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It all started when I saw my 3-year daughter lick the window I had just cleaned with ammonia hydroxide, more commonly known as Windex. While cleaning product residue on our household surfaces was not a steady part of her diet, it made me start to wonder about all the cleaning products in our closet - 409, Mr. Clean, Scrubbing Bubbles, Clorox Bleach, Windex, Draino, you name it. What chemicals were in them? And what might they be doing to my daughter?

BAD FOR OUR HEALTH

After days of research, common household germs and dirt began to seem much less insidious compared to the chemicals found in my common household cleaning products. The most innocent warning label read "Eye Irritant." And they only escalated from there, with warnings such as "Hazards to Humans and Domestic Animals," "Don't mix with bleach-containing products - to do so will release hazardous gases," "Vapor is harmful if swallowed," etc., etc. Unfortunately, these cleaning products are a part of virtually every family's cleaning supply. I began to feel that my house was a big chemistry experiment. In cleaning our homes are we unintentionally supplying our families a steady diet of toxic chemicals?

A significant amount of research on the health risks of cleaning products has been done on adult janitorial staff who are regularly exposed to industrial cleaners. Many of these workers are known to suffer from high rates of eye damage, organ damage, and even cancer. Though household cleaners are in general more diluted, many contain the same potentially harmful ingredients. It is also important to note that while both adults and children can be susceptible to the toxic chemicals in cleaning products, children are especially vulnerable because of their immature immune system. Adults with asthma and allergies are also more vulnerable to these chemicals.

HMIS, the Hazard Materials Identification System, is used by all manufacturers to comply with the requirements of OSHA Hazard Community Standard(1). There are three HMIS ratings:

• Health rating - denotes the health hazard and indicates the toxicity of chemicals contained in a specific brand and its ability to cause skin and eye irritation(1)
• Flammability rating - denotes the fire hazard and is based on the flashpoint and boiling point of the materials contained in a specific brand(1)
• Reaction rating - denotes the reactivity hazard and is based on the material's potential to release violent energy under conditions of fire, water contact, high temperature or pressure, or proximity to activating substances(1)

The scale of these HMIS ratings goes from 0 (best) to 4 (worst). It shocked me to find out that a number of commonly used conventional all-purpose cleaners displayed a Health rating of 3(1). I looked through my cleaning supplies and realized (to my dismay) that I was using many of them on a regular basis. A number of the products not only have a Health rating of 3, but add a Flammability rating of 3 to boot (seriously flammable), with a few even scoring a Flammability rating of 4(1)!. In a laboratory, these chemicals would probably be carefully labeled and placed in a safe place. Ironically, at home we often just casually spray them on the counters and tables where we cook, eat, and play. And we are constantly bombarded by advertisements assuring us that by doing so we are creating a clean and healthy home. Do we really need to submerge ourselves in a barrage of toxins in order to have a "clean" home?

Closer to our skin, many ingredients in common laundry products can cause immediate allergic reaction and long-term harm. AlkylPhenol Ethoxylates (APEs), surfactants found in most laundry detergents, are classified as endocrine disruptors. These nasty chemicals may cause adverse health effects in humans and wildlife(2). Optical brighteners, again found in most conventional laundry detergents, are designed to enhance the appearance of colors in fabrics and papers. When you think your clothes look whiter and brighter, they are actually coated with these fluorescent particles that act like mirrors and trick your eyes into seeing "whiter" and "brighter". Some studies have shown that these particles can cause skin allergy and eye irritation(3).

Continue to part 2 : BAD FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT

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