Did you know that a bunch of nasty chemicals accumulate in ordinary dust? Yes, even if you try to reduce plastic consumption and shop consciously, most homes often have computers, TVs, phones, and cables that can release flame retardants and so on.
When researchers have looked more closely at dust, they've found flame retardants, phthalates, and bisphenol A in addition to hair, skin flakes, and dust mites.
Nice, right?
The best way to protect ourselves from these chemicals is to clean and keep the home tidy. Vacuum (with a HEPA filter as close to 100% as you can find), wet-wipe, and ventilate!
If you want to keep your home free from nasties, you can simultaneously choose to switch to eco-cleaning instead of buying conventional cleaning products.
Eco-cleaning is both cheaper and more fun. But above all, you avoid a lot of harmful chemicals that hide in cleaning products.
Choosing eco-cleaning isn't just good for your health, it's also a very good deed for the environment!
10 cleaning products you should avoid
If you have regular cleaning products at home, be careful to read the information on the packaging, look for hazard symbols, and follow the instructions!
Always use gloves and other protective equipment recommended when working with the product, such as safety glasses or natural rubber cleaning gloves.
Always screw the cap back on the bottle when you're done and store the products in their original packaging – preferably locked in a cabinet out of reach of children!
Call 112 and ask for Poison Information if someone has ingested or gotten something corrosive on them.
1. Common laundry detergents for clothes
Laundry detergents for clothes often come in powder or liquid form. These can be irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Be extra careful if the products are concentrated.
Avoid fragranced laundry detergents above all. Synthetic fragrances can contain several hundred chemicals derived from the petroleum industry and also phthalates that can disrupt reproductive ability.
Phthalates are primarily used as plasticizers in plastic and rubber but also as solvents in fragrances and pesticides.
Choose saponin-based laundry detergents instead of surfactant-based ones. Saponin is found in soap nuts, for example.
You can also switch to an ecological laundry detergent that is just as effective as conventional ones.
2. Fabric softener
Fabric softener is the last chemical that clothes are exposed to before the wash is complete, and these often remain in the textiles. Since textiles lie against our skin and can be absorbed, they then enter our bloodstream.
All products that contain water, such as fabric softeners, need to contain preservatives to prevent them from being attacked by mold and destroyed. Many of these preservatives are toxic to aquatic organisms and can disrupt the biological treatment of our wastewater.
Use a little vinegar as fabric softener instead and add a few drops of essential oil if you want fragrance.
3. Cleaning products
This category includes all-purpose cleaners and liquid cleaning products that contain synthetic surfactants, fragrances, and unnecessary colorants. These become extra irritating to our lungs, since there's a high risk that you'll inhale the small droplets when you spray the product. They can also irritate skin and eyes.
They often contain surfactants that dissolve grease and dirt by reducing water's surface tension, as well as petroleum products that are both difficult to break down and toxic to all life in our waters.
The synthetic surfactants can also smell a bit musty. That's why fragrance is often added to cleaning products.
Choose soap or eco-labeled dish soap or cleaning products instead.
4. Window cleaner
Window cleaner contains synthetic surfactants, fragrances, and unnecessary colorants just like all-purpose cleaners. These become easy to inhale when you spray the product, which irritates the lungs, eyes, and skin.
Instead, you can mix your own window cleaner with this recipe consisting of vinegar, water, and dish soap.
5. Dishwasher detergent
Dishwasher detergents are extra risky because they are highly concentrated. Additionally, many are packaged in a microfilm that releases microplastics into our oceans when it dissolves. Microplastics that are eaten by our fish and then we eat the fish.
Choose eco-labeled dishwasher detergent without plastic film instead.
6. Descaling agents
Descaling agents are also highly concentrated and therefore extra risky.
Choose vinegar instead, which is a natural water softener.
7. Oven cleaner
Potassium and sodium hydroxide are examples of alkalis that can be found in oven cleaning products. They are also called caustic soda and are very corrosive.
Since oven cleaning products are highly concentrated, extra caution is therefore required.
Choose soap instead and follow the instructions on Morotsliv.
8. Chlorine bleach
Chlorine bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which is an alkali that is highly corrosive and has a very high pH. It is highly irritating and can cause chemical burns if it comes into contact with skin or eyes.
Choose sodium percarbonate instead, which is naturally bleaching thanks to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen.
9. Drain cleaners
Drain cleaners are terribly corrosive and can quickly cause serious and permanent chemical burns to the mouth, esophagus, eyes, and skin. Every year, children and adults are treated in hospitals due to injuries caused by drain cleaners containing sodium or potassium hydroxide, also called caustic soda or lye.
On Morotsliv you can find recipes for a milder but effective variant of drain cleaner with vinegar and baking soda or sodium carbonate.
10. Air freshener spray
Air freshener spray is something you breathe in. And the synthetic fragrances contain many substances that disrupt our reproductive ability, the environment, etc.
Choose natural fragrances and air freshener sprays instead.
If you want to save on your household budget and learn more about eco-cleaning, there's a highly appreciated course available for getting started with eco-cleaning!
