Do toxic cleaning products wreck your health?

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Most of the floor cleaners that are advertised in the market contain a lot of chemicals that could be harmful for your health in the long run. Thanks to more awareness and more information, people are waking up to the fact that there could be other alternatives than using harmful chemicals to clean our homes with.

There are a large variety of options of cleaning products to choose from that are chemical-free, non-toxic and eco-friendly.

Also read: 8 habits everyone should follow to live a healthy life

What do the labels on cleaning products mean?

On their packets, nearly all floor cleaners come with several signs. The most widespread instances are:

• Out of children and animals' hands. Keep them inside a hard-to-reach shelf because they can be dangerous or even lethal if swallowed.

• The poisonous gases from additives and toxic ingredients such as ammonia and chlorine can cause skin burns and can lead to blindness if they come into contact with the eyes.

• Clean hands vigorously after handling. Residual contaminants from these products may cause dermatitis.

• Should not mix with other cleaning products. It can be risky to mix multiple cleaners because chemicals can react adversely to create toxic fumes or vapors, oxidize the surface you are trying to clean or lose their efficacy.

We've rounded up the hazardous household goods below and their healthy, environmentally sustainable equivalents:

• Bleach is supposed to be a chemical clean - but just breathing it in can be toxic.

• Regular bathroom cleaners can be remarkably acidic and corrosive, meaning that they might burn and harm the skin and eyes when they make contact.

• Drain cleaners are also critical; even consuming the smallest amount will cause extreme problems in the human body.

Bleach should be used with caution

Bleach is a corrosive chemical that must be used for diluted solutions and with great caution. It raises the risk of asthma and other breathing disorders, such as wheezing, cough, and chest tightness, if used improperly. Research in 2019 estimated that women who used bleach at home were more likely than non-users to suffer from asthma and wheezing.

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Overall, 37% of the women reported using bleach weekly. Women using bleach frequently (11%) were more likely to have current asthma as compared to non-users (adjusted Odds-Ratio (aOR) = 1.7; 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) 1.0-3.0).

Conclusion

In reality, non-toxic, all-purpose cleaners are surprisingly popular substitutes and can be located in supermarkets. Multi-purpose products are almost as effective as traditional toxic cleaners, but they are made from fresh, non-toxic materials, including coconut and maize. It was also observed that exposure to bleach had effects on infants, raising their risk of contracting respiratory infections.

Also read: How this rag picker battled all odds to work at a COVID-19 medical centre

Text: PepperContent

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