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JASMIN FROM SOUTH DAKOTA ASKS:
I dread spring cleaning because I don’t know how to find safe cleaning products. Where should I begin? Do you have healthy home cleaning tips to avoid toxic cleaning products?
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MOM DETECTIVE ANSWERS:
Come May, I am especially ready to embrace my spring cleaning routine. I empty closets, wipe down drawers, and pass on the stuff we never use or have outgrown. I clean behind appliances, vacuum headboards, lift the cushions, and probe into the corners for a deep clean like never before.
EPA says that indoor air is usually two to five times (and as much as 100 times) more polluted than outdoor air. Families with young children spend so much time at home. Poor indoor air can have a real impact.
The American Lung Association warns that many cleaners contain harmful lung-irritating ingredients that can contribute to poor indoor air quality. It makes sense you are concerned about finding safe cleaning products.
Are conventional cleaning products safe?
Cleaning products aren’t required to list their chemical ingredients on bottles like food or personal care products. Certain states, including New York and California, have pushed through “right to know” legislation to require disclosure of cleaning product ingredients. Unfortunately, this disclosure is sometimes allowed to occur online versus on a product bottle label—very inconvenient for a curious consumer shopping in a store.
We do know that common irritants and hazards found in conventional cleaners include things you might have heard of, like ammonia and bleach, plus big weird names you might need a degree in chemistry to recognize, like tetrachloroethylene, toluene, didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), and 2-butoxyethanol, among others.
As a result, some people choose to avoid unknown, possibly unsafe cleaning products and to DIY their own safe versions, using a mix of common household items, like baking soda, vinegar, water, and castile soap. They do the trick for most household chores, but not everyone likes to make their own cleaners. If you’d rather grab a bottle and get right to it, here’s how to avoid toxic cleaning products.
One simple way to know if you’ve got a harmful chemical or solvent in your cleaning products is to only shop for ones with third-party certification, like EPA’s Safer Choice Standard or Green Seal. Some certifications are more strict than others, so you will want to look into their criteria. You can also familiarize yourself with toxic cleaning product ingredients by visiting the MADE SAFE banned list of over 6,500 ingredients to avoid. You can search individual ingredients from your household cleaners—if you can find them listed on the bottle or somewhere online—to see if any of them are on the banned list. (If it turns out you need a replacement cleaner, you can search some recommended products here too.)
Fragrance stinks
Beyond solvents and surfactants, one nearly universal problem with conventional cleaners is scent or fragrance. The chemicals used to create any given fragrance are considered a trade secret, so there’s no telling what’s in them. If a cleaning product is scented and its ingredient list simply says “fragrance,” skip it. There are hundreds of harsh or harmful chemicals that can legally be included in a formula disguised by that one word. Many chemicals typically used in fragrance pose human and environmental concerns. For example, phthalates commonly found in fragrance are reproductive and developmental toxins. There are numerous other chemicals of concern in fragrance, including known carcinogens like benzene and formaldehyde.
An easy alternative when trying to locate safe cleaning products is to opt for fragrance-free versions. If you absolutely need a cleaner with a scent, make sure the label discloses what’s inside the fragrance. Some manufacturers do volunteer this information.
Air fresheners, plug-ins, or scented candles without disclosures can also be dangerous. Those items are likely polluting indoor air, not making them better. Some air freshener chemicals are associated with cancer and others are respiratory irritants. It’s best to skip them entirely. If you find you really want an aroma to mask a smell in your home, probe further. There could be a mold issue or something else that would be prudent to treat instead of covering it up with fragrance.
Typical ingredients to avoid in toxic cleaning products
Other ingredients to look out for that are common in household cleaning solutions are ammonium quaternary “quat” compounds. These are recognized as “quaternium” followed by a number, such as 15, or ending with “ammonium chloride,” as in alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides (ADBACs) or cetrimonium chloride. Most quats are believed to be endocrine-disrupting compounds linked to human reproductive or other hormonal issues as well as aquatic harm. Doctors and scientists say the best cure is prevention, so avoidance is the strategy here.
Beware of the use of antibacterial or antimicrobial products too. Those can contain known irritants and skin sensitizers resulting in contact allergies and more. Also avoid the surfactant ethanolamine compounds (MEA, TEA, DEA) often found in cleaning products and linked to health harms.
Spring cleaning dos and don’ts
- Start by opening the windows. This allows fresh air to circulate. Increased ventilation is important for improving indoor air quality.
- When cleaning, use the right product for the job. You don’t need something stronger than the job entails—even if you’re prepping for a big seasonal clean.
- Here are more tips on finding safe cleaning products and keeping kids safe.
Mom Detective’s favorite spring cleaning tasks
Clean the walls. Wrap a broom with a damp cloth and clean the dust from the top of the walls down to the floorboards. The damp towel will capture dust, spider webs, dirt, and even flame-retardant chemicals caught in that house dust and bring them to the floor. Then mop the floor with warm, soapy water—that’s all you ever need to clean floors—and let dry. A fragrance-free castile soap works well for this task.
Remember the baseboards. A damp cloth will also remove lingering dust or cobwebs from baseboards. For regular cleanups, damp mopping is always preferable to sweeping, as it can capture invisible chemicals in house dust.
Don’t forget door frames and high-touch areas. Wipe with a warm sponge. Dirt and oils from hands can otherwise make these places look grungy.
Tackle your appliances. Wipe down the oven with hot soapy water and use baking soda to lift baked-on goods. Clean the washing machine with a vinegar and water rinse or wash with fragrance-free third-party-certified safe dishwashing detergent.
Use a HEPA vacuum. HEPA filters trap fine particles. Use HEPA vacuums to dust furniture, pillows, headboards, and curtains.
Vinegar and water everything. This combination is a powerhouse. You can even use it around windows to discourage mold from collecting in the corners or crevices.
Armed with this list of what to avoid and safe cleaning tips, I hope you feel prepared to find safe cleaning products that work for you, clean better than ever, and help create a healthier home at the same time.
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