Cleaning is essential to protecting our health in our place of work, schools and homes. Household cleaning products, including soap, polishes, and grooming supplies, often contain harmful chemicals. Some cleaning supplies can even be flammable or corrosive. Fortunately, a person can limit his/her exposure to those risks. Read all labels and follow instructions when using cleaning products. It could save your life. On the other hand, green cleaning products would help prevent this type of exposure.

For instance all-purpose cleaners usually contain detergents, grease-cutting agents, solvents and/or disinfectants. The specific chemicals in these ingredients include ammonia, sodium hypochlorite, trisodium phosphate etc. Depending on the ingredients used, all-purpose cleaners can irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat. They can be highly poisonous to both humans and animals if swallowed.

Today, many cleaning products can irritate the skin, eyes, throat, breathing and even cause headaches and other health problems, such cancer. Some products releases dangerous chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while other harmful chemicals include ammonia and bleach. Examples of VOCs are phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia compounds. VOCs can also lead to algal bloom that poisons drinking waters or lakes for swimming.

In addition, VOCs and other chemicals released when using cleaning supplies contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions and headaches. Studies are underway to assess how these chemicals affect people who have asthma and other respiratory illnesses. 

When mixing the contents of certain cleaners, you can trigger dangerous chemical reactions, such as the combination of ammonia and bleach. Mixing them produces toxic fumes that, when inhaled, cause coughing; difficulty breathing; and irritation of the throat, eyes and nose.

Green cleaning products minimizes exposure to toxic chemicals, reduces incidence of asthma attacks caused by dust and chemical allergens and improves indoor air quality by reducing airborne dust and chemical gases.

For more information please reference the  IJCSA Green Cleaning Directory below.

International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association - Green Cleaning Services (ijcsa.org)

Frances Kelly 

Apply The Pressure LLC