Toxins in Household Cleaning Products.
I grew up in a household similar to many people where cleaning day was a designated day of the week and everyone helped. We used the big name brands like Pinesol, Comet, Windex etc to clean the house and the smell of pine and chemicals meant the house was clean. My mother also loved burning candles and having those plugin scent things in each room. I also suffered from frequent headaches and migraines along with my mother. In that time we didn’t associate chemicals as being bad and also as a cause for these headaches. I even used these products up until around 4 years ago.
Around 4 years ago I jumped head first into healthier living, like better nutrition, removing chemicals, better sleep, getting back to a more natural way of living and learned about how many chemicals and endrocrine disrupters are in the big brand cleaning products.
Lets take a look at these chemicals, how they affect your body and how it functions and than I will dive into what products I use in my house. Some of these are also found in skin care products but I will have another blog post to talk about my skin care products.
Note: what is an endocrine disruptor? It is a natural or man made chemical that mimic or interrupts our hormones and their balances. They cause issues with development, reproduction organs and development, decrease in the immune system, disruption with the gut microbiome, some are also linked to cancer.
The top toxins are:
Phtalates: These are usually on the label as “fragrances”. They aren’t aloud to list it as the chemical name so they use a loop hole and name it fragrances. Unless you see natural fragrances like essential oil and its only listed as fragrances than this is mostly like what is being used. The thing about this chemical is depending on the dilution of it depends on what it will smell like. Full potency it will smell like sewage but that dilute it and it will smell like hazelnut.
Now what do phtalates do to our bodies? Phtalates are known endocrine disrupters and can lower mens sperm counts, insulin resistance leading to Type 2 Diabetes, allergies, asthma, weight gain and struggling with weight loss.
Triclosan: This particular chemical is found in “Antibacterial” products like hand soaps and dishwashing liquids and hand sanitizers. This antibacterial compound is used aggressively while cleaning your home, using hand sanitizer when you’re out and about, used in hospitals and they cause antibiotic resistant microbes. Which means if you get an infection or really sick and you are prescribed antibiotics these medications are not working as good as they used to and you need stronger and higher doses. Eventually you won’t be able to use antibiotics at all. These antibacterial compounds kill the good and bad bacteria that are on our skin and in our gut which helps keep us healthy and our immune system functioning properly. Studies are being done to see if these compounds disrupt our endocrine system, they are also carcinogens which are linked to causing cancer. These compounds are also being found in our drinking water, rivers and water streams.
“Quats” Quarternary Ammonium: This particular compound is found in liquid softeners and softener sheets and is also labeled as “antibacterial”
This toxin has the same concerns as Triclosan and it is a skin irritant. This being used in a product that will come into direct contact with your skin can be dangerous and is linked to a lot of skin conditions. Something people don’t think about is that your skin will absorb what is put on it and than it is direct absorbed by the organs.
Perchloroethylene or PERC: This compound is found in spot removers, carpet cleaners and used in dry cleaners, it is also used for metal degreasing. This compound is a neurotoxin and a possible carcinogen, most of the time you encounter this compound is from breathing it in and some side effects are; kidney Liver and immune system disfunction, asthma, upper respiratory issues, mood and behavioral changes, headaches, dizziness, unconsciousness and reproductive development issues. In some cases it is linked to bladder cancer and non-hodgkins lymphoma.
2-Butoxyethanol: This compound is found in window cleaners, all purpose cleaners and kitchen cleaners. It is called a glycol ether and doesn't have to be listed on the label of ingredients. It gives the cleaners that sweet smell. This chemical is deemed safe in a wide open working environment but used in confined areas like bathrooms and kitchens can cause inhalation and be particularly harmful to young children and people with asthma. Exposure to it from inhalation or drinking it in your tap water can lead to skin, eye, lung irritation, allergies, asthma and some cancers.
Formaldehyde: This compound is found is dish soap, laundry soap, bath soap, body wash, hair straightening products, pet products, furniture, cigarettes and many other places. Some health effects when coming into contact with formaldehyde are watery eyes, skin irritation, coughing, wheezing, burning in the lungs and eyes. Exposure to formaldehyde has also been linked to cancer of the nasal sinuses, nasopharynx, and an increased risk for leukemia.
Chlorine: This compound is found in scouring powders, mildew removers, toilet bowl cleaners, laundry whiteners, tap water and pool water. Exposure to chlorine can cause skin eye and lung irritation, wheezing, burning of the eyes and lungs, chest tightness, trouble breathing. This compound is considered a carcinogen which damages our cells and can lead to cancer.
Sodium Hydroxide: Found in oven cleaners and drain cleaners. It is also known as Lye and is extremely corrosive. If you come into contact with it through the skin or inhalation can permanately damage tissue and airways and severe burns.
There are “Green” companies like Method, Ecos, Mrs. Meyers and others that say they are green and chemical free but they still use some preservatives and chemical fragrances. The EWG and Think Dirty app use a ranking scale of 1-10 on how dirty your products are.
The cleaners and household products I like use are:
Branch Basics
I love Branch Basics because they use minerals and essential oils to create hard working clean house cleaners that are safe for humans, pets and the environment. When you buy the kit you get a bottle of Concentrate to make bathroom, all purpose, window cleaners, laundry soap and hand soap. Plus they have oxygen booster for the laundry and wool dryer balls. The price for the concentrate is great and extremely affordable considering you are replacing 5 different products. If you need something stronger for the oven or stuck on stains than you can use the bathroom cleaner or even just spray the concentrate over the stains and let it sit than wipe away. I have found this to be more effective than any oven cleaner I have ever used. Their product is unscented so I don’t have to worry about inhaling fragrances that make my head hurt while I am cleaning my house. Their dryer balls help the clothes dry faster, remove static and soften the clothes so I don’t have to worry about fabric softeners or dryer sheets which can cause skin irritation and dryer fires.
Branch Basics is ranked as a 1 on the EWG and Think Dirty app.
Sal’s Suds: I love Sal’s Suds because it is another concentrate that is plant based without any chemicals that are harmful to humans, pets and the environment. I use this concentrate as a dish washing soap because it doesn’t have that detergenty smell, residue or taste that I noticed was left on dishes when using other dish soaps. Its tough on oils and stains on the dishes and containers. My hands also don’t feel dry after washing dishes which is awesome for me because I am a chef and I do a lot of dish each day.
Sal’s Suds is ranked as a 1 on EWG and Think Dirty App.
SuperNatural: This is a newer company that is making clean cleaners for you home. When I tried them out I got the who kit and wow it is awesome! The bottles are frosted glass and the spray caps tell you which cleaner they are. They smell amazing because they use essential oils to help with the cleaning and to make each room smell good. The concentrates come in small glass vials for each area of your home like floors, counters and tile, bathroom, glass etc. The refill price is very affordable. The only thing is I wish they had a laundry concentrate because I love Branch Basics but my husband loves when our clothes smell fresh. With the Branch Basics your clothes smell like clothes haha.
https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/
https://www.epa.gov
