Hidden Hazards of 6 Common Household Cleaners
By admin on May 8, 2008 in Health
The average home contains over 60 toxic chemicals; some of which are in common household cleaners. Prolonged exposure can lead to serious illnesses and sometimes death. These irritants can be particular dangerous to the elderly, children and pregnant women.
Here are 6 of the most deadly ones.
1. Ammonia
Not only can ammonia trigger asthma, it can kill if mixed with common bleach. Prolonged exposure to ammonia can cause chemical burns to the lungs and skin as well as scarring of the cornea.
2. Carpet Shampoo
Some shampoos used for carpets contain perchloroethylene, a known carcinogen, which can cause kidney, and nervous system damage. Some also have ammonium hydroxide, which is an eye, skin and lung irritant.
3. Dishwasher detergents
Many of the common dishwasher products have dry chlorine and are the #1 cause of accidental child poisonings. You can possibly absorb the particles of dry chlorine that may still remain on your dishes as you heat your food. Damage to mucous membranes and the throat are also some of the problems associated with dishwasher detergents.
4. Furniture polish
Petroleum distillates are often found in many furniture polishes. Now only are they very flammable, but they can also cause lung and skin cancer. Other chemicals in furniture polishes to watch out for are phenol and nitrobenzene which can be absorbed through the skin.
5. Toilet Bowl Cleaners
Often containing hydrochloride acid which is a corrosive, they can irritate the eyes and skin and can cause possible damage to the kidney sand liver. Toilet bowl cleaners are very dangerous if swallowed, causing vomiting, coma and under some circumstances, pulmonary edema.
6. Air fresheners
A common chemical in many air fresheners is formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen, as well as phenol which can cause hives, and the burning and peeling of the skin.
How can you protect yourself and your loved ones from these dangers?
1. Always wear gloves as you do housework
This will keep you from absorbing many chemicals through the skin of your hands.
2. Open your windows and circulate the air
You can also protect you family with such indoor plants as areca, lady palms, bamboo and ferns, which can help absorb toxic substance in the air.
3. Use baking soda, salt and water paste to clean your oven instead of commercial oven cleaners.
Don't let your ovens go so long until grease and grime build up to the point you have to use strong chemicals. Clean your oven more often with softer and safer cleaners. Next time purchase a self cleaning oven.
4. Only use"green" dishwasher detergents
Look on the label and only buy those detergents that are phosphate and chlorine free.
5. Clean your carpets with simple but effective cleaning mixtures you make up yourself
Baking soda and water work well for your carpets. Also use salt for wine or fruit stains. Club soda can be used effectively for lighter stains while you can deodorize your carpets with baking soda and cornstarch.
The real secret to effective cleaning is to get the stains up quickly before they dry.
Becoming aware of the hazards of common household cleaners will help keep your family safe. This is especially important for your elderly loved ones and could help you avoid many cancer dangers as well as other serious health problems lurking in your own home.
Popularity: 35% [?]

Tags: Health, dangers for the elderly, dangers of household cleaners, keeping older people safe
APA Related Posts
-
10 Tips for Preventing Falls Falls are the leading cause of accidental deaths and serious injuries for aging seniors over 65.Facts are 30 percent of the people in this group will fall this year. But it doesn't have to be like that. Falls are not a natural part of aging.Not only are falls dangerous, but they are...... -
Obesity Caused by a Germ? Obesity can be caused by a germ, according to a new study. The germ culprit is called AD-36 and has been contracted by 33 per cent of obese adults, according to researchers. Only 11 per cent of average weight people have the germ. AD-36 causes fat cells to multiply which...... -
Tips On Skin Care If you need to find out how to get rid of breakouts, or how to stop them, or simply if you just want to know how you can maintain a clear and healthy complexion, then there are some useful skin care tips can easily learn to help you bring bring...... -
New Driving Rules for Elderly May Cause More Problems The debate concerning older drivers rages on.It's such an issue, I thought the article from Australia should be included in today's post because it illustrates just how far a government is willing to go. Restricting how and where older people can drive may cause more problems than it solves. And...... -
Unbiased Guidebook to The Family Financial Stress Caused By Lack Of Critical Health Coverage When you are youthful in shape, it is difficult to plan for the day when that might not be, but critical illness insurance is something that we all should make provision for. At the very least getting free insurance quotes will assist you in planning for the type of coverage......
APA Related Websites
-
Avoid Foreclosure 'Miracle' Saves Orlando Family's Home! Avoid foreclosure now and save your family's home with a REAL loan modification. John & Sally S. of Orlando, FL, just knew they had lost their home. Months behind on payments and too scared to answer their phone or call their lender, they packed and waited for the moving truck....... -
What Is BTH And Why You Should Avoid It. This past week I got an email from Shayna about an ingredient she has been seeing in a lot of skincare products called BHT, which is short for butylated hydroxytoluene. This lipophilic (fat-soluble) phenol is primarily used as an antioxidant food additive as well as in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet...... -
First Aid in Home Repairs, pt1 Here is a basic guide to dealing with first aid issues in home repair and home renovation projects. Severe Bleeding: In order to stop severe bleeding, direct pressure needs to be applied to the wound using a compress or a pad. You can use any clean cloth that is available...... -
Why Call It Cleaning If We Just Spray Toxic Chemicals All Over The House? Sadly, the majority of people in the world still use toxic and potentially dangerous chemicals to "clean" their homes with. What I don't understand, however, is why it's called "cleaning" when it's anything but? Toxic ingredients like Butyl Cellosolve, a neurotoxin which causes liver and kidney damage and is found...... -
Skin Care Advice for Dry Skin If you have dry skin, and you're ready to get rid of it once and for all, then this is the skin care advice for you. There is absolutely nothing worse in the world than having skin that is dry, itchy and uncomfortable. Dry skin is capable of happening at......





4 Comment(s)
By House Cleaning on May 8, 2008 | Reply
Hi,
You make some good points here. A note about the chlorine and bleach… When mixed the resulting gas cloud is almost an explosion. It expands very rapidly, so experimenting with that mix is NOT recommended.
Also, can you expand on using salt and such for cleaning? Doesn't that leave a salt reside which will build up over time?
By phentermine on Dec 12, 2009 | Reply
It seems that you are maintaining a steady blogging pace. Well done! Looking for more updates from your end. Thanks a lot! regards
By vacuum pool cleaners on Dec 27, 2009 | Reply
Woah… air fresheners can also be hazardous?
vacuum pool cleaners´s last undefined ..(Enjoy 10 returned posts for Christmas)
By Tim@Oven Cleaning on Jan 4, 2010 | Reply
This is a very good post. When cleaning your oven you should try to use some that are completely caustic soda free. Some of them are really abrasive and not good for you at all.