Time for spring-cleaning?  When we look in the cleaning cupboard, most of us will find a huge array of cleaners for every conceivable use.  Polishes, multi-surface cleaners, glass cleaners, oven cleaners, toilet cleaners – which may be de-scalers, bleaches or simply disinfectants.  We may all feel virtuous when we have a clean house, but when did we last look at how all of these chemicals might affect us?  Not only us, unfortunately, but generations to come, as we pollute the water supplies and even cause damage to our own DNA with particularly vicious chemicals.

Dangers!

One only has to look at the components of all these products to see the sort of poison we are using, absorbing through our skin (with direct contact), our lungs, (breathing in vapour or spray). Look again at the label and see what it says about accidental ingestion and of what the first aid treatment consists.  Many of the toxic effects of cleaning chemicals used can only be treated by a physician.  We are told to store them out of the reach of children and only in original containers, for these very reasons.  We are advised to take the container with us to the hospital if accidental ingestion has occurred because there are so many combinations nowadays and hospital staff will want to look at the label to establish the exact ingredients and if necessary, contact the manufacturers to establish the exact antidote or appropriate treatment.

The following is a summary of regular cleaning products, their inherent dangers and how they can be used more safely.

Oven cleaner

Most contain sodium or potassium peroxide, a powerful alkaline corrosive of which a single exposure can damage the eyes and cause severe burns.  Aerosol cleaners are even worse as minute droplets of the caustic chemicals can drift on to the skin or be inhaled and affect sensitive lung tissue.  Use rubber gloves and a mask and always make sure you read the warnings on the label.

Glass and Mirror cleaner

Most of these products smell terrible.  This is because they contain ammonia.  Ammonia effectively dissolves grease, but is corrosive – even in low concentrations, causing burns and irritation to the eyes lungs and skin.  It is also linked to long-term damage to the liver and possibly irreversible lung damage.

Washing Powder

Often based on the on the corrosive alkaline chemical, sodium carbonate, also found in dishwasher powders.  Biological washing powders can also cause adverse effects in people with sensitive skin.

Drain Cleaner

These products often contain the same toxic chemicals found in oven cleaner, or possibly, sulphuric acid.  Direct contact with sulphuric acid will burn the skin and play havoc with mucous membranes.  Repeated exposure to sulphuric acid mist erodes teeth enamel and may trigger skin lesions, bronchitis and conjunctivitis.  Regular breathing of high concentrations has been linked to an increased risk of upper respiratory cancer, particularly of the laryngeal variety.

Bleach

Contains sodium hypochlorite, which irritates and corrodes mucous membrane, causing pain and vomiting if swallowed.  Breathing fumes causes coughing and choking.  Mixing with any product which contains ammonia, causes the production of chloramines gas which will cause choking and asphyxiation; the effects of which will often require a trip to the hospital.

All purpose cleaner

Many types and many ingredients but most will contain a combination of detergents, grease-cutting agents and possibly solvents and disinfectants, plus any one of the following:- ammonia, ethylene glycol, monobutyl acetate, sodium hypochlorite and trisodium phosphate.  These products may be anything from mildly to extremely irritating to the skin.  Studies have shown that large concentrations of some of these chemicals can affect the nervous system as well as breaking down red blood cells with knock-on effects on the liver and kidneys.

The above covers only a small proportion of the myriad of products we use, frequently without a second thought of the possible effects on ourselves, and the environment.  The effects make depressing reading, but the answer is already on the supermarket shelves in the form of eco-friendly products for all household cleaning and the range is increasing all the time.

Minimise all chemical exposure

Obviously cleaning product are not the only source of chemicals in our personal environment, and even cutting out their use altogether will not negate our exposure to chemicals, the presence of which we may not even have thought about.  The following list is just some of the ways our exposure to chemicals can be minimised.

1.      Be aware of the chemicals contained in cleaning products and purchase eco-friendly products whenever possible.  These products are clearly labelled and on sale in most supermarkets.

2.      Use natural pesticides in your garden whenever possible.  A good example of this is regular slug pellets, which poison slugs and snails and then poison the birds that eat them, which then poison cats, which in turn, prey on them.  There are environmentally friendly slug and snail killers, available at all garden centres.

3.       Get rid of carpets and lay wooden floors.  Carpets are notoriously chemical laden.  Wooden floors mean you will have less dust and mould.

4.      If there are cleaning substances without which you feel you cannot obtain the results you want (and the range of eco-friendly cleaners is improving by the day), you should not store them in a cupboard next to the vegetables, but in a separate cupboard well away from food.

5.      Buy some bicarbonate of soda.  This powder dissolves dirt and grease, removes stains from carpets and neutralises strong odours.  A solution of this is the perfect non-toxic cleaner and deodoriser; especially for fridges and freezers.

6.      Always use a face mask when carrying out DIY tasks which involve chemicals or dust

7.      Don’t use chipboard for DIY.  The glue used to hold the wood chips together contains formaldehyde that will eventually find its way into your indoor environment.

No-one can ever be certain that their environment is 100% chemical-free, but even the observance of these simple rules, together with the change to eco-friendly cleaning products, wherever possible, can dramatically reduce the exposure to chemicals we all face in our everyday lives.  This has to be good for the environment and our health.