Whether you’re concerned about the environment or protecting your family from harmful chemicals in your home, you might want to check the products under your sink for these dangerous cleaning ingredients.
Table of Contents
26 Dangerous Cleaning Ingredients
Petroleum-Based Products
This are found in many non-green cleaning products. The perfect example of one of these products is dish soap.
A ludicrous example can be found when Dial dish soap (which contains Petroleum) was sent to the Gulf to help clean up the oil spill devastation in Louisiana and Mississippi a few years back.
How ironic is that?!? In an effort to reduce our dependence upon imported oil, green products turn to plant-based detergents instead.
Dangerous cleaning ingredients in your home, ask for green cleaning from Nordland Cleaning Services
Phosphates
Can be found in dishwasher and laundry detergents that are not certified as “green products.” Recent research has proven that phosphates can cause over-nitrification of rivers and other water sources, resulting in excessive amounts of algae.
As algae grows out of control, fish are deprived of oxygen, killing off local fish populations.
Formaldehyde
This can, unfortunately, be found in any number of home cleaning products including air fresheners as well as mold and mildew cleaners. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and can prove a severe health risk.
Phenol
Is another substance commonly found in non-green air fresheners and furniture polishes. This substance is known to cause a number of health complications including: convulsions, hives, coma, circulatory collapse and death.
Ammonia
Is one of the substances most commonly found in home cleaning products. Ammonia has been proven to cause damage to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract if put in direct contact with the skin or inhaled.
Bleach
Is the “kill all” cleaner of choice that can be found in just about every household that hasn’t made the effort to “go green.”
Bleach can cause significant damage to the eyes and skin if contacted and also causes damage to the respiratory tract. If bleach is mixed with ammonia, the fumes can quickly result in death.
Perchlorethylene
It can be found in a number of carpet cleaners and upholstery shampoos. This toxic substance is a known carcinogen and has been shown to cause damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys.
Related Article: Green Cleaning Products that are Safe for Kids
Dangerous cleaning ingredients in your home, ask for green cleaning from Nordland Cleaning Services
Ammonium Hydroxide
This is another chemical that can commonly be found in carpet cleaners and upholstery shampoos. This corrosive substance is much like bleach in its irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory passages.
Chlorine
This dangerous cleaning ingredients can be found in dish washing detergents at fairly high concentrations. Chlorine is extremely toxic when ingested and can cause a number of skin, eye and airway irritations as well.
Lye
Lye is one of the dangerous cleaning ingredients that can eat through human flesh at an alarming rate and can be found in most common drain cleaners and oven cleaners.
Lye has been known to burn eyes and skin and if ingested, it can quickly eat through the esophagus and stomach.
Hydrochloric Acid
A corrosive substance that many will remember from chemistry class. Present in drain cleaners, this substance will damage the eyes, skin, liver, kidneys and digestive tract.
Tricholoroethane
Can also be found in many household drain cleaners and is a dangerous cleaning ingredients known nervous system depressant and skin and eye irritant.
Nitrobenzene
Can be found in furniture polishes. This dangerous cleaning ingredients is known to be extremely toxic and can cause nausea, convulsions, muscle spasms, coma and headaches. This substance can be quickly absorbed through the skin.
Sodium Hypochlorite
It can be found in a number of mold and mildew killing cleaners. This corrosive substance has been shown to lead to fluid in the lungs.
Triclosan
Dangerous cleaning ingredients in your home, ask for green cleaning from Nordland Cleaning Services
Can be found in many antibacterial cleaners and hand soaps. This substance has been linked to liver damage and, when used in antibacterial soaps, the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
Dimpylate and Diazinon
Both can be found in a number of pesticides that can be found around the house. The substances are toxic and impair the central nervous system.
Chlorinate Hydrocarbons
Can also be found in a number of pesticides and are believed to be carcinogens and mutagens. These substances build up in the body’s fatty tissue and begin to attack the nervous system.
Lindane
It can be found in over-the-counter lice shampoo and has a number of very nasty effects. This is one of the dangerous cleaning ingredients that has been proven to cause vomiting, convulsions and collapse of the circulatory system.
Lindane is also believed to cause damage to the liver and lead to birth defects, cancer and stillbirths.
2-butoxyethanol/ Ethylene glycol butyl ether
This is just one of the glycol ethers that are utilized in cleaning products – particularly in carpet cleaners and specialty cleaners. This substance is used as a solvent.
2-butoxyethanol/ Ethylene glycol butyl ether can be both absorbed through the skin and inhaled and have been linked to a number of health concerns including: blood disorders, kidney damage, liver damage, reduced pulmonary function and in the case of longer term exposure it has been linked to reproductive damage as well.
This product is commonly found in toilet bowl fresheners, moth control insecticides, room fresheners, cleaning products and urinal cakes.
Ethoxylated nonyl phenols (NPEs)
It have the unusual nickname of “gender benders.”
The reason these substances have such a strange, almost offensive, name is because they have been known to induce female characteristics when male fish were exposed to them.
This alteration of gender specific characteristics led to the European Union banning all nonyl phenols from dangerous cleaning ingredients and products that are both used and manufactured in the area.
Unfortunately, these substances are still being used in the United States in a number of various cleaning products.
Methylene chloride
Is believed to be a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. So strong is this belief that in 1987 United States product regulators mandated that all products containing Methylene chloride also feature a warning label.
Methylene chloride is found in many paint stripping products.
Naphthalene
Is another carcinogenic product. Naphthalene in addition to paradichlorobenzene is commonly utilized in mothballs.
Unfortunately according to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment Naphthalene is a known dangerous cleaning ingredients that cause cancer.
Paradichlorobenzene is also listed by the IARC to be a possible human carcinogen. There are a number of moth repellent products that do not utilize these chemicals and it is advisable to utilize these when possible.
Silica
Is made from finely ground quartz and is utilized in a considerable number of home cleaners because of its abrasive property. While silica may make a good “scrubbing product” for home cleaning, it is also carcinogenic when inhaled as a fine dust.
Toluene
Toluene is one of the dangerous cleaning ingredients that is used as a solvent in a number of home products, particularly paint. Toluene is also sold as a pure product.
Unfortunately, this product has been found to be a powerful reproductive toxin. According to the California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Toluene poses health risks both to pregnant women and the developing fetus.
Trisodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA)
Is a product commonly found in laundry detergents as a builder. Unfortunately, this product has multiple negative properties
According to the Agency for Research on Cancer, Trisodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA) is known to be a possible human carcinogen. Additionally, this toxic substance is known to have a negative impact on the environment as it impedes the elimination of metals in wastewater treatment plants.
Xylene
Is most commonly found in cleaning products used to remove scuffs, remove graffiti, adhesives and spray paints.
Xylene is a particularly powerful toxin that has been shown not only to cause reproductive harm, but it has also been proven to be a neurotoxicant. As a neurotoxicant, Xylene has been seen to cause memory loss after repeated exposure.
Related Article: Why we use Green Household Cleaners in your Home
Dangerous cleaning ingredients in your home, ask for green cleaning from Nordland Cleaning Services
Nordland Cleaning Service
Just like we wouldn’t expect you to use dangerous cleaning chemicals in your home where your kids and pets live, we also go through great lengths to provide safe and effective cleaning without the costly impact of some of the chemicals listed above.
More reasons to choose Nordland Cleaning Service include:
- We use a thorough screening process for all of our employees.
- We use high-level training programs for all of our Professional House cleaners.
- We have excellent customer reviews.
- We are bonded and insured.
Our Northern Virginia cleaning service have you covered, contact us today for a free quote or to book our Northern Virginia House Cleaning services at (240) 603-0727.
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