Mum under fire after admitting she washes three-year-old girl in disinfectant

A post on the parenting forum Net Mums about disinfectant liquid is currently causing a stir with users.

That's because a mum has confessed to washing her three-year-old daughter in Dettol baths.

According to the unnamed parent, her partner thought it was a "weird" thing to do, but she claims that she "loves" the smell of it.

She said: "Random post! My partner thought I was weird when I said I loved Dettol baths! He's never heard of it or had one, anyone else?

"Finally picked some up as an emergency as my oldest had a fall at school and here I am now giving my three-year-old her first Dettol bath and soon I will be. Can't wait lol, love the smell!"

Dozens of people replied to the mum, with many thinking it was a "dangerous" thing to do.

One person proclaimed: "Dettol in the bath, goodness no wonder there are now so many allergies around when people think they need to bathe in disinfectant. Yuck."

Another wrote: "I have never heard of this, it sounds awful."

A third added: "OMG this sounds dangerous."

However not everyone was quite so concerned - some even admitted to also enjoying Dettol baths, but they stressed that the disinfectant liquid they add to their bath water was not the same as the one they cleaned their home with.

Someone else replied: "My dad always had a Dettol bath, he is now in his 70s and has hardly ever been ill in his life."

A second said: "You're not the only one, lol, I looooove them! Smell so clean and hygienic!"

"My mum always used it to clean my cuts & grazes & dab on mozzie bites.  But I have to stress, the Dettol you bathe in is different from the Dettol you buy from the cleaning aisle of the supermarket," explained a different user.

So is it OK to you wash your child in Dettol?

While it isn't a good idea to pour a regular disinfectant liquid into your bath water, Dettol have created a new product that they claim is "specially formulated for bathing".

It's called Dettol Disinfectant Liquid with Aloe Vera.

A post on the Dettol website explains: "You may ask - is it good to add a disinfectant liquid to my bath water? The answer is yes.

"Dettol disinfectant liquid has added Aloe Vera, which is gentle on skin and kills 100 illness-causing germs when diluted with bath water."

Dr Louw, a pathologist at the National Health Laboratory Service, added: "Using a disinfectant liquid as part of your daily hygiene routine is important.

"When skin is clean and moisturised, it improves overall hygiene."

Would you give Dettol baths a go? Let us know in the comments below.