The Hidden Dangers of Traditional Household Cleaners

The household cleaners you use every day have a great impact on your health and long-term quality of life. Unfortunately, most of them are full of poisons that build up in your body. Even in trace amounts, regular exposure to the chemicals in traditional household cleaning products can increase the toxic load on your body over time, making you more susceptible to health challenges.

In this post, I’ll break down what these cleaning products are made of, and the harmful effects they pose not only to your health but the health of your kids, your pets and the greater environment.

 

The Problem with Traditional Household Cleaners

Traditional household cleaning products contain various petroleum-based chemicals that adversely affect human and animal health. As fossil fuel derivatives, they’re not biodegradable and they can persist in the environment for a long time, posing significant risks for extended periods.

Women and children are especially sensitive to these chemicals, which disrupt hormone signaling, cause inflammation, and destroy the beneficial bacteria in and on your body, among other negative effects.

Common Types of Petroleum-Based Chemicals

The most common types of petroleum-based products that feature heavily in household cleaning products (and cosmetics) include:

• Artificial dyes and colorants
• Artificial fragrances
• Phosphates
• Parabens and preservatives
• Phthalates
• Solvents
• Surfactants

 

ARTIFICIAL COLORS & FRAGRANCES

Artificial colors and fragrances are added to cleaning products to make them smell and look appealing–it’s a giant marketing ploy. Product developers know if you associate an attractive color and scent with their product, you’re more likely to buy more of it. Don’t fall for this manipulation tactic.

As wonderful as they may smell, these chemicals can be irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Many synthetic fragrances trigger mild to severe respiratory problems including allergic reactions and asthma. Headaches are another common symptom. Oh, yeah, and they can interfere with your hormones–no thank you.

I, for one, can’t walk down the cleaning product aisles at Target without feeling like I’m being suffocated. Luckily, I source our household cleaning products elsewhere.

 

PHOSPHATES

Phosphates are used to soften water and make cleaners more effective. They’re also an active ingredient in fertilizers.

Phosphates are particularly dangerous to the environment when they pollute our waterways. One of the ways they do this is by contributing to large algae blooms, which kill aquatic life by removing all the oxygen from the water.

 

PARABENS AND OTHER PRESERVATIVES

Parabens are preservatives that are utilized to extend the shelf life of household cleaners. Beware as they are easily absorbed through the skin! Parabens are known to disrupt hormones due to their ability to mimic estrogen. This is bad news, especially as it pertains to estrogen-responsive cancers.

 

PHTHALATES

Phthalates are a group of chemicals that are used for making plastics more malleable. Additionally, they’re often added to household cleaning products and cosmetics to preserve those nasty synthetic fragrances I just mentioned.

Like parabens, they’re associated with endocrine disruption, as well as heart disease, adverse developmental effects, and other scary business. Are you sensing a theme?

 

SOLVENTS

Solvents are used to dissolve grease, oil, and other tough stains. Common petroleum-based solvents include mineral spirits, turpentine, acetone, ethylene glycol, benzene (a known carcinogen), and toluene. Not only do these chemicals contribute to indoor air pollution, but they’ve also been linked to respiratory and neurological issues.

 

SURFACTANTS

Surfactants are cleaning agents that help break down dirt and grease so they’re easier to remove. Not only are they irritating to the body, but they’re difficult to remove from the water supply, so they persist in the environment for a long time. As a result, they contribute to more environmental toxicity. Oh, joy.

Health Risks of Household Cleaning Products

Now that you’re familiar with many of the dangerous chemicals lurking in your household cleaning products, here are some of the negative ways they can influence your health:

• Endocrine disruption
• Eye and respiratory problems
• Liver damage
• Neurological and developmental problems
• Skin irritation and rashes

 

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION

As mentioned above, many of the chemicals in household cleaners contain endocrine disruptors. These sneaky beasts can mimic hormones, tricking your body, as well as play general interference.

Hormones are crucial for many functions of the body. Reproductive issues, developmental delays, appetite changes, and cancer are just some of the health problems that can arise with hormonal imbalances.

 

EYE AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS

The delicate tissues of the eyes and respiratory system are quite sensitive. Petroleum-based chemicals in household cleaning products can irritate the eyes, causing redness, tearing, and blurred vision. Additionally, they can aggravate the lungs and sinuses, causing coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. I’m looking at you, Windex!

 

LIVER DAMAGE

The liver is the hardest working organ in your body. It filters everything you encounter, whether inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. It never gets a break. Many of the chemicals in household cleaners accumulate in the body over time, causing long-term exposure and damage to the liver. Bleach and ammonia are common culprits.

 

NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Some of these chemicals can damage the nervous system. This is especially concerning for women and children as neurological problems are connected to developmental issues.

 

SKIN IRRITATION AND RASHES

It should come as no surprise that many petroleum-based chemicals can cause allergic reactions, redness, rashes, itching, and inflammation of the skin.

There’s a reason there are warnings all over the labels, and it’s not for fun. If a product recommends wearing gloves, it’s probably not something you want to wipe or spray all over your house.

Antibacterial Products – Just Say No

Avoid antibacterial cleaning products and cosmetics. They may contribute to the development of resistant strains of bacteria, diminishing the effectiveness of antibiotics that are necessary for fighting dangerous infections.

They also kill the beneficial bacteria that naturally live on your skin, whose job is to help protect it from foreign invaders. You need these bacteria to be healthy. Just like you have a gut microbiome, you also have a microbiome of the skin. A damaged microbiome increases the likelihood of infections and increases healing time for wounds.

Additionally, anti-bacterial products often contain ingredients such as triclosan and triclocarban. Both were banned from certain products by the FDA effective 2017, but they are still circulating in the marketplace. However, other chemicals that haven’t yet been reviewed for safety are still allowed. Regrettably, regulatory agencies in the USA tend to take an “assumed safe until proven otherwise” approach to chemicals. It should be the other way around.

Opting for natural alternatives to wash away germs instead of annihilating them is an easy way to keep your home and your hands clean without unnecessary risk.

 

Environmental Concerns of Household Cleaning Products

At the risk of being redundant, many of the chemicals commonly used in traditional household cleaning products, pose significant environmental risks and contribute to the depletion of non-renewable resources.

The main ingredient in most household cleaners is water. Water is heavy to ship, resulting in higher fuel consumption to transport these products to markets. The single-use plastic containers also contribute to additional resource consumption and plastic waste.

Not only are these chemicals not biodegradable, but they also contribute to air, water and soil pollution. Lastly, they harm the animals and plants they encounter (including your pets!).

For a healthier (and effective) suite of household cleaners, try Branch Basics. Here’s a discount for $10 off.

What You Can Do

The hidden dangers of traditional household cleaners are well-documented. They contain dozens of harmful chemicals that can pose a risk to your health and the environment.

As discouraging as this may be, you have the power to make new, informed choices to support your wellness. There are many things you can do to reduce your chemical exposure and your toxic load to help your body thrive.

Refusing these cleaners is an easy and relatively inexpensive step to reclaiming and maintaining your health. Plus, with fewer cleaners, it simplifies your cleaning routine.

 

A Cleaner Clean

When I first started making healthier choices for how to clean my home back in 2010, there weren’t many options outside of DIY. Fortunately, times have changed as consumers are getting smarter and demanding better.

Check out the second post in this series: Branch Basics: My Favorite Natural Cleaning Products to learn about the system I use for effectively cleaning our home safely.