need to disinfect it, just clean it. It's a common misconception that you'll be healthier if you disinfect your home. In reality, you could be making yourself more susceptible to illness. The harsh chemicals needed to disinfect are hard on your immune system and kill the helpful bacteria that your body needs to stay healthy.
Twenty years ago, doctors prescribed antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria) like crazy--you had a sniffle or a sore throat, you could call your doctor and get an Rx for for antibiotics. Now, they're realizing the damage that was done by using them indiscriminantly. Today, we prescribe antibiotics
for ourselves--by using "sanitizing" hand gels, antibiotic hand soaps, antibiotic air "fresheners," and disinfectant house cleaners.
http://www.mercola.com/2000/jun/17/a...rial_soap.htm I have absolutely no doubt that in time, it will come to light how much damage is being done by santizing our hands and our homes. God made the microbiotic world to work in harmony with our bodies. True, there are bacteria and viruses that can do terrible damage to us, but by keeping ourselves healthy, our immune system is sufficient to ward them off the vast majority of the time. There have been several studies recently that showed that homes where everyone used antibacterial soap had the same amount of colds and flu as homes that just used regular soap.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...dopt=Abstract In fact, when my DD was born, our family doctor told us to absolutely not use antibacterial soap. She needed the exposure to everyday "germs" to get her immune system going. We were already a "regular" soap household, anyway, and I should add that she didn't get sick, despite all the family and friends that held her as a newborn.
So, in our house, we don't use bleach. We buy bleach-free dishwasher detergent and we wash our hands with regular soap.
I hope that helps answer your question!