“The Surprising Impact of Daily Home Cleaning on Your Well-being”
How can home cleaning affect your health? It’s all on the ingredient label! Let’s explore how home cleaning can impact everyone’s health in your household.
Before diving into the dangers of everyday home cleaning, let’s discuss why people clean their homes or hire professionals. Here are two main reasons:
1. To maintain a tidy and organized living space.
2. To create a welcoming environment for guests.
Additionally, a crucial reason for keeping homes clean is to protect our health. We often don’t notice the harmful bacteria and fungi building up in places like the kitchen sink.
Even when the house is a mess, we tend to overlook its negative impact on our health. The issue isn’t with the habit of daily cleaning but with the cleaning products we use. We expect these products to clean our homes effectively.
While these shiny soaps, scents, softeners, detergents, bleaching agents, and cleaners do a great job of keeping our kitchen sinks, bathroom floors, and ovens clean and smelling fresh, they can have hazardous health effects on both the cleaners and the residents.
Cleaning supplies vary in the type of health risks they pose. Some ingredients cause respiratory irritation and watery eyes, while others can lead to chronic and long-term effects like lung cancer. According to the Washington Toxics Coalition, some of the most dangerous cleaning products are oven cleaners and acidic toilet bowl cleaners. These corrosive chemicals can cause severe burns on the eyes and skin, and people with asthma or heart problems should avoid using them.
Some ingredients in cleaners may have low acute toxicity but contribute to long-term health effects like hormonal disruptions. These hormone disruptors can interfere with our body’s natural chemical messages, leading to issues like decreased sperm counts and hypospadias.
Fortunately, there are household items like lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda that can effectively clean your home without the toxic side effects. You can also try ‘green’ products that are genuinely free from toxic chemicals. Many companies now sell non-toxic cleaners as alternatives to chemical-based products. Researching homemade cleaning products is another option.
It’s best to avoid chemical-based cleaners as they pose significant health risks. Some manufacturers don’t list all ingredients on the packaging, so be cautious when making purchases.
Studies are beginning to explain the rise in unexplainable cancers, reproductive issues, and neurological disorders like ADHD and autism in children. Many of these toxic ingredients are responsible for such diseases.
To stay safe, avoid these chemicals and consider hiring a professional maid service that uses safe detergent products and works cohesively.