Every year, the average American household uses between twenty-five and forty pounds of toxic cleaning products in their home. For decades, consumers believed that a home can not be clean or smell fresh unless you could smell the chemicals from the cleaning products.
A 2007 study published in Insidemedicine, a physician-led news publication, says that household cleaners and sprays that are used as little as once a week, account for one in seven cases of asthma. There are also suspected links to toxic household chemicals and behavioral issues, ADHD, and ADD.
The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that volatile chemicals in cleaning products can affect health and the environment. The EPA has also stated that indoor air is three to seventy times more polluted than outside air. Fumes from toxic chemicals used to "clean and freshen" have no where to go, therefore they build up in the home.
Almost all consumers can feel the short term effects of household cleaners when using them in a poorly ventilated area. Most symptoms are minor and include nose, eye, and skin irritation. When using these products over a long period of time, they can have a more serious impact on human health. A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine stated that the use of household cleaners which contain certain volatile organic compounds resulted in an increased risk of developing asthma. Another study suggested other cleaning sprays can reduce lung function by up to four percent.
Clean your home in a healthier way. Make the move to "green" clean your home. Green cleaning products and homemade cleaning products are safer for your health and for the environment.
