Your Cleaning Products: Are They Toxic?
27 July 2008 10:04 AM
By Kat Vaughan
Have you ever considered that your household cleaning products may be toxic for your body? Unfortunately, many chemicals used in cleaning products are very harmful and toxic and really need to be banned from the market. Conventional cleaners, from chlorine bleach-based detergents to drain cleaners, have been associated with numerous childhood health problems, including ADHD, asthma, birth defects, and reproductive problems. Let's take a look at common ingredients found in conventional household cleaning products and the impact they may have on your body:
Aerosol propellants: carpet cleaners, air fresheners, spray starches, furniture polish and waxes, insecticides, conventional oven cleaners, and upholstery cleaners. These types of aerosol propellents cause irritants to eyes, throats, and lungs, contributing to asthma and other lung diseases.
Alkylphenolic compounds: all-purpose cleaners and laundry detergents. These compounds are endocrine disrupters, proven to mimic hormone estrogen and reek havoc on a woman's hormones regulating reproductive and development.
Ammonia: conventional window cleaners, metal polishes and cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes. Ammonia irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory system, resulting in respiratory problems, like pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and pneumonia. In addition, ammonia can cause cataracts and corneal damage, chemical burns, and skin cancer.
Chlorine bleach and chlorine byproducts: dishwasher detergents, tub and tile cleaners, toiletbowl cleaners, laundry detergents, and other. This is one of the primary causes of household poisonings in the US.
Formaldehyde: air fresheners, disinfectants, and spray starches. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen in humans, and can severely irritate or burn eyes, nose, skin, throat, lungs, and mouth. In addition, this toxin contributes to asthma, skin allergies, and even pulmonary edema.
Perchlorethylene, or PERC: carpet cleaners, spot removers, degreasers and dry-cleaning fluids. PERC is a bioaccumulative toxin, meaning it can be stored in our fat tissue. When inhaled by pregnant women, this toxin can be very damaging to babies in the womb and contaminate breast milk.
Petroleum distillates: hand dishwashing liquid, lip gloss, perfume, plastics, paint thinners, stain removers, solvents, artificial fragrances, furniture polishes, and oven cleaners. Exposure to this toxin can pose risks to the respiratory, liver, endocrine, cardiovascular, immune and gastrointestinal systems.
Benzene, a toxic emission of burning coal and oil, has been correlated with childhood leukemia. In addition, it can damage a baby in the womb.
Toulene, is another highly toxic petrochemical solvent, and a known carcinogen, neurotoxin, and eye and skin tolerant. It can be found in an array of products, like adhesives and sealants, paint and varnish removers, vinyl flooring, undercoats and primers, bathmats, waterproofing compounds, and industrial particleboard.
Phenol: laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, air fresheners, disinfectants, metal polishes and cleaners, and dryer sheets and fabric softners. Known to be a mutagen and suspected carcinogen, phenol can severely irritate or burn eyes, skin, eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and nose. Such toxins can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, causing bronchitis. Higher exposures can lead to build up of fluids in the lungs, resulting in pulmonary edema. Internal consumption, in large volumes, can lead to cold sweats, convulsions, coma, circulatory collapse and death.
In my next post, I'll post greener and healthier alternatives for household cleaning products, so you and your body can be safe. Read another post about greening your home here.
Have you ever considered that your household cleaning products may be toxic for your body? Unfortunately, many chemicals used in cleaning products are very harmful and toxic and really need to be banned from the market. Conventional cleaners, from chlorine bleach-based detergents to drain cleaners, have been associated with numerous childhood health problems, including ADHD, asthma, birth defects, and reproductive problems. Let's take a look at common ingredients found in conventional household cleaning products and the impact they may have on your body:
Aerosol propellants: carpet cleaners, air fresheners, spray starches, furniture polish and waxes, insecticides, conventional oven cleaners, and upholstery cleaners. These types of aerosol propellents cause irritants to eyes, throats, and lungs, contributing to asthma and other lung diseases.
Alkylphenolic compounds: all-purpose cleaners and laundry detergents. These compounds are endocrine disrupters, proven to mimic hormone estrogen and reek havoc on a woman's hormones regulating reproductive and development.
Ammonia: conventional window cleaners, metal polishes and cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes. Ammonia irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory system, resulting in respiratory problems, like pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and pneumonia. In addition, ammonia can cause cataracts and corneal damage, chemical burns, and skin cancer.
Chlorine bleach and chlorine byproducts: dishwasher detergents, tub and tile cleaners, toiletbowl cleaners, laundry detergents, and other. This is one of the primary causes of household poisonings in the US.
Formaldehyde: air fresheners, disinfectants, and spray starches. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen in humans, and can severely irritate or burn eyes, nose, skin, throat, lungs, and mouth. In addition, this toxin contributes to asthma, skin allergies, and even pulmonary edema.
Perchlorethylene, or PERC: carpet cleaners, spot removers, degreasers and dry-cleaning fluids. PERC is a bioaccumulative toxin, meaning it can be stored in our fat tissue. When inhaled by pregnant women, this toxin can be very damaging to babies in the womb and contaminate breast milk.
Petroleum distillates: hand dishwashing liquid, lip gloss, perfume, plastics, paint thinners, stain removers, solvents, artificial fragrances, furniture polishes, and oven cleaners. Exposure to this toxin can pose risks to the respiratory, liver, endocrine, cardiovascular, immune and gastrointestinal systems.
Benzene, a toxic emission of burning coal and oil, has been correlated with childhood leukemia. In addition, it can damage a baby in the womb.
Toulene, is another highly toxic petrochemical solvent, and a known carcinogen, neurotoxin, and eye and skin tolerant. It can be found in an array of products, like adhesives and sealants, paint and varnish removers, vinyl flooring, undercoats and primers, bathmats, waterproofing compounds, and industrial particleboard.
Phenol: laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, air fresheners, disinfectants, metal polishes and cleaners, and dryer sheets and fabric softners. Known to be a mutagen and suspected carcinogen, phenol can severely irritate or burn eyes, skin, eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and nose. Such toxins can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, causing bronchitis. Higher exposures can lead to build up of fluids in the lungs, resulting in pulmonary edema. Internal consumption, in large volumes, can lead to cold sweats, convulsions, coma, circulatory collapse and death.
In my next post, I'll post greener and healthier alternatives for household cleaning products, so you and your body can be safe. Read another post about greening your home here.
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