Household cleaning products mainly include soaps, dish wash, toilet cleaning liquid and detergents. The thing that has never crossed one's mind is the fact that all of these contain chemicals that are harmful. These products have a diverse effect on us and may cause certain causalities.
The products that are used in maintenance and cleaning may contain chemicals that are corrosive and poisonous. Some of them are even inflammable or chemically reactive. Common household products may disclose inert ingredients that are hazardous to ones health. They may contain traces of organic solvents and petroleum based chemicals that are capable of releasing volatile organic compounds into your indoor environment.
Some of these products are known to cause cancer to animals and are suspected to have human carcinogens. From recent studies made by the EPA's total exposure assessment methodology it was found that there existed 12 common levels of common organic pollutants that are 5 times higher in your home than outside. They also found that people were exposing themselves to such high level of pollutants that persisted for a long time.
It is certainly not easy to predict what chemical is present in your household products that you buy. Generally a product becomes more toxic when they are mixed with another. When bleach is mixed with acid toilet bowl cleaners they can result in toxic and potentially deadly fumes. For instance bleach with ammonia is by far the most toxic and potentially lethal product wherein fumes are produced.
The use of these toxic chemicals may release toxic and hazardous vapors into the air which may be unhealthy for our families. The purchase of these hazardous products causes a higher demand for these chemicals in the market. When they are used they are not disposed off properly and released into water steams which in turn get contaminated.
Household products including cleaners, fresheners, laundry products, drain products, dishwashing detergent, carpet shampoos polishes and pesticide, all contain and harmful chemicals. Exposure to these chemicals generally causes headache, fatigue and burning eyes. Sometimes they may even cause skin rashes or allergies. Some products may be very harmful and cause damage to the nervous system and even liver and kidney damage.
So next time when you out buying a household cleaner make sure that you checkout the non-toxic sign on the cover and only then purchase the product. On a typical cleaning day levels of pollutants inside are much more than usual. Most of the chemicals that are present in household cleaning products are similar to those that are used in industries.
Scientists now fear that short time exposure to chemicals may in fact be more hazardous than long time exposure. Some of the common harmful chemicals include acetone which cause liver and kidney damage and also damage to a developing fetus. Then aerosol products may contain propane or carcinogen, neurotoxin and cause severe damage to the central nervous system. Lastly ammonia is a chemical that is harmful to the eye and is also a respiratory irritant. It causes a severe burning pain including corrosive damage.