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Without these means, which greatly facilitate household chores, it is already difficult to imagine modern life. We trust them – only 3 percent of buyers study the composition before making a purchase.
We are already accustomed to washing dishes with gel, cleaning plumbing with a special powder, washing with capsules, using fabric softeners – can you really list everything? Marketing gimmicks captured our minds captive, now we will not take a step without household chemicals.
Take a look around: there are rows of bottles in the kitchen, in the bathroom – soap, shampoos, gels, foams, in the toilet – cleaners, fresheners, in the corridor – fragrances, and in the closet there is a whole strategic stock: furniture polish, detergents for cleaning floors, glass, removers limescale, ironing, carpet cleaning, stain removers, antistatic agents. Since the spring of last year, more products for antibacterial surface treatment have been added.
And as soon as people used to live without all this stuff!
In fact, hardly anyone now wants to spend their lives removing grease from the stove for hours with baking soda, rubbing the windows with newspapers, or washing clothes by hand with laundry soap, as we all did before. But you need to know something about household chemicals, they are not so harmless. And, in order not to expose your health once again to danger, you should adhere to simple rules when using tools – helpers around the house.
Rule 1: know what is included in household chemicals
Home remedies are intended for different purposes, therefore, their composition varies greatly. But there are chemical compounds that are toxic and unsafe for health, which are most often used in production. Here are just a few of them.
Surfactants (surfactants)
This substance interacts well with fat and water, making it easy to remove dirt. Contained in washing powder, cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos, soaps.
There are nonionic, anionic and cationic surfactants. Anionic – the most effective, cheapest, and, unfortunately, dangerous for the body and the surrounding world: they can provoke allergies, irritate the skin, at high doses “settle” in the liver, kidneys, lungs. Cationic surfactants are less aggressive; they are also known for their bactericidal action. Nonionic surfactants are considered the most gentle in this group and are biodegradable.
It should be said that the negative effect of surfactants depends on their type, concentration and quantity. According to GOST, surfactants belong to the fourth hazard class of chemicals that pose the least threat to human health.
It is always necessary to use household chemicals in compliance with safety rules. The dangerous effect on the body depends on many factors: the concentration of a toxic substance in the home cleaning product, the frequency and duration of work with it, the state of human health, etc.
Chlorine and its compounds
Chlorine has invaluable qualities: bleaching and disinfecting. It is found in sanitary ware cleaners, stain removers, dishwasher capsules. But at the same time, when using household chemicals, you need to be careful – chlorine causes an allergic reaction, is aggressive for the skin, mucous membranes, volatile vapors are dangerous for the respiratory system.
Phosphates and phosphonates
Phosphates enhance the effect of washing powder, soften water, and prevent the formation of limescale. But they negatively affect health and pollute the environment; they are not allowed for production everywhere in the world. Phosphonates are also toxic, but to a lesser extent.
Triclosan
It is used in detergents, for personal hygiene (soap, shampoos, gels, deodorants) as an antibacterial component, but the natural microflora of the body is disturbed.
Phenol
Another substance that is used for disinfection and as a preservative. Part of liquid detergents, cleaning powders. In this case, the substance is characterized by strong toxicity, when inhaled, it affects the nervous system, it is dangerous with a chemical burn on the skin.
Propylene glycol
Not the most toxic element, but it is also capable of causing allergies and dry skin at a higher concentration. Propylene glycol is used for the production of liquid detergents, aerosols, and as a solvent and thinner.
Flavours
Fragrances are natural (essential oils, extracts) and synthetic. Artificially created flavors can be toxic and hazardous to humans. For example, diethyl phthalate, which is found in perfumes and sprays, is absorbed through the skin and accumulates in adipose tissue.
Rules 2: understand why household chemicals are dangerous
Harmful components penetrate into the body most often through breathing and through the skin. We know that even a person who is not prone to allergies takes a risk when he opens a packet of washing powder. The smallest particles quickly scatter around the room, causing a coughing fit, sneezing, sore throat, etc. And washing without gloves is fraught with redness of the hands, rashes, eczema, dry skin. Most home cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds that can negatively affect your well-being. This is especially true for freshener sprays, aerosols, sprays.
It is important to choose a product with a minimum content of harmful components for washing kitchen utensils: it is known that even after washing under running water, a thin invisible film with traces of chemical elements remains on the dishes.
The danger of toxic substances also lies in the fact that they have a cumulative effect that does not immediately manifest itself. Among the most vulnerable body systems: respiratory, immune, reproductive, endocrine.
Some chemical compounds can become a trigger for the development of other diseases: for example, chlorine is dangerous for burns, ulcers, irritating effect on the respiratory tract and eyes, thereby provoking inflammatory processes, and a secondary infection can join.
If you use concentrated household chemicals, which contain strong toxic substances (ammonia or isopropyl alcohol, nitrobenzene, which is in furniture polishes), indoors, then there is a risk of poisoning: heart palpitations, dizziness, itching, redness and ulcers on skin. These are all very dangerous conditions that require medical attention.
Rule 3: get rid of traces of household chemicals
It is known that household chemicals have a negative effect on health. But the consequences of using it are many.
Powerful solutions used to remove grease from the kitchen can ruin furniture. Housewives who clean the stove from contamination with the help of aerosols should be especially careful with household chemicals – when spraying, drops scatter, discoloring the surface and leaving stains.
Some cleaning detergents affect the color – do not clean the refrigerator door with abrasive cleaning powders. The glossy surface will become cloudy, the white color may turn yellow.
Upholstered furniture or a carpet that had to be cleaned with chemicals should be carefully washed and the room should be ventilated so that toxic substances evaporate faster.
What to do?
Before buying, study the composition of the product, look for the product with the lowest concentration of harmful substances. Pay attention to ecolabels on packages. So, washing powder or detergents should be looked for with the amount of surfactants not exceeding 5% (some contain up to 25%). If polycarboxylates and zeolites are listed on the label, then this is a more forgiving formula. Recall that chlorine, phosphates, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid are dangerous.
If possible, refuse household chemicals with a strong odor or choose with natural flavors.
Household work should be carried out with a mask and gloves, try not to inhale fumes, and then ventilate the room.
After washing, the laundry must be thoroughly rinsed in hot water, especially cotton and woolen fabrics – it is not so easy to get rid of harmful substances.
If you need to disinfect a room, make a weak solution of the product and water and never mix different products.
Study expert opinion on products manufactured by the industry: there are specialized sites, for example, Roskontrol and Roskachestvo.
Do you want to minimize the aggressive effects of household chemicals? Not a problem: you can find an alternative among natural products. For example, baking soda, mustard, and salt remove dirt from dishes. Another multifunctional cleaning agent is soda ash, laundry soap.