Questions about C diff and cleaning items that can't be bleached

[Cali]

Hi. I'm a 52 year old female and new to the forum. I was hospitalized back in mid February for acute pancreatitis and ending up staying 2 weeks to get pancreatitis under control and then stayed to recover from surgery to remove my gall bladder. Developed D after surgery, but seemed slightly better upon release. After being released from the hospital, I ended up going back to a smaller ER (in a small town while staying with family), and actually think this is where I might have picked up the C Diff (due to a nurse refusing to change his gloves after I asked him to after he touched a biohazard trashcan in the room). My D symptons only got worse and went back to the original ER and was admitted and diagnosed with C Diff. I had a course of Vancomycin in the hospital and after another 5 days was sent home with it. As we all know, this is such an awful illness and I was dealing with that as well as the recovery from my surgery, and not being able to tolerate any fat at all with not having a gallbladder anymore. After my original course of Vanco and my D was not improving at all, my Primary Dr had me texted for CDiff and I tested negative. At that point, she insisted I get on probiotics, which after about 3 weeks post antibiotics has helped me tremendously and I am feeling almost back to normal in that regard.

My questions are at this point, mainly about cleaning my home. I spent all of last night searching the forum for cleaning threads and read them, but never really found the answers I am looking for, so I apologize if this has been addressed before.

Once I went home from the hospital the 2nd time, I did not clean as I was still on the Vanycomycin and the nurses told me to wait until I had been on the antibiotic awhile. My college age son lives with me, but is currently out of state for a semester helping his Dad with cancer treatment, so I am currently living alone. Once I had been on the antibiotic another week, I went ahead and used bleach wipes a nurse gave me from the hospital and thoroughly cleaned the bathroom and all door handles with that. I threw all of my underwear away that might have been contaminated, and washed the rest of my clothes with color safe bleach and detergent, according to some website I found. I am super sensitive to chemicals, especially bleach and we are currently living in an apartment where the windows do not open, so the ventilation is poor. I am going crazy trying to figure out how to clean other things such as my leather couch, computer chair, phone, purse (I threw it away), computer keyboard, mouse, etc. Also my hardwood floors (probably fake wood). How do I clean all of this stuff without using bleach which will ruin them? Before being released from the hospital, I asked every dr and nurse who came to see me (and it was a teaching hospital, so there were a lot I saw every day), how I should disinfect my home and most of them told me to go to the CDC's website but that they could not really give me info on that. One thing that I do not understand is that since C Diff is only transmitted by fecal to oral, then why are C Diff patients assumed to get it on everything that they touch? I have OCD and was already a huge germaphobe before this, so I always practice good hand washing hygiene and especially after going to the bathroom. Even while I was in the hospital, I was so careful after going to the bathroom and would open the bathroom door, etc with a clean paper towel. Can C Diff patients who are careful with hand washing somehow infect everything in their house? Or can items only be contaminated if some feces germs get on them? One (and only one) doctor told me that the germs are just on my body.

My older son is visiting me from another state (surprise visit) and I am so freaked out that he might catch this from my home, since I haven't really figured out what to do yet. So far, I have asked him to only sit in areas that I did not sit in while having C Diff and to sleep in his brother's room. Also, do I need to clean my car and how? My primary dr is telling me to clean everything with bleach including my leather sofa (which of course would ruin it). I am super sensitive to chemicals so my entire house smelling like bleach would put me in an awful situation, especially on porous surfaces where it might be difficult to rinse the bleach and smell off of. Any advice is appreciated.

[AllisS]

Hi Cali, welcome to the site. When you have a chance, please read our guidelines for all new posters. It's the first thread in the intro category.

