The Cleaning Blues

The blues singer John Moody claims that his soul-wrenching husky voice resulted not from whiskey and cigarettes, but from swigging from a jug of chlorine bleach as a child. Poison Control Center data show that 25,153 children were exposed to or poisoned by chlorine bleach in 2000 alone.

Corrosive or caustic cleaners, such as lye and acids - found in drain cleaners, oven cleaners and acid-based toilet bowl cleaners - are the most dangerous cleaning products because they burn skin, eyes and internal tissue easily, according to Philip Dickey, Ph.D., staff scientist at the Washington Toxics Coalition.

Even if you store chemical cleaners in secure cupboards, above the reach of children, simply using them may do harm, as many of them release toxic or irritating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. "My eight-month-old baby's eyes tear up every time I clean my house; I have to do it when she's not there," says Maritza Rios of New York City. While adults may not have reactions to cleaning products, infants and children may be affected by fumes because they haven't fully developed the ability to eliminate toxins from their bodies.

Some cleaning ingredients, such as paradichlorobenzenes used in toilet fresheners and room deodorizers and formaldehyde used in disinfectants and furniture polishes, are possibly cancer-causing. Others, containing petroleum-based surfactants called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), don't biodegrade as easily as other surfactants and can disrupt hormone functions in animals and possibly humans. In 1997, Dickey found APEs in 477 products, and discovered that supermarket or drug store brand laundry detergents are more likely to contain APEs than brand names. In laboratory tests, three out of four non-chlorine disinfectants, as well as some "environmentally-friendly" cleaners, contained APEs.

Chemicals from different cleaning products can also react with each other to produce toxic effects. For example, mixing ammonia with chlorine bleach produces chloramine gas, which can penetrate deep into and damage lungs. Combining bleach with acid (in toilet bowl and other cleaners) forms toxic chlorine gas, which can also damage airways and irritate eyes.

Chemical cleaners pollute ecosystems as well as indoor air, and their synthetic ingredients are often made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Phosphates, water-softening mineral additives used in most dishwasher detergents, over-nutrify rivers and streams, causing algae to proliferate. Overabundance of algae deprives fish of oxygen and results in declining populations. Many other cleaning ingredients are toxic to aquatic animals and fish, as well. Aerosol spray disinfectants and solvent-based spot removers contain VOCs that degrade air quality and contribute to smog, says Dickey.

Despite all this, manufacturers of cleaners are not required to list the ingredients and their concentrations on labels, even if hazardous, unless the product is a disinfectant. While some companies print warnings on bottles, these often do not express the full range of a product's toxicity. So-called "inactive" or "inert" ingredients are not necessarily benign.

"Industry has done an incredibly good job of narrowing a product's purpose, so that an average home may have 150 different products," says Wayne Tusa, president of Environmental Risk and Loss Control, which conducts environmental risk assessments for homeowners. In reality, all you need are just a few mild cleaners to make for a spotless home. Safer cleaners can even be made at home from lemon juice, baking soda, vinegar, borax, salt, olive oil and vegetable soaps. Even less-toxic cleaners can pose a health risk when ingested, so whatever you choose, remember to keep cleaners out of the reach of children.