Dangers of Cleaning Products – Or How to Clean Green

With commercial cleaning products there is always a flip side. The more efficient, concentrated, and faster they get, the more toxic chemicals they bring into your home and the environment. More and more people want to do their part and choose greener products in order to avoid the dangers of cleaning products but are not everyone is willing to go completely crunchy and make their household cleaners with vinegar and baking soda. Green cleaning products are available in grocery stores and online. All we need to know is which ingredient are the most toxic and should not be in what we purchase – visit site.

Why Clean Green
Before starting with the list of chemicals to avoid and the dangers cleaning products, let’s start by ‘why’ one should want to Clean Green:

• Avoid Unhealthy Air: Did you know that the air quality in your home is 2X – 5X worse than the air outside? People with allergies and asthma can probably confirm that. Traditional commercial cleaners are in large part responsible for that toxicity in the air. When you use household cleaning products, a process called ‘out-gassing’ occurs and very toxic fumes escapes the products, which makes the air you breathe in you home toxic.
• Stop Supergerms: Darwin has proven it, living organisms evolve, adapt to their environment. So exposing germs to antibacterial soap will create resistant germs, or Supergerms, that are very difficult to eliminate when truly needed. Another down side to antibacterial products is that they kill all micro-organisms, with no distinction, which means they also destroy ‘good’ bacteria that actually help your body keep bad bugs in check.
• Reduce Waste: Too many cleaning products are becoming single-use, meaning more manufacturing and more shipping and therefore the augmentation of air pollution caused by delivery trucks. Outside air pollution is responsible for many environmental problems such as acid rain, haze, ozone depletion, and forest damage.

Of course going green is a lot broader than household cleaners. But for the purpose of this article, we will focus on the dangers of cleaning products. Basically, how to clean green.

How to Clean Green
So below is brief list of the most dangerous chemicals that are too often found in household cleaning products:

1. Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is known as a carcinogen and an allergen that can irritate your eyes, mucous membranes and the respiratory system. It can also cause headaches, rashes, hives, dizziness, nausea, and chronic fatigue. Longer exposure can also cause: heart palpitations, ear infections, trouble sleeping, memory loss, concentration issues, depression, weakness, migraines, abdominal pain, aching joints and muscles, and difficulty breathing. Formaldehyde is unfortunately found in hundreds of products such as air fresheners, furniture polish, laundry stain removers and fabric softener.
2. Sodium Hypochlorite: Sodium Hypochlorite is corrosive to skin and the lining of nose mouth and throat. Its fumes are irritating to eyes and respiratory tract. It is harmful or lethal if swallowed. Very toxic gas is formed when mixed with ammonia. Sodium Hypochlorite is found in chlorine bleach, all-purpose and bathroom cleaners. Every day, an average of 109 calls is received by Poison Control Centers in the U.S. regarding Sodium Hypochlorite exposure.
3. Ammonia: Ammonia fumes can irritate eyes and lungs. It can also cause burns or rashes on skin. Swallowing ammonia can cause burns to the mouth, throat, and stomach and can be lethal. Ammonia can lead to eye damage and temporary or permanent blindness. Very toxic gas is formed when mixed with sodium hypochlorite. Ammonia can be found in all-purpose cleaners as well as glass, porcelain, stainless steel and over cleaners.

Reducing the amount of toxic chemicals in your household cleaners is a small but essential step towards a greener living. Take the time to at least find products that are bleach, ammonia and formaldehyde free.