The average American home contains several gallons of toxic chemicals. These chemicals are typically found in the kitchen or bathrooms, in the form of cleaning products. If your cleaning products are claiming to have industrial strength, instead of taking that as a reason to purchase, you should probably take this as a cue that maybe the chemicals inside are more than what your family needs. Many of the bottles will clearly state, “keep out of reach of children,” yet people use them to clean the surfaces their children touch every day. So, what real harm can these chemical-based cleaning products do?
The truth is that these cleaning products can cause substantial health problems, but the risks go widely overlooked until it is too late. You are probably wondering how harmful chemicals are able to make their way into the regulated market. There are thousands of chemicals used within cleaning products, with little known information available regarding their long-term effects on human or environmental health.
Many of the cleaning products require warning labels, labels that are often taken too lightly. If you see your housekeeper using a product that has a label that says, “danger”, this is required of products that could be potentially fatal if less than one teaspoon were to be swallowed by a 180-pound male. Remember, the effects of these products are not only felt through ingestion. They can also cause illness or injury through direct contact or through the respiratory system. Through prolonged exposure to these products, the toxin levels in the body can increase until a real health problem is present.
So, what toxins are often present in household cleaners?
Neurotoxins – Long-term exposure could lead to problems with brain activity. These issues can include headaches, memory loss, or more serious neurological conditions.
Endocrine Disrupters – Endocrine disrupters are the most prevalent toxins in household cleaning products because they are used to produce synthetic fragrances. The disrupters affect human hormones and can lead to reproductive and developmental problems. Endocrine disrupters have also been linked to certain types of cancers.
Carcinogens – These toxins promote the growth and/or development of cancers in the body.
Along with the health problems mentioned above, common household cleaners have also been linked to causing conditions such as skin irritations and respiratory problems.
Now that you understand the health risks associated with the chemicals in household cleaners, you understandably want to learn how to avoid them. The best way to rid your home of harmful chemicals is to choose all natural products and organic cleaning services to clean your home.
It is not necessary to have harsh chemicals in order to achieve a clean and safe surface. Green products work just as well without all of the health risks and they are safe for the environment as well. When you are looking for a cleaning service in NYC, the smart and responsible choice for your home and health is certainly the natural and organic route.
