Harmful Effects of Cleaning Products

In the recent years, many medical cases, which are identified as a result of exposure to the products used in household cleaning, have been recorded by The American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Some of those exposures were found severe enough to be treated by practitioners at a health care facility. In a survey conducted in 1993, AAPCC confirmed the profuse occurrences of poisoning, and the main culprits were house cleaning products, like bleach, drain cleaners, soaps, toilet bowl cleaners and detergents.

Also, it is found that more than a million cases of poisoning in Canada are due to ingestion of cleaning agents every year –some of them have even caused death.

Besides adults and children, even the wellbeing of wildlife is at high risk. Animals, which are deprived of fresh drinking water, are left with puddles, toilets bowl, gutters, etc, as their last resort. Talking about pets, even though they are provided with potable water, yet they tend to seek other illegitimate sources of water that may have cleaning solutions in them. Here, toilet, bathtub, kitchen sink, etc. are referred to such sources.

Following is the list of some harmful cleansers that are often found in a house premise:

Air Freshners: Air freshners are the most commonly used products in everyday life. But little do the homeowners know that these air freshners come with a certain kind of pesticide, usually methoxychlor, which nestle in fats cells and cause serious health disorders. There are several other chemicals found in air freshners that cause your skin to swell or burn when come in direct contact.

AMMONIA: It is quite volatile in nature, and it has the tendency to waft through air and inflict severe harm on eyes, skin and respiratory tract.

ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANERS: These cleaning agents containing triclosan quickly penetrate the skin and can be a major culprit for causing damage to liver.

BLEACH: Owing to its corrosive property, it can cause agitation in eyes and skin and can severely affect respiratory tract. It may incite vomiting or pulmonary edema when ingested. Chances of getting into coma are high in some cases. Therefore, it is advised not to mix bleach with ammonia or toilet acid; such mixtures produce vapours, which are quite fatal.

Upholstery, Rugs and Carpet Shampoo: Cleaning agents used for removing stains from upholstery or carpet leave you vulnerable to kidney and liver disorders plus nervous system may also get damaged if these chemicals are ingested. Ammonia, whose side-effects have already been mentioned above, is one of the major constituents in these chemicals.

Chlorine: Chlorine has always been seen in the positive light, due to its water-purification property, but there are certain side-effects to this synthesized substance which will leave you astonished. Chlorine is one of the main causes of breast cancer, and to an extent, it has been declared fatal by the scientists. Chlorine is mostly found in the concoctions used for household and commercial cleaning. The harmful effects of chlorine are more pronounced when heated.

Dishwasher Detergents: More often than not, dishwasher detergents remain in their residual form on cooking utensils and are readily picked up by the food served in them. These detergents containing chlorine in its dry, concentrated form are highly toxic and may cause severe health hazards when ingested.

Furniture Polish: To some it may appear pleasant, but that mysterious odour can inflict more harm than you may think. It contains nitrobenzene and petroleum distillated that are responsible for lung and skin cancer.

Laundry Room Products: Laundry room products contain plethora of harmful chemicals that find their way to your skin through direct contact. The residue left on your clothes and bedsheet can easily pass on to your skins and hence penetration that may result in rashes, skin allergies, sinus and more. Ammonia, naphthalene, sodium and phenol are the main constituents of laundry room products.

Oven Cleaner: It claims to be one of the highly toxic products that consumers use. They are loaded with ammonia and lye that are harmful for skin plus they release fumes that can be inhaled and hence causing respiratory troubles.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners: They are usually dilute hydrochloric acid, which is highly corrosive and harmful for eyes and skin. The fumes produced by it can cause burning sensation in your eyes and affect respiratory tract adversely. Further, it can reach out to your kidneys to do the harm it is intended for. Toilet bowl cleaners can cause dizziness accompanied by an urge to vomit. Pulmonary edema and coma are among the repercussions of its ingestion.

If you are living in a delusion that whatever is being sold or abundantly available on the market is safe, then you need to think again. Since mid 19th century, thousands of chemicals have been synthesized for everyday use and still counting. Every year, hundreds of chemicals are invented for commercial and household purposes. And, the worst part is that none of these chemicals has ever been tested for safety, and it is the main reason many have been affected by the darker side of these chemicals disguised in cleaning products. These chemicals, somehow, get mixed with the food we take, the water we drink and air we breathe; thus, causing fatal diseases and organ-related disorders.

According to a survey conducted by authorities, it was found that 80% of chemical-enriched products do not come with proper toxic information and warnings. Several harmful products are being sold on basis of their popularity among the users. Only few chemicals come fully tested and labeled with all sorts of warnings that define possibilities of health hazards.

What measures can you take to have your loved ones protected from chemical poisoning?

It is necessary for you to enlighten yourself about safer, better alternatives available on the market. Further, you should refrain from using harsh chemicals. You can avoid their usage by cleaning off the stains at the earliest so that they don’t become persistent and seek chemicals for the absolute removal.

If you are bound to use such chemicals then make sure they don’t come in contact with your pets and children. A little negligence in the storage of these chemicals can cost you life of your loved ones. And, don’t hesitate to enquire about the product from its manufacturer. It is always advisable to play safe.

Let’s maintain the integrity of the definition of cleaning, and let’s not worsen the situation by using harmful cleaning chemicals. Shunning these chemicals may seem easy when you have a better alternative on hand.

Wondering, what could be the better substitute for chemicals? Green cleaning products are the answer to your perplexity. Use eco-friendly cleaning products and keep off the worry regarding health issues.