If you have ever looked at a cleaning product closer, you might have seen warning labels. This begs the question: are household cleaners toxic for us or the environment?
Many common cleaning products that we use around the home contain harsh chemicals to get rid of dirt, grime and grease. To have a clean home, we accept this.
But is it good to use harsh cleaners at home, where we come in contact with it on a daily basis? Also, what impact do these chemicals have on our planet?
I was asking myself these questions. So I decided to do some research into this topic.
In this article I will share my findings with you and answer the question: are household cleaners toxic for us or the environment?
How Are Household Cleaners Toxic For Us?
In my quest to answer the question of are household cleaners toxic, I quickly found the answer. And it’s yes, they are.
Most of the chemicals used in common cleaning products have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, which studies have linked to cancer and other illnesses.
There are three ways that chemical cleaning products can impact our health:
- Breathing in their vapours
- Swallowing them
- Our skin getting in contact with them
Let’s look at each way in more detail, so you get a good understanding of how chemicals cleaners could harm you and your family.
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1. Breathing In Vapours
When we ask: how are household cleaners toxic for us, we have to think about air pollution. As a cleaning product is used, it will release gases and aerosols (tiny droplets) into the air.
These can be inhaled by children, pets and adults and can cause harm.
Even though manufacturers say that the quantities they use in their products are so small, that they won’t cause harm, we use those products regularly.
For example, most people clean their kitchen work tops every day, I know I do. This means they use a kitchen cleaner daily and breathe in its vapours.
As a result, the chemicals will build up in our bodies as well as the environment. And that’s the problem.
While small amounts might not cause harm, over time more and more of these chemicals will become present in us and our home.
And you probably use more than one cleaning product. Bathroom cleaners, window and glass cleaners, surface polishers, floor cleaners, the list could go on.
So when you think about it, you are exposed to a lot of vapours and aerosols from cleaning products. And it’s not just you either, your family will be too.
Dangerous chemicals found in cleaning products that are toxic when inhaled include:
- Ammonia
- Sodium Dicholoisocyanurate Dihydrate
- Butoxyethanol
- Phtalates
- Phenols
Cleaners that are sprayed are most likely to be inhaled, such as kitchen and bathroom cleaners, furniture polish and air fresheners.
2. Swallowing
Are household cleaners toxic if you swallow them? Well, the answer is yes.
Admittedly, this is not something adults would do. But children or pets might. So it’s important to know that they won’t get harmed if it does happen.
Especially, because ingesting those nasty chemicals is worse for children and animals than it is for adults. A very good reason to always keep cleaning products out of sight and reach of kids and pets.
Some of the most harmful chemicals that are toxic when ingested are found in toilet bowl cleaners, bathroom cleaners and drain cleaners.
These are some of the most dangerous chemicals found in these products:
- Chlorine
- Sodium Hypochlorite
- Ammonia
While these are really nasty, none of the most commonly used chemicals are harmless when ingested.
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3. Skin Contact
The third way household cleaners are toxic to us is by contact with our skin.
While you could prevent this from happening by wearing rubber gloves, most people I know don’t use them. I don’t like them myself.
Especially when you are just quickly cleaning up some spills or getting rid of a stain. But some of the chemicals used in cleaning products can cause real harm when in contact with your skin.
These include:
- Chlorine
- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QUATs)
- Sodium Hydroxide
- Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA)
- Triclosan
- Phenols
Some of these are used in products we use very often, such as washing up liquids, detergents and all-purpose cleaners.
As you can see, the answer “are household cleaners toxic for us?” has to be answered with yes.
How Chemical Cleaners Impact Our Environment
Given how toxic some of these chemicals used in common cleaning products are, it won’t surprise you that they are also toxic for our environment.
But how are household cleaners toxic for the environment? Well, they mostly enter our ecosystem via our drains.
When we clean sinks, showers, toilets, dishes, wash our clothes, we put these chemicals down our drains.
