Household cleaning chemicals 

Cleaning is essential to protect your health in home and your workplace. Household cleaning is “hard surface cleaning" since most of the household surfaces are “hard.” All surfaces can't be cleaned by a single product. It won't provide optimum performance on all surfaces and all soils. Today various household cleaners are available in the marketplace. Those are manufactured to clean efficiently and conveniently in the many different situations. Some floor cleaner products are disinfect surfaces. it contains an antimicrobial agent which helps to reduce the bacterial population that lives on soiled surfaces. These products will be labelled “disinfectant” or “kills germs.” 

Many cleaning supplies or household products can irritate the eyes or throat, or cause headaches and other health problems special for kid's health, including cancer. Some products release dangerous chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other harmful ingredients include ammonia and bleach. Even natural fragrances such as citrus can react to produce dangerous pollutants indoors.

VOCs and other chemicals released when using cleaning supplies contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions and headaches. Studies are underway to assess how these chemicals affect people who have asthma and other respiratory illnesses.1 However, past studies link exposure to chemicals from cleaning supplies to occupational asthma and other respiratory illnesses.2,3

Cleaning supplies and household products containing VOCs and other toxic substances can include, but are not limited to:

Air fresheners;

Chlorine bleach*;

Detergent and dishwashing liquid;

Dry cleaning chemicals;

Rug and upholstery cleaners;

Furniture and floor polish; and

Oven cleaners.1,2