Sparkle & Smile

Blog for Cleaner and Healthier Homes

News

How To Find Out Whether Your Cleaning Products are Healthy

I often get asked the question, “How can I tell if the house cleaning products I am using are bad for my family?”

It’s a very good question because, under current FDA rules, the manufacturers of house cleaning products are not required by law to disclose the ingredients on the label.  Without going into too much detail, the “recipes” are considered proprietary, in other words, trade secrets. It’s a little disconcerting that the government still allows this practice, in light of the existing and growing evidence that common chemicals are known or suspected to cause all sorts of health problems, from simple headaches to allergy and asthma attacks to memory loss, behavioral problems, mood swings, reproductive problems, kidney, liver and blood problems, even cancer.  BUt my point is not to rail on the government here.

My point is to help you find the information so that you can evaluate what’s under your kitchen sink, to help protect your family’s health. So….

There’s a great website called the Household Products Database, where you can go and look up either chemicals or household products (including but not limited to house cleaning products) and learn whether a particular product or chemical is safe for your family.  You can find out what chemicals are in a particular product by scrolling through the info about a certain product until you get to the ingredients, or click on the link for the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet, published by the manufacturer).  Once you’ve found the ingredients, you can click on them to follow links to Health Studies, Toxicity reports and other research that may help you decide about the potential or real health risks to your family for a chemical ingredient.  Here’s the link:

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov

Many experts agree that the safest approach is to not buy products with ingredients you cannot pronounce.  It’s true, but very limiting and often impractical.  The Household Products Database is a great source of info, for house cleaning products but many other products you may have at home.

Additional Articles You might Like

View More
About Us Cleaning Tips

Pause Before You Unpack: Why Move-In Cleaning is Essential — Moving into a new home represents a new chapter in your life, but before you start unpacking and telling your[…]

blog recent img 1
link post
About Us Cleaning Tips

The Benefits of a Regular Cleaning Schedule: How to Keep Your Home Clean — There’s nothing like walking into your home after a long day and experiencing cleanliness with all your senses. The floors[…]

blog recent img 2
link post
News

Celebrating International Housekeepers Week: Honoring the Unsung Heroes of Cleanliness — During International Housekeepers Week, it’s the perfect time to recognize and celebrate the dedication of cleaning professionals who work tirelessly[…]

blog recent img 3
link post

Subscribe for
the latest tips, tricks and green tech news.