Dettol

Dettol is a licensed antiseptic, and the liquid is the original form of it: a concentrated solution of chloroxylenol at 4.8% w/v, amber in the bottle and cloudy once it meets water. The bottle is for cleansing minor wounds from cuts, bites, grazes and insect stings, and for personal hygiene at the dilutions printed on the label.

We stock it in two sizes on our skin care shelf, part of the personal care and household department. The 250ml bottle is the one for a bathroom cabinet or a first aid box, small enough to keep a second in the car. The 750ml has a moulded carry handle on the side so it pours steadily into a bowl or a bath, and that label also gives rates for dandruff, for spots and pimples, and for personal hygiene when medically advised.

It goes in water first, every time. For a wound the pack gives one tablespoon in half a pint of water, then cover with dry gauze or lint. The scalp rinse on the larger bottle is one tablespoon in a pint of warm water, left ten minutes before shampooing.

Keep it away from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. It should not be used on eczema or similar dry skin conditions, and it is not recommended for use around cats. Read the text on the bottle before use and keep it out of the sight and reach of children. For soaps and washes, see the rest of the skin shelf, and for surface cleaners browse household cleaning.