It's disheartening how much misinformation is still being given, by medical practitioners no less, when it comes to C. diff. There is no need whatsoever to throw away underwear (unless it's been soiled), clean leather sofas or computer chairs or phone or car or (etc.), or try to disinfect wood floors. You'd not find instructions on how to clean an entire house on the CDC's website because the CDC doesn't advocate any of this! What it does recommend -- as do we -- is thorough hand-washing with soap and water after bathroom use and before preparing or eating food. It's also prudent to wash hands upon coming home from errands, medical appointments, or other outside activity. The only potential route of transmission, as you touch on, yourself, is fecal-to-oral. Household items do not become "infected." Nor are germs "on [your] body."

If your PCP has told you to "clean everything with bleach," even including your sofa, then I suggest you look for a new PCP, since he/she is dangerously ignorant, even to the point of being oblivious to your chemical sensitivities.

I'm sorry you've been subjected to such a barrage of anxiety-producing misinformation from medical people. I experienced a little of this myself when I was diagnosed some years ago. Fortunately I was able to switch doctors and see a C. diff specialist, who did me a tremendous service by telling me to disregard the "advice" I'd been given by my now-former GI doctor and his NP (both of whom should have known better).

[hledgess]

I was told the same thing .. to clean everything .. but I also tested positive after 7 months of the first time with no abx or anything else that can make you relapse. The only thing I could think of was I moved and brought the plunger .. so after that I have been over the top w cleaning and still am. I am very ocd and anxious .. so I ordered the germicidal hospital bleach wipes off of Amazon and still use them years out .. it eases my mind but if u get sick from bleach then that’s not an option for you and I would listen to others that’s have already replied. Long as your not full of anxiety over it like me lol

[Cali]

Thank you both for your replies. It is making me feel a lot better. I did ask the nurses who wheeled me out for discharge if I was going to "infect" my Dad's car just by sitting in it and they both told me no. So, that and lots of other conflicting information I had received always made me wonder about the whole "C. diff patients just have the germs on them even if they are careful about handwashing" part of it.

[Machaon]

Cali, you said: "I am super sensitive to chemicals, especially bleach..."

I can relate to your problems with chemicals and probably odors also.

I too am chemically sensitive, although as my health has improved, my chemical sensitivities have also improved. The only cleaner we use, that doesn't cause me any health problems, is disk detergent. Bleach is a big no-no! We use just baking soda to wash my clothes. We've thrown out rugs, furniture and other offensive items, until my health is really good in our home. Drives my wife crazy, but I'd probably do that anyway, even without my health problems! :)

That said: ...

My C-diff lasted five months until September 12, 2017. During that time we did not ever use bleach. Because of my problems with chemicals, we boiled my soiled undies with dish detergent. We washed our hands with water frequently, especially prior to eating. In fact, we always frequently wash our hands with water, especially after going shopping. We didn't take any other c-diff cleaning actions.

My wife did not get my C-diff and I am still C-diff free. Perhaps we are just lucky to see the dark days of C-diff behind us, despite not using bleach.

I am not suggesting this approach to anyone else, just posting what happened in our case.

Regards, take care... Bob

[AllisS]

@Machaon, you mention washing hands with water, twice, as being a precaution against C. diff. Unless soap is used with water -- enough to be able to create a lather with hands rubbed vigorously together -- the water is useless. You also mention using baking soda for your laundry; however, baking soda isn't a disinfectant.

[Machaon]

Hi AllisS!

I do occasionally wash my hands with soap, when I think about it. Most of the time, I just want to rinse off any germs with just plain water. I've been doing that for decades without adverse consequences. And... since getting C-diff, I've generally just washed with plain water, even during my five month c-diff infection. Just lucky, I guess.

I absolutely do not suggest this to anyone else. But, I think that it is interesting. I am also puzzled why my recovery from C-diff was 100% without any dietary or digestive problems or restrictions. Why?

Baking Soda is a cleaner, of sorts. Not the best, but I've got to use something. It's either Baking Soda or just plain water.

It may sound nuts, but my health is far better now, at age 74, then it was back in 1987 when I was first diagnosed with Heart Failure and persistent Atrial Fibrillation. I've also struggled with nasty autoimmune problems for about 50 years!

Regards, Bob