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The Facts About Disinfectant Cleaners

Everyone uses disinfectant cleaners in the home. But have you checked the ingredients? First, you can’t
pronounce them. Then, you have few clues as to what most of them are. If you are at all concerned
about the health and safety of your family, you need to pay attention.
Cleaning products contain chemicals that cause asthma, lung inflammation, asthma-like symptoms and
other respiratory problems. They also contain endocrine disrupting chemicals. Plus, many of the
ingredients in cleaning products evaporate easily, polluting your indoor air.
Most of the time, however, you don't really know the specific chemicals in your cleaners. That's because
manufacturers aren't required to list the ingredients on the labels. Sometimes they'll list vague
categories like surfactants and fragrance that could be any of hundreds of different chemicals.
Most of what is known about the chemicals in cleaning products comes from researchers. For example,
a 2014 study found 132 chemicals in the 105 cleaning products that were tested. The main groups of
chemicals that were identified in the cleaners included fragrance, glycol ethers, surfactants and
disinfectants.
Each of these chemical groups exposes you to toxins when you inhale them while you’re cleaning your
home and for hours afterwards. They can also enter your body through your skin.  Is this crazy or what? Here are a few, but not all, of the chemicals to look out for:

Ammonia

Vapors may irritate the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. People with asthma may be particularly sensitive to
the effects of breathing ammonia. Ammonia may also cause kidney and liver damage. If ammonia is
mixed with products containing chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), highly poisonous chloramine gas
is formed.
Coal tar dyes

Derived from petrochemicals and may be contaminated with trace amounts of heavy metals like arsenic,
cadmium and lead. There is concern that synthetic dyes may cause cancer and that heavy metals can
harm the nervous system and cause other adverse health effects. They are completely unnecessary to
the cleaning function of the product.

Phosphates

Function as a fertilizer in water. High concentrations of phosphates in bodies of water can promote
harmful algal blooms and increase weed growth. New regulations took effect in 2010 that limit
phosphorus concentration in household cleaning products to 0.5 per cent — a big improvement.

 

Phthalates

They are found in many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, even toilet
paper. Because of proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents. Phthalates
are known endocrine disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had
correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health.
This is not a complete list, so beware. One great way to avoid chemicals and other toxic substances in
your home is to use a clean, green, non-toxic cleaner. One such is a product called Sol-U- Guard, a
disinfectant made by an American green manufacturing company. This product has citric acid and
thyme oil as active ingredients, which are both safe and pure.

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The Top Nine Chemical Nightmares Lurking in Your Household Products

A lot of the focus on the FDA lately has been about what is going into our food, but people are failing to see just how bad things have really become. If the regulation of consumable products has been lackluster, then the attention given to shampoos and soaps is virtually non-existent. Thousands of chemicals fill products that we use and absorb into our bodies every time we shower or even wash our hands! With no pre-product approval, it is impossible to tell just what chemicals we are exposed to, but here are nine that you certainly need to avoid!

Parabens: This nasty concoction has been used for quite some time under the guise of a necessary ingredient due to its ability to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast. However, it also contains estrogen-like properties that have shown correlation to the increased risk of contracting breast cancer and are commonly found in shampoos, washes, deodorant, etc.

Synthetic Colors: Watch out for ingredients like D&C Red 27 and FD&C blue 1. After all they are derived from things like petroleum and coal tar. It isn’t very surprising that it is suspected to be a carcinogen and skin irritant, but it is shockingly linked to ADHD in children!

Fragrance: Here is where this tour starts to truly get scary. Fragrance was originally a term used to protect a company’s secret formula, but in this day and age, at least the FDA should know what is making your shampoo smell. We know the identities of many chemicals that create mood-calming/refreshing scents, but if they don’t even have to list their “secret blend” on the bottle, how can we even know it is dangerous or not!

