The Scary Truth About Household Cleaners

According to the EPA, indoor air quality can be up to 100 times worse than the air quality outdoors! Shocking, right!? And it turns out the products we use to clean our homes play a big part in this pollution.

The scary truth is that traditional cleaners fill our homes with toxic chemicals. Through inhalation and absorption through the skin, we and our families are exposed to these harmful ingredients daily. Unfortunately, the results can be devastating.

Here are 3 frightening ways traditional cleaners can impact our health:

1. THEY'RE LINKED TO CANCER

Chemical-based cleaners are full of ingredients suspected of causing cancer, including formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, bleach, and phthalates to name a few.

One study, for instance, found women who frequently used cleaning products were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

2. THEY CAUSE BREATHING PROBLEMS

Asthma is on the rise, especially among children, and researchers believe traditional cleaners have something to do with it.

Evidence suggests exposure to cleaning products not only affects current asthma sufferers, but can actually cause asthma in previously healthy individuals.

One study found those who used chemical-based cleaners at least once a week had a 30-50% increased risk of developing asthma. The researchers concluded that upwards of 1 in 7 cases of adult asthma are attributable to frequent use of cleaning products.

 

3. THEY CAN LEAD TO FERTILITY DAMAGE & BIRTH DEFECTS 

Household cleaning ingredients have been linked to a wide range of reproductive problems, including testicular damage, reduced fertility, low sperm count, decreased libido, and birth defects. 

A 2010 study, for example, found that children born to women with cleaning jobs have a substantially increased risk of suffering birth deformities, as well as decreased IQ and language skills.