The Dangers Under Your Sink

Almost no one likes to clean. The red hands, the strong fumes, the watery eyes, the headaches. There’s not much to like except the end result—a clean house. 

However, switching to alternative cleaning supplies just may change your mind. With so many quality options available today, you no longer need to ventilate the house, don rubber gloves and hide the kids just to clean.

The arguments for switching to green cleaning aren’t just a matter of environmental ethics, or making housecleaning a more pleasant experience: Harsh chemical cleaners can cause a variety of health problems and injuries as well.

Chemical-based household cleaners can be especially problematic if someone in the house suffers from asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or recurring allergies.

“People with these respiratory problems tend to be sensitive to almost anything that can irritate the airways,” says Dr. Norman H. Edelman, Chief Medical Officer for the American Lung Association. “Any cleaning supplies that give off fumes or fragrances can irritate them.”

Edelman especially warns against products containing strong-smelling chlorine or ammonia, which can trigger asthma attacks and bronchial inflammation in sensitive people. “There are safer alternatives to all these products,” he says, “so if someone in the house has a respiratory problem, why take a chance?”

Those with respiratory sensitivities aren’t the only ones who’ll want to take note. While harsh cleaning chemicals will temporarily irritate many people’s skin, there’s a much greater chance of longer-term irritation if your skin is sensitive. Some people with contact dermatitis may be allergic to one or more of the chemicals in common cleaning products.

Dr. Kristin Stevens, a dermatologist for Providence Medical Group in Portand, Ore., says contact dermatitis rashes caused by cleaning supplies may not show up on the thicker skin of the hands.  Instead, it may appear on the thinner, more delicate skin of the eyelids or neck—places we frequently touch with our hands. In addition, eczema can also be triggered by household cleaning supplies.

“If you’re predisposed to eczema or contact dermatitis anywhere on your body, it’s best to use the gentlest cleaning products you can,” says Stevens.

If you have youngsters in the house, there’s even more incentive to get rid of those chemical cleaners. According to Dr. Erica Liebelt with the Association of American Poison Control Centers, more than 120,000 kids under the age of 6 were unintentionally exposed to household cleaning products in 2005. While many kids experienced no symptoms or mild symptoms, more serious cases led to burns of the skin, eyes, mouth, esophagus and stomach. In some cases, kids need to be on ventilators or respirators after aspirating cleaning chemicals into their lungs.

The dangers aren’t limited to children. Adults can get serious burns and even permanent eye damage when caustic agents (like toilet, tub, oven, and drain cleaner) come in contact with skin, eyes, and mucus membranes.

Not only are some of these cleaning chemicals dangerous, they might also be overkill. According to Mike Watson, Ph.D, a toxicologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, household cleaners labeled as disinfectants must be registered pesticides with the EPA. Do you really want to spray pesticides in your home when other, less toxic products can do the trick?