Of course, they will go through water treatment plants, which will prevent a good amount of those chemicals from entering our waterways.
But small amounts get through regularly and that’s the problem. Because even small amounts of some of those chemicals can cause real harm to our environment.
Through our drains these nasties end up in our rivers, lakes, ponds and even the ocean.
There, they can cause all sorts of problems for wildlife. For example, phosphates, which you find in bathroom cleaners and dishwasher detergents, boost growth of aquatic plants.
Not a problem, you think? Think again. If the plants get bigger they will need more oxygen, which they take from the water. This means fish and other aquatic life could suffocate due to lack of enough oxygen in water.
Sodium Hypochlorite, which is used in bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, bathroom cleaners and laundry whiteners, is toxic for underwater life.
Ammonia contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases and is linked to loss of biodiversity in the water as well as on land.
Chlorine is also very harmful to aquatic and wildlife. Not surprising, given how dangerous it is for us. But animals don’t have a choice: if it’s in their habitat, the river or lake, they can’t escape it.
Rivers and other waterways are drinking holes for a host of wildlife, which means they ingest these nasty chemicals.
You can find out more about which substances are particularly bad for the planet in our handy guide: Are cleaning products bad for the environment?
Alternatives To Chemical Household Cleaners
Now that we know that the answer to our question, “are household cleaners toxic?”, is yes, let’s see what we can do about it.
The best way to avoid that these nasty chemicals cause harm to us, our family and the environment is to stop using household cleaning products that contain them.
But how do I keep my home clean, I hear you ask. The answer is, by using cleaners that don’t contain these toxic chemicals.
And you have options too. Because there are three ways to keep your house clean without using dangerous cleaning products:
- Homemade cleaners
- Probiotic cleaning products
- Cleaners with natural ingredients
So there is no need to hold on to common household products to keep your house clean.
1. Homemade Cleaning Products
One way to avoid harmful chemicals is to make your own cleaning products. This might sound like something your grandma or great-grandma would do, but some of the homemade cleaning products do work.
If you wonder whether you now have to buy a lab coat and a chemistry lab, don’t worry. The concept of homemade cleaners is simple: you use common household items to clean your home.
No chemicals and you probably have some of them in your cupboard right now. Here are some of the most effective homemade cleaning products out there.
Vinegar
You might have heard people say that vinegar is great for cleaning. It’s a cleaning product in itself.
You can use white vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner. The reason it works is because it’s naturally acidic. This means that it is able to lift dirt, so you can wipe it away.
To make your own vinegar multipurpose cleaner, mix white vinegar with water at ratio of 1:10. Add the mixture to an old, clean spray bottle, and you are ready to go.
Not keen on the smell of vinegar in your home? First, remember that it’s mostly water. But you can add lemon peel or herbs (I like lavender) to your homemade cleaner as a natural fragrance.
This chemcial-free cleaner will work pretty much everywhere in the house. But as it is very acidic, don’t use it on ceramics or stone, as this could cause damage.
Use vinegar together with normal salt, and you have a great mould remover. Spray your vinegar water mix on the mould and leave.
About 20 minutes should be enough. Then dip an old toothbrush in salt and start rubbing the mouldy areas. It will get rid of the mould without using any harmful chemicals.
Mixing white vinegar with rubbing alcohol will give you a fabulous window cleaner. No chemicals needed to get streak-free windows or mirrors.
Simply mix 3 tablespoons of white vinegar with 250ml of water in a spray bottle. Mix in 60ml of rubbing alcohol and that’s it. Use it like a common window cleaner from the supermarket.
Finally, vinegar and baking soda are a great combination to get rid of germs in your toilet.
To make this chemical-free toilet cleaner, mix warm water and white vinegar at a ratio of 1:1 in a spray bottle. Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda and shake well.
Spray your homemade cleaner on your toilet and wait for 20 minutes for the ingredients to start working.
