
Top Cleaning Product Health Risks – Traditional Cleaners
Researchers began studying the health risks of typical cleaning chemicals a few years ago, and the news hasn’t been good. Recent studies have shown that chronic exposure to the 3 most common categories of cleaning chemicals, bleach, quaternary ammonia compounds (quats), and fragrances, over the long term can:- Cause lung damage equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day
- Increase the risk of COPD by up to 45%
- Increase the risk that pregnant women will have children with asthma by up to 70%
Children are at even higher risk because the risks accumulate over time, so health effects may not be noticeable until it’s years (or even decades) later. Research shows that cleaning products are definitely burdening our kids’ health.
- Young children frequently exposed to cleaning products can be up to 50% more likely to have asthma.
- Frequent exposure to cleaning chemicals in early life, especially within the first three months, is associated with an increased risk for asthma by age 3.
- Kids with greater exposure to cleaning products are 35% more likely to develop chronic wheezing and chronic allergies than children with the least exposure.
Top Cleaning Product Health Risks – “Green” Cleaners
Here are 2 more staggering facts about cleaning product ingredients that might surprise you. Cleaning product manufacturers aren’t required to show their full ingredient lists on their labels. This means your fresh smelling cleaner can absolutely contain phthalates or other endocrine-disrupting chemicals without you knowing it. There are no federal safety or health standards for products labeled “natural” or “green” or “eco-friendly”. As a result, “green” cleaners can and often do contain chemicals linked to health problems like hormone disruption, triggering the onset of asthma and allergies and more. Fragrances are a great example.- Fragrance chemicals can pass through the skin and enter the blood stream. They have been classified as carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, skin and respiratory irritants.
- Manufacturers are not required to list fragrance ingredients on product labels, so the single word “fragrance” on a label can hide a cocktail of more than 100 toxic ingredients.
- Fragrances commonly contain phthalates which are chemicals that allow the scent to linger. Studies have shown that more than 75% of products with fragrances contain these endocrine disruptors. The Centers for Disease Control reported that phthalates can be found in the blood of most Americans, and the greatest quantities are in women. They can act like hormones in the human body, which can cause a host of heath problems. For example, children with mothers exposed to phthalates during pregnancy were shown to have problems with language development and motor skills. Phthalates have been banned for use in cosmetics in the European Union. Research on the reproductive and developmental impact of phthalates has found a link to genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys and lower sperm counts in men.
Raising the Standards for Cleaning Products
Force of Nature uses electricity to convert tap water, plus a capsule of salt, water and vinegar, into an all-in-1 cleaning, deodorizing, sanitizing, and disinfecting formula. It does this by changing the molecular structure of the solution into 2 new molecules:- Hypochlorous acid – The same substance your white blood cells produce to keep you healthy. It’s gentleness & efficacy are what make it commonly used in wound, healthcare, and veterinary care products. Hypochlorous acid kills pathogens while at the same being extremely gentle on skin, which is what makes it so unique and versatile.
- Sodium hydroxide – a detergent used at low concentrations in products like toothpaste and skin moisturizers, and at higher concentrations in conventional cleaners. Force of Nature contains a concentration of just 0.0000003% (not toxic). In all-purpose cleaners, typical concentration levels are from 1-5% (3 million to 17 million times the concentration as in Force of Nature, and can be extremely harmful).