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Cleaning Products And Allergies Article
Cleaning products and allergies: what to avoid
from:If you or your child suffers from asthma, hayfever or other types of allergies, there's a good chance that the chemicals found in many household cleaning products could trigger your symptoms or theirs
Household chemicals found in products including bleach and air fresheners can cause direct allergy-type symptoms in some people. Some people with other allergies also become sensitive to household chemicals.
According to an Allergy UK survey, 68% of allergy sufferers said they were sensitive to perfume and other chemicals. "We don't have any official figures for the number of people, allergy sufferers or otherwise, affected by household chemicals," says Muriel Simmons, chief executive of Allergy UK. "What we do know is that many asthma sufferers are sensitive to chemicals in cleaning products, though the true number of people affected overall is likely to be far greater."
To put this into perspective, there are five million asthma sufferers in the UK. However, there are up to 18 million people who suffer from allergies in general, including 30% of children and young adults.
Reducing the number of chemicals you and the members of your family are exposed to on a daily basis can help. So here's our guide to some common household cleaning products, the chemicals they contain, and what you can use instead to keep your house not just clean but allergy-safe too.
Air fresheners These contain substances called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which some studies suggest can cause asthma in children. Synthetic fragrances, such as artificial musks, can also cause allergic and asthmatic reactions.
What's the alternative? Open a window and buy some odour-absorbing rubber plants or spider plants. Or make your own air-freshener by putting a teaspoon of baking soda, two tablespoons of white vinegar and two cups of water in a spray bottle.
Bleach Contains sodium hypochlorite, a chemical that gives off toxic fumes that can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
What's the alternative? Borax powder, which you can buy from the chemist, diluted in hot water (a teaspoon per litre) with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar added. Lemon juice has a natural bleaching action too – just slice a lemon in half, and rub over the area that needs cleaning.
Oven cleaner Some of these contain sodium hydroxide, a highly toxic chemical that can irritate your airways and cause breathing problems.
What's the alternative? Put a heatproof dish filled with water in the oven and turn on the heat for a while to let the steam soften any baked-on grime. Then when the oven has cooled, make a paste using equal measures of salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, spread it over the oven surfaces and scrub off using a souring pad.
Spray polish Contains VOCs and synthetic fragrance (see air fresheners).
What's the alternative? Use a natural wax polish, such as beeswax. Work it into your wood surfaces and buff until you get a shine.
Toilet cleaner Often contains naphthalene, the fumes from which can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, lungs and skin.
What's the alternative? Use vinegar to soften any limescale – pour half a bottle into the bowl last thing at night, then give it a good scrub in the morning.
Washing powder Some washing powders contain sodium carbonate, a substance that can cause allergic skin reactions.
What's the alternative? Only use non-biological washing powders, as these are less likely to irritate the skin.
Window/glass cleaner The overpowering smell you get when you open a bottle of window or glass cleaner is ammonia, which can irritate the skin as well as the eyes and lungs.
What's the alternative? Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to a small bucket of warm water, wash, then dry with a clean cloth.