How can home cleaning affect your health? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients in your cleaning products and how they impact everyone in your home.
First, we should understand why people clean their homes or hire professionals. Apart from the obvious reasons, one key motive is to protect our health. Harmful bacteria and fungi can build up in places like the kitchen sink, which we often overlook even when our house is a mess.
The issue isn’t with the act of daily cleaning but with the products we use. While we expect our cleaning products to make our homes spotless, shiny soaps, scents, softeners, detergents, and cleaners can have dangerous health effects on both the cleaners and residents.
Different cleaning supplies pose various health risks. Some can cause respiratory issues and watery eyes, while others may lead to more severe, long-term problems like lung cancer. The Washington Toxics Coalition highlights oven cleaners and acidic toilet bowl cleaners as particularly dangerous, causing harsh burns and posing risks to people with asthma or heart problems.
Certain ingredients in cleaners might not be immediately toxic but can have lasting health impacts, like hormonal disruptions. These disruptors can interfere with our body’s natural chemical signals and cause issues such as decreased sperm counts and developmental problems.
Thankfully, household items like lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda can effectively clean your home without the harmful effects. You can also try ‘green’ products that are genuinely free of toxic chemicals. Many companies now offer non-toxic cleaners that are safer alternatives to traditional chemical-based products.
Avoiding chemical-based cleaners is crucial since they pose significant health risks. Be cautious and informed when purchasing cleaning products, as some manufacturers may not list all ingredients.
Studies are increasingly linking toxic ingredients to a rise in unexplainable cancers, reproductive issues, and neurological disorders in children, like ADHD and autism. To stay safe, consider hiring a professional maid service that uses safe, non-toxic detergent products and works carefully.
