Wrapped in colorful labels, we often assume our cleaning products are like superheroes. “A minimal amount of chemical-based solutions clean away the worst stains and marks!”…. Well, at least that’s what their advertisements tell us.
In fact, these products are not always safe. Most household cleaners are toxic for your house and office environment. Breathing their toxic fumes can be harmful for your health.
Even if you’re availing professional services for cleaning, make sure no harmful chemicals are being used. Here are some you need to watch out for:
– Perchloroethylene
Most cleaning solutions are a mixture of different chemicals. Perchloroethylene is a more widely used chemical. It is present in a number of dry-cleaning solutions, carpet and upholstery cleaners, and in spot removers.
Use of this chemical can cause nausea, dizziness and even fatigue. Long-term exposure may also damage the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys; it can also cause respiratory failure, memory loss, confusion, and dry and cracked skin. If you are pregnant, long-term exposure to perchloroethylene may damage a developing fetus. Because of its suspected health risks, the EPA has ordered to stop its use in residential buildings by 2020.
– Phthalates
Love the smell left by your house cleaning product? Phthalates are chemicals used in products with ‘fragrance’. Fragrances are often added to mask the odor of noxious chemicals. These products include air fresheners, toilet paper, and even your dishwashing soap.
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors. They can affect hormone production in your body. They can also cause reproductive problems, and even cancer. You can get exposed to these chemicals through breathing as well as skin contact.
– Toxic solvents
Naphthalene is a solvent often found in carpet cleaning products. It is made from coal tar and is a potential carcinogen. It is also very risky for your central nervous system. People have developed headaches, nausea, dizziness, and/or vomiting after being exposed to naphthalene vapors.
Another solvent, 2-Butoxyethanol, is used in cleaning products including surface cleaners, floor strippers, window cleaners, spot cleaners, rust removers and ink and resin removers. It is the main ingredient of many home, commercial and industrial cleaning solutions. It can also harm your liver, kidney and central nervous system. Make sure that your cleaning products don’t have these solvents as ingredients.
– Environmentally unsafe
These products are not just harmful to you, but to the environment as well. Most of these chemical take long to degrade and collect as waste polluting the environment.
Go for greener solutions!
It is a wise decision to shift to greener, more environmentally friendlier products. When you go out to buy cleaning products for your house cleaning or floor washing, choose the ones without the above listed chemicals.
When hiring a professional cleaning service, make sure the company uses safe products. We at Excellence Janitorial and Carpet Cleaning services have adopted an eco-friendly, green cleaning approach.