Then roll up your sleeves and scrub away. Because there are no harsh chemicals, you will have to put a bit more work in. But it’s worth it!
Baking Soda
This is another storecupbaord ingredient that can be used to clean your home in many ways.
Bicarbonate of soda, another name for baking soda, makes a great kitchen cleaner. Just mix 4 tablespoons with 450ml warm water in an old spray bottle.
You can then use it to clean your kitchen worktops and appliances. Because baking soda has deodorising properties, which means it neutralises odours, it’s also perfect to clean your fridge with.
It will not only get rid of any dirt but also leave your refrigerator smelling fresh. And all that without any nasty or harmful chemicals. Isn’t that great!
If you have stainless steel in your home that could do with a polish, mix the bicarbonate soda with warm water to a thick paste.
Use a soft cloth, preferably cotton, to rub the paste on the steel. This will remove any stains there might be. To get it properly shiny, just buff the steel with a clean cloth.
Got any though stains that just don’t want to shift? Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with one tablespoon of lemon juice (normally the juice of half a lemon) and make a paste.
Use the paste to clean off the stain, then wet a cloth with water and remove any residue of the baking soda and lemon paste.
Combine bicarbonate of soda with salt, and you have a dry rub that will keep your bathroom spotless and shiny. Just mix both ingredients at a ratio of 1:1 and rub away.
You will see soap residue disappear in no time without using any harmful chemicals.
Citric Acid
If, like me, you live in a hard water area, you probably need a cleaner that can get rid of limescale.
The good news is, you don’t need any harsh chemicals; all you need is citric acid. It might sound harsh, but it’s not.
It’s a weak acid that you will find in citrus fruits such as lemons or oranges. You can buy it in the form of powder to get the concentrated power of citric acid.
Simply mix 200g of the acid with 150ml of water, and you have a tough limescale remover minus the harsh chemicals.
I use lemon juice to remove limescale from the spout of my kettle, and it works great. But if you have tougher limescale stains, then the citric acid powder will do the job.
So you see, you don’t need all these nasty chemicals to keep your home clean. You don’t even need to buy any cleaning products if you don’t want to.
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2. Probiotic Cleaning
But if, for any reason, you are not keen on using homemade cleaners, then probiotic cleaning might be your thing.
It’s definitely mine; I love it. If you have never heard of it, you can read our complete guide about probiotic cleaning.
But basically you use good bacteria to get rid of dirt and harmful bacteria and germs. Sounds weird? Think of it like these probiotic drinks for your gut.
They help your digestive system to keep you healthier. Well, it’s the same with probiotic cleaning.
Probiotic cleaners contain good bacteria, which eat dirt, grime and grease. These little fellas are already in your home, but by adding more of them, you create a super strong army of them.
They will outcompete the bad bacteria and germs and so make your home a clean and healthy space for you and your family.
And I can tell you, these little wonder bacteria are doing a great job. My probiotic carpet cleaner had no problem with a blood stain. And old cat sick stains that other carpet cleaners struggled with are now all gone.
Are you as excited about this as me? Try it out for yourself!
Top Recommended Probiotic Cleaner – Microbz
I came across Microbz during my research about eco-friendly cleaning. This UK-based company is run by a husband and wife team who have discovered their love for bacteria and decided to make a business out of it.
They make their own probiotics right here in the UK and are really passionate about it. Apart from probiotic cleaning products they also make probiotics for gut health, which I tried and are a fan, probiotics for pets, and probiotic products for the garden.
They have a small but sufficient range of probiotic cleaners that will clean your whole house: all-purpose surface cleaner, power cleaner, drain cleaner and air freshener.
I have opted for the Microbz power cleaner, because it will work for everyday cleaning as well as tougher stains. And boy oh boy is this cleaner impressive.
Not only can you use it for pretty much everything in the house, it does really work on tough stains. I managed to get cat-sick stains out of my carpets that were there for years and nothing could shift them.
