Household cleaners have been long thought to do one thing, make your home clean and safe from germs and messes. But is this really the case? There have been many recent studies saying that lots of these cleaners can actually be generally harmful to humans. While the government has been testing these cleaners, they have been said to only check for “chemicals of known concern”. Notice how they threw the word “known” in there. This is essentially them saying that they are looking, but not digging as deep as they can. Alongside that, we do know that these cleaners are not actually listing toxicity information correctly, and don’t give us the full truth. Here are some of the keywords that they use to admit to the harm of these products, without outright saying it.
- Danger: This is typically used for products that are highly toxic, can cause death, or can explode when in contact with fire.
- Warning: A little less serious than danger, but this is still used for products that can harm humans, as well as set on fire when in contact.
- Caution: This is the least dangerous, but can still bother the skin, make you sick, or cause harm to eyes.
While these are typically seen on bottles instead of a legitimate warning, we also do know of some dangerous chemicals, and their effects. Here is a list of some of the more well-known chemicals that are in household cleaners.
- Ammonia: This is a fatal chemical if ingested, and can cause blindness. It is also an irritant to the inside and outside of the human body.
- Formaldehyde: This chemical is a known carcinogen.
- Hydrochloric Acid: This, along with ammonia, is fatal if ingested. It can also give off concentrated fumes, which can be harmful to skin, as well as lungs and even more.
- Sulfuric Acid: Acids, such as this, can burn the skin if contacted. This acid is also considered to be a carcinogen when its concentrated fumed are inhaled.
There are some steps you can take to minimize the amount of contact or harmfulness of these products, which are listed below:
- Never mix chemicals
- Throw away expired products
- Wear protective items, such as gloves, when cleaning
- Childproof all cabinets containing these items
- Hire a cleaning service that uses all natural products
If you are looking to hire a cleaning service that uses completely natural and non-harmful products, contact us today by filling out our contact form, or reach us directly by calling us at 508.788.9070.