Toxic Cleaning Products May Be Damaging Your Health

When shopping for cleaning products the first thing on your mind is probably “how well does this clean?” What we should really be asking is “how well does this product clean without causing health consequences for my family and me?”

SIDE EFFECTS Although many classic, brand name cleaners perform, they also come with risky health side effects. Many commercial cleaning products can cause air pollution, are dangerous when inhaled or touched and poisonous when ingested. Although some side effects can be as minor as skin irritation, some long-term effects can result in cancer, hormone disruption and decreased lung function. A recent study out of Norway found the damaging results of using toxic cleaning products to be comparable to smoking cigarettes.  

PETS & CHILDREN Pets and children are highly susceptible to toxic cleaning products because they spend so much time on your freshly mopped floor and may not be able to process toxins as efficiently as human adults. Using toxic cleaning products can lead to cancer, anemia, liver and kidney damage in pets. The use of toxic cleaning products has also been linked to higher rates of asthma in children.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

What happens to cleaners after you’re done cleaning? Toxic ingredients can make their way into the soil and waterways impacting plant and animal life. A study from the United States Geological Survey found detergent present in 69% of streams throughout the United States and disinfectants in 66%. The Environmental Working Group's Tap Water Database found more than 250 chemicals in America’s drinking water. What you wash down your drain affects every living thing on the planet.