And this is achieved without using harsh or harmful chemicals. Just natural ingredients and the help of good bacteria.
Their packaging is made from 100% recycled materials, this includes their plastic bottles the probiotic cleaners come in. And the bottle and cap are recyclable again once you are done with it.
But that won’t happen too quickly, because they sell their probiotic cleaners as concentrates. One of those bottles will give you a staggering 25 spray bottles (500ml). All you need is a cap full of cleaner and tap water.
This makes these cleaners really great value for money, saving you money while also saving the planet. The only downside is that once you have made up a bottle, you have to use it within 2 weeks.
However, as they are all-purpose cleaners, one bottle won’t last that long anyway, so it’s not really a problem at all.
I love the concept of probiotics, because using good bacteria means we work with nature rather than against it.
Oh, I forgot to say. You know when you have finished cleaning and are sitting down to realx? These little fellas continue, because they are your army of cleaners that won’t stop. I cannot recommend this brand enough.
3. Natural Cleaning Products
Are you still here? Great, I thought you might have gone off to buy your Microbz probiotic cleaner.
There is a third way to clean without dangerous chemicals. Using natural cleaning products. Basically, they use natural ingredients such as vinegar and citric acid to make cleaning products without the toxic chemicals.
Of course, on the label they will use different words, but in effect natural cleaners are similar to the homemade ones. Although they might use some ingredients that you wouldn’t in a homemade cleaner.
The most common ingredients are:
- Acetic acid – basically vinegar
- Sodium chloride – salt
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid – an acid your body produces during exercise, but they probably get it in a different way
- Perfume made from organic oils
- Surfactants
Now you are probably wondering why there are surfactants in natural cleaning products. These are cleaning and foaming agents.
While there are bad ones, such as SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate), others aren’t.
SLS and SLES are synthetic and mostly made from fossil fuels. They are also known to be harsh.
Most natural cleaning products don’t contain these, but a milder and eco-friendly alternative. Look out for ones that clearly state they don’t use SLS or SLES.
Fancy giving natural cleaning a go?
Recommended Natural Cleaner – Bower
This UK-based company manufactures natural cleaning products that don’t contain any toxins. And Bower also is a sustainable brand that makes sure they contribute to the elimination of plastic waste.
They sell all their cleaners in refill pouches, which you can send back to them in one of their prepaid returns envelopes. You can also add caps, lids and pumps and send them to Bower.
They will then either recycle all these things or if it’s a new pouch they will refill it. This no-waste system is great, and just what our planet needs.
And the best for you: it’s easy and does not cost you a penny more.
They have a good range, which includes limescale remover, all-purpose cleaners/sanitisers, toilet cleaners, bathroom cleaners, glass and mirror cleaners, floor cleaners and multi-surface cleaning gels.
You can choose different fragrances that will make your house smell lovely and clean. The Bower natural cleaning products are effective and safe for your family and our environment.
And their customers agree. They love their products.
Conclusion
So are household cleaners toxic for us and the environment? Yes, they contain a range of toxic chemicals that can harm your family and our planet.
But the good news is, you don’t have to use them. You can make your own safe cleaners from a few kitchen cupboard ingredients.
Or why not get people to do your cleaning. And I mean tiny little people, good bacteria to be precise. Probiotic cleaning is exciting, works and is great for us and the environment. Check out probiotic products from Microbz.
Natural cleaners use natural ingredients that clean your house without the toxins. You can have a clean house while keeping your loved ones and the planet from harm. Try natural cleaners from Bower.
Now you just have to decide which of these options is the right one for you. I know which I like the best.
Top-Rated Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
| Cleaning Products | Value For Money | Effectiveness | Ease Of Use | My Rating | Full Review | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding | Excellent | Great | 4.90/5 | Read Review | Visit Website |
| Outstanding | Excellent | Great | 4.90/5 | Read Review | Visit Website |
| Great | Outstanding | Excellent | 4.87/5 | Read Review | Visit Website |
