Spring Cleaning Makeover

Spring is here and so is spring cleaning! Cleanliness has been at the forefront of our minds over the past twelve plus months which makes today a perfect time to rethink home care products before we dive into our cleaning! Despite popular belief, cleanliness is not always associated with health. The products we use to get our homes clean aren’t always the best for our health or the health of the environment. So how can you stay clean without hurting your health?

SWITCH TO LOW TOX

Many traditional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals labeled Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and scents that have been linked to allergies, chronic headaches, respiratory disorders, hormonal imbalances/endocrine dysfunction, and cancer. Many of our household products, personal care products, air fresheners, fabric cleaners etc. that are meant to improve our lives may actually be hurting us in a big way, so much so that exposure to these chemicals could impact not only our health but the health of our children and their children spanning multiple generations – so how can you clean up your act?  

• DITCH SCENTS: One way to quickly reduce cleaning product hazard is to switch to unscented versions and switching all products (sprays, soaps, lotions, gels, makeup etc.) to unscented/fragrance free would be even better! Scents are protected under proprietary laws and therefore companies are not required to give information on the chemicals that make up their “natural scents” or “fragrance.”  This loophole allows companies to slip harmful additives into the product without you knowing.1 You can view a list of common chemicals used in fragrances complied by the International Fragrance Association and check out these chemicals for yourself! If you are looking to incorporate scents, investigate essential oils and use a simple tealight candle diffuser to avoid mold or mildew risks. Essential oils are not universally safe for everyone, know what you are getting into and do your research. For example, lavender actually increases estrogen which may not be great for someone who struggles with estrogen dominance, young children, pregnant mothers or someone with an estrogen sensitive reproductive cancer.2-3

• GO LOW VOC: VOCs can be found in just about anything, cleaning products, paints, lacquers, beauty products, carpets, wood, furniture, mattresses and more! In choosing low VOC products throughout your home you will be significantly decreasing the chemical load that you body has to contend with while helping the environment. Certain VOCs can wreak havoc on the environment and contribute to degradation the ozone layer.4-6

• QUIT AEROSOLS:  Aerosols are not only dangerous to the environment they are dangerous to your health. Have you ever walked into a room after someone freshly sprayed a cleaning product, air freshener or perfume and started to cough? That is because your body has recognized that the substances in the air are irritating to the lining of the respiratory tract. Exposure to aerosols has been linked to decreased lung function over time.7-8

• MINIMIZE YOUR CLEANING CLOSET: By reducing the number of cleaning products you have you will be in effect reducing your chemical load.  While its good to consider specific products for specific surfaces using too many cleaning products can possibly create a dangerous chemical cocktail within your own home. For example, bleach and ammonia both produce gasses that when mixed may cause serious breathing issues and even death, avoid using these products at the same time.

• LIMIT OR ELIMINATE USE OF ANTI MICROBIALS Anti-microbials include any cleaning products that claims to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. These products typically include abrasive cleaners like bleach, hydrogen peroxide and alcohol all of which can be harmful to your health and the health of the planet. Although they have their place for use in areas where sterilization is an absolute (surgery, medical facilities etc.) it may not be healthy or advisable to use these products for routine household cleaning. The problem is, these products typically kill everything, even the good guys that you want around! In the wake of an antimicrobial cleaning session, typically, the only microorganisms left behind are the ones that are resistant. Stronger colonies of microorganisms, that would normally be kept in check by a myriad of other organisms, now become free to reproduce without competition and this could result in a dangerous situation for our environmental and personal health.9-10

GET BACK TO BASICS

Alternative or natural cleaning products may be your solution to managing a clean home without the dangers of chemical exposure. A great resource for low-tox cleaning products is the Environmental Working Group Cleaning Product Guide .

Other options include:

• Baking soda and water for scrubbing, I use this in my shower and tub to remove water and soap build up.

• Boiling water can be used to clean counter tops, remove stains and food from cookware, clear drains and even make your home smell lemon fresh (boil lemons and water in a pot on the stove, allow the water vapors to refresh the air in your home.

• Vinegar can be used diluted in water in different combinations to clean just about anything in the home. Check out these vinegar cleaning recipes! (https://www.healthline.com/health/cleaning-with-vinegar#appliances)

Not only are these options low tox but they are also budget friendly!   

References

1.     Expert Panel Confirms that Fragrance Ingredient Can Cause Cancer. EWG. Accessed March 20, 2021. https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2014/08/expert-panel-confirms-fragrance-ingredient-can-cause-cancer 

2.     Chemicals in lavender and tea tree oil appear to be hormone disruptors | Endocrine Society. Accessed April 21, 2020. https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2018/chemicals-in-lavender-and-tea-tree-oil-appear-to-be-hormone-disruptors 

3.     Ramsey JT, Li Y, Arao Y, et al. Lavender Products Associated With Premature Thelarche and Prepubertal Gynecomastia: Case Reports and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Activities. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2019;104(11):5393-5405. doi:10.1210/jc.2018-01880

4.     Fang L, Norris C, Johnson K, et al. Toxic volatile organic compounds in 20 homes in Shanghai: Concentrations, inhalation health risks, and the impacts of household air cleaning. Building and Environment. 2019;157:309-318. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.04.047

5.     Nazaroff WW, Weschler CJ. Cleaning products and air fresheners: exposure to primary and secondary air pollutants. Atmospheric Environment. 2004;38(18):2841-2865. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.02.040 

6.     Cleaning Supplies and Household Chemicals | American Lung Association. Accessed October 16, 2019. https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/indoor/indoor-air-pollutants/cleaning-supplies-household-chem.html 

7.     Chowdhury PH, He Q, Lasitza Male T, Brune WH, Rudich Y, Pardo M. Exposure of Lung Epithelial Cells to Photochemically Aged Secondary Organic Aerosol Shows Increased Toxic Effects. Environ Sci Technol Lett. 2018;5(7):424-430. doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00256

8.     Svanes Ø, Bertelsen RJ, Lygre SHL, et al. Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;197(9):1157-1163. doi:10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC 

9.     Hardie KR. Antimicrobial resistance: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences. 2020;4(2):129-136. doi:10.1042/ETLS20190194

10.  Holmberg SD, Solomon SL, Blake PA. Health and Economic Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance. Reviews of Infectious Diseases. 1987;9(6):1065-1078. doi:10.1093/clinids/9.6.1065

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