Here’s How Your Cleaning Products Are Harmful To Your Health

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There’s nothing more satisfying than sitting down after a long day of deep cleaning and breathing in the sweet smell of Lysol. Ahhhh, actually, there may be nothing worse. Believe it or not, your cleaning products could be hazardous to your health, and no, you don’t need to ingest them to experience their harmful effects.

Researchers from the Environmental Working Group, an environmental and public health non-profit organization, found that just 7 percent of cleaning products disclose all of their contents, and that 53 percent of cleaning products it reviewed contain lung-harming ingredients.

That alone should scare the shit out of you.

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The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics claims that “widespread exposure to toxic environmental chemicals threatens healthy human reproduction.” Further, it found that exposure can also lead to brain cell damage and damage to other major organs.

The Environmental Working Group lists a number of common cleaning products to steer clear of if you’re looking for effective, yet healthy, options:

• Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner: It contains 15 times more methoxqdiglycol (a chemical linked to developmental/endocrine/reproductive issues, cancer and DNA damage) than the European Union allows.
• Tarn-X Tarnish Remover: It contains around 7 percent thiourea, which is categorized as a carcinogen by the state of California and could increase your risk for a number of cancers.
• Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner: It claims to be a “safer, non-toxic” cleaning product while containing 2-butoxyethanol, which could damage red blood cells.
• Big-brand cleaning products, Like Target’s Up & Up or Walmart’s Great Value brands: Their ingredients aren’t listed in full anywhere, so you just can’t trust them.

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Also cited by the Environmental Working Group as potential hazards are conventional oven cleaners with sodium or potassium hydroxide that can burn skin, lungs and eyes, spray cleaners with quaternary ammonium compounds or ethanolamine and pretty much any product with artificial scents. Hint: that’s, like, ALL of them.

So what can you do? You can’t avoid cleaning your house or apartment (we know, we’d love to give you a pass). Well and Good reports on a number of healthier products that have lower levels, or none, of these dangerous chemicals. If you’re interested in going all-organic and truly chemical free, look into how you could use everyday natural ingredients, like lemon, baking soda and vinegar, to safely clean your spaces.

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We all can appreciate a clean home, but is it worth compromising your health to keep it in tip-top shape? Don’t ignore the risks — your body really will thank you.