When you go through the chore of cleaning your home, you hope the end result is a safer, healthier environment for you and your loved ones. But some of the products you are using might put your health at risk.
鈥淢any people assume that when you鈥檙e buying something on the shelf or if it鈥檚 for sale in a store, that there鈥檚 no risk to it or they know exactly what they鈥檙e getting,鈥 said Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that researches and advocates for safer products. 鈥淭hat just isn鈥檛 the case.鈥
On the American market, the EWG has found that more than 2,000 cleaning supplies may contain substances linked to health problems including asthma, chemical burns and cancer risks.
It can be hard to tell exactly what is safe and what is not when shopping at the store. This is especially true with the prevalence of 鈥済reenwashing,鈥 or when companies utilize tactics in their product labeling or marketing to appear more natural and environmentally safe, said Jennie Romer, the deputy assistant administrator for pollution prevention at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
鈥淧eople are becoming more aware of how these things can have an effect on our health,鈥 Stoiber said. 鈥淚n the United States, there is really poor transparency.鈥
Cleaning your home well is important for disease prevention, said Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications, outreach and membership at the American Cleaning Institute.
鈥淭he proper use of cleaning products contributes to public health and quality of life in homes, offices, schools, health care facilities, restaurants and throughout our communities every single day,鈥 he added. 鈥淓veryone who has dealt with the coronavirus pandemic or cold and flu season can certainly recognize this fact.鈥
Here is what experts want you to know about cleaning products and how to make safer choices.
Cleaning products may contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which include hundreds of different chemicals, said Dr. Natalie Johnson, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Texas A&M University School of Public Health.
Volatile organic compounds are gases that can be emitted from solid or liquid products, according to the EPA. These chemicals can cause problems such as eye, nose and throat irritation and damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system, the federal agency said.
The impact of these chemicals depends on how often you are exposed to them and to what degree; and the concentration of VOCs are often much higher indoors, the EPA said.
One big problem is that the list of potentially harmful chemicals is long, and sometimes it can be hard to tell from an ingredients list exactly what you will be exposed to if you use a product, Romer said.
Fortunately, there are resources to help quickly reference the best choices on the shelves when you are shopping, Johnson said.
The EPA has a Safer Choice label, and products that qualify for the designation do not contain chemicals linked to cancer, fertility problems and other risks to health, Romer said.
Romer鈥檚 husband was just at the store to restock on laundry detergent but forgot which kind they like to buy. After a quick search on the Safer Choice database, he was able to find which of the products on that store鈥檚 shelves met the EPA鈥檚 criteria, she said.
Volatile organic compounds are a broad category of chemicals 鈥撯 some of which are naturally occurring, some helpful in dissolving dirt, grease and stains, Sansoni said. And manufacturers have taken steps to manage their emissions, he added.
鈥淩egulators have placed limitations on the VOCs in most consumer products over the past three decades and industry has been working with governments and regulators to minimize VOC concentrations to keep them well below levels that would be considered harmful,鈥 Sansoni said.
It鈥檚 not just what you are using, but how you are using your cleaning products that could be of concern, experts say.
Some of the risks from using cleaners in your home come from using them improperly, such as mixing bleach with products that contain ammonia 鈥撯 which can be found in tile or multipurpose cleaners, for example, Romer said.
Mixing disinfectants can also cause dangerous fumes, she added.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 always important to read and follow the instructions or the directions on a product label,鈥 Romer said.
Frequency of use can also increase the risk that concerning chemicals pose, Johnson said.
鈥淥ur oldest adage in toxicology is that it鈥檚 the dose that makes the poison,鈥 she said.
It鈥檚 also essential to be mindful of exposures for people who are especially susceptible, including pregnant people, those with asthma and children, Johnson added.
鈥淐hildren aren鈥檛 just little adults,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e still developing. 鈥 A lot of my research looks at how exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy or early infancy may predispose children for long-term disease risk, such as allergy development, especially asthma.鈥
Going home and clearing out your cleaning supply cabinet isn鈥檛 going to completely fix the problem, Stoiber said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to avoid all exposures just through shopping alone 鈥 but paying attention to these things can make a difference,鈥 she added.
Small changes can make a big difference, and it鈥檚 good to take one step at a time to keep from being overwhelmed when limiting exposures to concerning chemicals, Stoiber said.
Throwing out all the cleansers you have and starting over isn鈥檛 good from an environmental perspective, so instead start by taking inventory, Romer said.
You may find that some of those products are recommended by the EPA or EWG, she added.
For the rest of them, once you use up a cleanser, try replacing it with a recommended option, Johnson said.
A lot of cleaning can also be done with things you already have in your kitchen like vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice, Stoiber said.
Another way to reduce exposure to potentially risky chemicals has nothing to do with the cleansers you are using but does involve more cleaning.
鈥淜eep up on vacuuming and dusting,鈥 Stoiber said. 鈥淎 lot of these chemicals 鈥 they don鈥檛 stay in products. And when they are deposited into dust, and then we either stir up that dust, inhale that dust, or it鈥檚 on our hands and we forget to wash our hands and eat, then we鈥檙e exposed to those chemicals through dust.鈥
Make sure you are vacuuming regularly and dusting surfaces with a damp cloth to reduce the traces of those products you are breathing in, she added.
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