One of the many ironies of parenting is how one minute you’re sterilising the world for your precious treasure and a few months later you’re chucking said treasure into the sand pit for the bugs to nibble on.
It gets worse with child two and counting. I always say I can spot a mum of three kids or more – she’ll be the one who’s not remotely fussed that her little crawler’s eating mud at the playground gate.
Since my youngest just turned 2, I’m way past the sterile stage. Still, like any mum, I do worry about keeping germs at bay – especially in hot zones like the kitchen, bathroom… and public toilets (gross).
So I was interested to learn about Byotrol, a revolutionary new product that’s the key ingredient in the new Tommee Tippee closer to nature hygiene range.
Tommee Tippee held an exclusive presentation of the range last week at Maggie & Rose, a private members club for families.
Tucked away in Kensington, Maggie & Rose is a lovely spot with a warm atmosphere and super friendly staff.
Not long after we arrived, we were ushered downstairs to a room where crafts tables had been laid out for the little ones.
Some of the kids had their faces painted beautifully. Spot the cheeky dinosaur on Little M of Mummy’s Busy World fame.
The babes were free to roam or make cookies in the kitchen. Meanwhile the Tommee Tippee team schooled us on their hygiene range which includes sterilising fluid, soother/teat and teether wipes, surface spray and hand serum.
The first thing you notice about these products is how they actually smell pleasant, like a mild bubble bath. Amazingly they contain no bleach, alcohol or chlorine yet still manage to kill 99.9% of the bad stuff (what’s the deal with that unkillable 0.1%?)
Jed quickly got to grips with the wipes.
I was especially impressed by the hand gel. Unlike other gels I’ve tried that make my hands icky sticky or unbearably dry, the closer to nature hand gel smells nice, applies easily, and wears off to keep skin soft and moisturised.
Apparently Byotrol destroys germs by ripping them apart then creating a microscopic shield that’s invisible to the naked eye. Sounds like a cross between Batman and the Incredible Hulk!
I had a chat with microbiologist Stephen Falder, creator of Byotrol, who was there to explain the science behind the product. Falder’s passionate about keeping our environments clean, healthy and safe.
Of course, his big subject is germs. He explained that in our bodies alone, bugs and bacteria outnumber our own cells by a ratio of about 10 to 1. In other words, you could make yourself crazy trying to be germ-free.
We need what he calls a ‘homeopathic amount of bacteria’ to remain healthy. But it’s all about control.
The most useful thing you can do to protect your family from germs and disease, Falder says, is simply to encourage good hand washing.
(Another thing I learned: Always cover the toilet lid when you flush to protect yourself from a ‘halo of poo bacteria’ that sprays out. Yuk.)
But for times when soap and water just won’t do, it could be handy to have Tommee Tippee’s super powerful buddy Byotrol as back-up.
Before we left, armed with Maggie & Rose balloons (one sadly disappeared skywards), I got quick snapshots of fellow bloggy mamas including Jacqui of Mummy’s Little Monkey and her beautiful bubba;
Rebecca of Two Become Four plus gorgeous twins;
and Karin of Cafe Bebe and her mini model.
Thanks to Tommee Tippee for a fun and informative event and to Maggie & Rose for providing such a charming venue.
Buy Tommee Tippee closer to nature hygiene range at Asda, Tesco and Toys R Us
Visit Maggie & Rose online for membership info and more
it was a good day, and always great to see you! Have you been able to see Glee? I think the first episode is so funny, really hooks you in. Hope you are doing okay! xx
Hey Mami, nice to have you over. Not yet seen Glee, but really anticipating it. Will be my new solo pleasure… after Gossip Girl!