How to Clean Your Home Without Harming Your Health
Even pleasant-smelling cleaning products can contain chemicals that are harmful to our health. Here's how to stay safe.
(Photo: shutterstock)All cleaning products contain ingredients that, in high concentrations, can cause damage of varying severity.
How can we achieve a clean home while minimizing harm to our health and the environment?
Modern cleaning products are designed for the contemporary individual who desires quick results with little effort. The quality of these cleaners is determined by whether they clean quickly and with minimal effort. Consequently, there are cleaning products with chemical and aggressive substances at dangerously high toxicity levels, often labeled with a "natural" scent.
In closed indoor spaces, these substances are even more hazardous, especially with closed windows. It's crucial to ventilate the home when using cleaning products, and it's even recommended to wear a mask.
The pleasant scents we smell are actually toxic chemicals entering our respiratory system and lungs. These are typically harmful substances, comparable to air pollution or cigarette smoke.
The duration of exposure to these chemicals determines the level of damage. With skin exposure, the damage accumulates over time - like dishwashing liquid, which may seem relatively harmless but causes harm in the long run.
The most dangerous substance is oven cleaner, a grease remover that contains a high concentration of alkali, causing severe damage. It's hazardous when inhaled, potentially harming the respiratory tract.
Bleach contains chlorine. Despite chlorine being a harmful substance, affecting both skin and lungs, it also impacts the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Therefore, if there are thyroid issues, avoid chlorine or at least reduce its use.
Inhaling the fumes of window cleaning sprays (the blue liquid) damages the lungs.
Never mix cleaning products. In some cases, a chemical reaction might occur, creating a new, even more toxic and dangerous substance.
Natural cleaning products are an option, but baking soda is an inorganic substance that dissolves in water and is good for cleaning grease, limescale, bathrooms, stains, and more.
Vinegar is used as a degreaser, for washing floors, laundry, and more.
Lemon also cleans and whitens.
General cleaner – mix a cup of vinegar with a cup of baking soda. It forms a paste. Transfer it to a jar and use it to clean surfaces with a sponge or cloth. You can add a few drops of tea tree oil.