Phthalates: We commonly see phthalates in the form of dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate and dimethyl phthalate in many hair care products, lotions, and perfumes. These compounds have a lot of evidence showing they increase the risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and even reproductive birth defects in men and women.

Triclosan: Get ready to visit yet another endocrine disruptor, except this one targets your thyroid as well as your reproductive hormones. Research is showing that excessive exposure leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What makes it worse? The fact that most research shows it kills no more bacteria than natural hand-soap.

Sodium lauryl sulfate/Sodium laureth sulfate: These nasty chemicals can be found in pretty much any that foams up. It is a known skin, lung, and eye irritant, but a far larger concern is that SLS creates nitrosamines when combined with the wrong chemicals. This leads to all sorts of issues, but the kidneys and respiratory system take the hardest hit. Watch out for this ingredient in shampoo, body wash, mascare and acne creams.

Formaldehyde: A liquid that immediately makes us think of CSI and dead corpses, this embalming fluid is often found in products as a preservative, but it isn’t meant for the living. It was already deemed a carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens and it can have a harsh impact on your immune system. Common products containing this ingredient are nail polish, conditioners, washes, cleansers, nail polish treatments, shampoos, eye shadows, and the list goes on.

Toluene: Another petrochemical that comes from petroleum or coal, you will often find it in phenylmethane, benzene, toluol, methylbenzene. Seeing as this chemical is normally used as a paint thinner, you can imagine what it does to your skin and lungs. While the fumes are harmful to people of all ages, expecting mothers should especially beward since toluene is directly related to developmental damage in the fetus. To add to the fire, it can harm your immune system as well. Be careful when selecting items like nail polish, hair bleaching products, and nail treatment.

Propylene glycol: We see this in most things we rub into our skin or spray onto ourselves, but there is only so much we can take. When making your purchase, make sure the propylene glycol levels are below 2%. Anything higher is already at risk for causing dermatitis and hives, so it is best to avoid it altogether.

While we use most of the products mentioned in this blog on a daily basis, we aren’t as doomed as it may seem. It is true that most of the well-known brands are chalked-full of nasty chemical combos that will demolish your system, but keep in mind there is a natural alternative to every one of these items listed. Whether you learn from us our take your own path, just know that when it comes to household products and personal care items, it is better to be able to read the ingredient list without a PHD in chemistry!

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Widespread Chemical – Phthalates Cause Extreme Reproductive Issues

Phthalates, which are pronounced “thalates” are widespread in many soft plastic products such as toys, hairspray, lubricants, fragrance and perfumes to name a few. You can even find them in your medications. The worst thing, is that phthalates will probably not even be listened on the list of ingredients. As the are one of my parts included in the word “fragrance”. In addition, toys do not have ingredient lists, so no one knows which toys contain phthalates.

Unfortunately, these “invisible” phthalates are in hundreds, if not thousands of products that we use on a daily basis. Why are these phthalates so bad for us? Well, studies have shown that men’s reproductive system is quite sensitive to phthalates, particularly when they are exposed in the womb. Some phthalates produce extreme male genital defects and others have noted reductions in semen production.

All of these conditions are from women being exposed to phthalates while pregnant. Phthalates exposure has been linked to breast cancer and testicular cancer in men and has also been linked to neurological and behavioral difficulties. Some other studies have linked phthalates to obesity and a diabetic risk. As of 2009, California has banned the use of phthalates in childrens’ toys and childcare articles. It is illegal to sell, manufacture, or distribute these items.

When choosing to purchase plastics, choose plastics with recycling codes of 1, 2, and/or 5. When purchasing cosmetic-type items, since phthalates won’t be on an ingredient list, select a brand that prides itself on using phthalates-free ingredients. These companies typically add this labeling to their packages.

ENTER TO WIN our free Basket of Eco-Friendly, kid and pet safe products! Text: BASKET to 480-707-3859 today! Also, get an invite to our upcoming webinar exposing more hidden household dangers.