There are hundreds of chemicals and impurities in cleaning products
Posted by Lynette Pascoe on
Cleaning products are typically loaded with chemicals and we all can think of at least one product that we know isn't good for us but was commonly in our homes when we were growing up. Most of us grew up not even questioning what was in the products and just used things either because our parents did or because the TV told us that it was the best product at the best price.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), an organisation based in the US, had a look at the ingredients in cleaning products and found that:
- 75% caused lung problems
- 25% are linked to cancer
- 20% are linked to reproductive and developmental disorders in children
- 10% were skin irritants
- 10% were capable of permanently damaging the eyes
Given that the manufacturers don't have to tell you everything thats in their products it's a bit hard to make an educated decision.
A valuable tip when choosing cleaning products is to choose only from those that list all ingredients on the label - if it says 'proprietary' its generally code for hidden nasty, and if it says 'active ingredients' then that's code for 'there is more ingredients in our product that we'd prefer you didn't know about'.
I like Abode, Kin Kin Naturals, and other similar brands that give you the full details and generally use food grade ingredients.
We are bombarded with chemicals in every part of life but we can lower our exposure in our homes by choosing the least toxic products to use in cleaning our homes.