A clean and beautiful house, who doesn’t love it. Owning a beautiful house is obviously a dream of many of us but our work does not stop at just buying it, we have to put some extra effort into making it our dream place. And for that we have some helping hands available in the market we call them Household Cleaning Products. You might think they help in making your house look clean, but the reality is somewhere hidden from us. We in this article are going to shed some light on the harmful effects of these so-called “helping hands” and how these household cleaners that can kill you.
Below are some most commonly used products on a daily basis and we will see how brutally they affect our health.
1. Floor Cleaners
First on the list comes floor cleaners, various national and international brands of floor cleaner are available in the market. But no matter how branded or local product you are using they all have some common toxic ingredients present on them. Your house might seem cleaner in 3D, but the truth is we have no idea how much hazardous chemicals it leaves behind. The list of chemicals is very long but some of them are mentioned below:
Sodium Hypochlorite
Sodium Hypochlorite, a chemical which is aqua toxic (means the presence of this chemical causes major problems in living organisms and human health through aquatic exposure). Not only that but the higher concentrations of this chemical can also cause a severe lung disease called wet lungs or pulmonary edema.
Chloroxylenol
Next on the list comes Chloroxylenol. As of its name, the problems caused by this chemical are complicated too. It works as a toxin for our central nervous system.
Benzalkonium Chloride
It is also one of the active ingredients in floor cleaners and is allergic in nature. Benzalkonium Chloride often causes itching, redness, swelling, and chemical burns.
MEA (monoethanolamine), DEA (diethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine)
Never heard the name of these chemicals? Well, the problems associated with them are not strange. Cancer: you might be aware of this name. These chemicals contain cancer causing nitrates.
Ironically these floor cleaners who we think are cleaning floors are the reason we are exposed to these harmful risks. Kids who love to play on the floor and often touch their hands in their eyes and mouth, can fall prey to problems associated with these harmful chemicals. It can also cause serious skin allergies to pets.
2. Mosquito Repellent
Most frequently used product in every household. As mentioned in its name it is a type of repellent but sadly, these repellents are the one attracting all the diseases to our house. There are various chemicals used in these repellents which are labelled as harmful or not safe to inhale. It does not matter whether you are using a high-end product or a local one, every mosquito repellent has one commonly used chemical called:
DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide)
Well not only its name is long but the list of diseases it causes is long too. Initially when you come in contact with this chemical it causes skin allergies, redness, and itching. But with higher exposure to these harmful chemicals our problems also elevate, these chemicals get absorbed by the skin and attack our nerves and brain.
Permethrin
It is a type of water pollutant and also the cause of many diseases. When permethrin comes in contact with the skin it causes a disease called scabies (in which red patches appear on the body). And if someone inhales it directly, it can even cause asthma.
Pyrethroid
Almost every company uses this chemical. The encounter with this chemical can make you feel low and exhausted initially. Although in the long term it can cause movement disorders, seizures and even have a direct harmful effect on skeletal and cardiac muscle.
3. Room Freshener
Fragrance plays an important role in making the decision of the product which we are going to buy. And room freshener is one of the most loved products of every one of us, because it freshens our house by its pleasant smell. But we highly doubt it. Have you ever seen the list of ingredients in a room freshener? No, right. Well, the reason being the chemicals used are so toxic for us, that they don’t even want to mention the name of it. But we got you, we will reveal the ingredients used.
Phthalates
Phthalates are one of the chemicals used in room freshener and are responsible for synthetic fragrance. Phthalates are a type of chemical compound which intrudes with the regular functioning of our endocrine system (which manages hormonal activity) and various other biological processes regulated by it. It even causes cardiovascular, urological and genital diseases. They are also neurotoxins which are associated with cancer, asthma and are also the reason for kidney and liver toxicity. There is a never-ending problem with these phthalates.
Ethoxylated ingredients
These are basically those ingredients which are made up by mixing two toxins together (Ethylene Oxide and 1,4 dioxane). These chemicals work as hormone disruptors and even cause many serious illnesses.
Toluene
If you think the list stops here then you are wrong. Toluene is a type of reproductive toxins which affects reproduction and often includes damage to chromosomes and the fetus.
4. Dishwashing Detergents
A very common product used in every household. But unlike its name it’s not washing away germs but giving an invitation to diseases. One of the chemicals used in dishwashing detergents is
Triclosan
It is a type of chemical which is used in different commonly used products like cosmetics and dishwashing detergents. Triclosan is an aggressive chemical which can affect fetal development and growth. It also works as an endocrine disruptor and might increase the risk of cancer.
Covid and our obsession with cleanliness
We have been using these products since forever, and the damage done by it is unimaginable. Well, what happened in the past we cannot change but from now on before buying any product, do check the ingredients listed on products.
And one more thing we should change is our mentality here. Human body is the greatest type of machine we can think of and its capabilities are beyond our thinking. We have been co-existing with these viruses for a long time and our body is also defending us without the help of these products.
After the pandemic, people have become obsessed with cleanliness, which has eventually led us to these diseases. We are not encouraging you to live in dirt but everything is ok when it is within the limit. And now you might be thinking that if all these ingredients are harmful then what we are supposed to use. So, for that you just have to stay connected with Yuvaap; we won’t leave you with any query or doubt in your mind. We in upcoming articles will let you know what environment-friendly substitutes you can use for keeping your house safe.
Conclusion
“All that glitters is not gold” and these chemical products are the perfect example of that. A clean house is beautiful indeed but do not get blind, by all this shine and dazzle. A healthy house is more beautiful than a so-called eye pleasing house.
References
Priyanka Khurana Goyal is an ardent fitness expert, fashion enthusiast, believer of chemical free lifestyle. Believing in profound benefits of chemical free lifestyle, she has embraced Read more