Glass Cleaners
The Backstory
Personal Health
Glass cleaners tend to have fewer ill health effects than other conventional cleaning products, but their bright colors render them a hazardous temptation to younger children. Of the 10,318 glass cleaner poisonings reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers in 2005, 77 percent involved children under the age of six. Even before kids are born, these cleaners pose risks. A 2004 University of Bristol study found a link between prenatal exposure to a variety of cleaning products, such as glass cleaners and disinfectants, and childhood wheezing.
Chemicals of Concern
Despite their relative safety, there are still a number of chemicals in conventional glass cleaners that should be avoided for personal health and environmental reasons:
Ammonia (also ammonium hydroxide): Ammonia produces fumes that are highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems. The chemical poses an added threat in that it can react with chlorine to produce lung-damaging chloramine gases. Ammonia has also been found to reduce the reproductive capacity and early growth of aquatic species including rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and clams. A 2002 U.S. Geological Survey study correlated the combination of exceptionally high concentrations of ammonia and higher than normal water temperatures with recent incidents of "fish die-offs" in Oregon in 1996, 1997 and 2003.
Butyl cellosolve (also known as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and 2-Butoxyethanol): a nerve-damaging chemical easily absorbed by the skin. Butyl cellosolve is also an eye, nose, and throat irritant, and a lung-tissue irritant when inhaled.
d-Limonene: Commonly found in citrus-based cleaners, d-Limonene is a high odor volatile organic compound (VOC) that irritates skin and eyes. It's also been found to cause tumors in laboratory animals.
Glycol ethers: Glycol ethers, such as propylene glycol butyl ether and ethylene glycol, are industrial solvents that can cause anemia, central nervous system depression and irritation of the eyes, nose and skin. In animal studies, birth defects and testicular damage has been associated with low-level exposure to ethylene glycols, and occupational exposure to glycol ethers has been associated with reduced sperm count in men.
Isobutane and Butane: Used as fuel in cigarette lighters and camp stoves and as a propellant in cleaning products and breath fresheners, isobutane and butane are highly flammable asphyxiants, can be respiratory irritants when inhaled, and can cause chemical burns at high concentrations.
Isopropanol (also isopropyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol ): Studies have found isopropanol to be twice as potent as a central nervous system depressant than ethanol. Moderate exposure to isopropanol can cause mild eye, nose and throat irritation, while inhaling the vapor and ingesting or absorbing large quantities can cause headache, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting and coma.
Fragrances: Because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren't required to list the individual ingredients but merely label the entire formula as "fragrance" on a product's label. Often, fragrance formulas include phthalates, hormone-disrupting chemical compounds that may contribute to obesity, increase cancer rates and cause reproductive and developmental damage. Reproductive effects associated with hormone disruptors include decreased sperm counts, increased rates of male birth defects such as cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias (where the urethra is on the underside of the penis). Fragrances can also cause acute effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing and watery eyes in sensitive individuals or allergy and asthma sufferers. Of particular concern, added fragrances can also mask chemical odors that might otherwise alert consumers when they're being overexposed to lung-damaging chemicals such as chlorine or ammonia. Finally, phthalates can build up in dust and contribute to asthma and allergies in children.
Petroleum-based ingredients: Another environmental concern with cleaning products is that many use chemicals derived from petroleum, such as propane and isobutane, contributing to the depletion of this non-renewable resource and increasing our nation's dependence on imported oil.
1-Propoxy-2-propanol: The solvent 1-propoxy-2-propanol has been found to be an eye and skin irritant and a central nervous system depressant in animal studies.
Triclosan: Sometimes added to glass and surface cleaners, the antimicrobial chemical triclosan provides little additional benefit beyond those of plain soap, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. In 2000, the World Health Organization reported that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in medicine and in livestock, coupled with rampant use of antibacterial soaps and other germ-killing products was contributing to a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, particularly those that cause pneumonia, tuberculosis, ear infections, meningitis and staph infections. Recently deemed the "superbug," one particularly resilient strain of staph causing bacteria, MSRA, is resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics and is expected to infect more than 90,000 Americans each year. Furthermore, when the chemical combines with chlorinated water, it forms the probable human carcinogen chloroform. According to a May 2002 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, triclosan was detected in 57.6 percent of stream water samples from across the U.S. and has been found to cause thyroid disruption and trigger rapid transformation of tadpoles into frogs. See "Antibacterial Soaps, Body Washes and Towels" for more info.
Don't believe "organic" cleaning products are any safer than other substances. Though some ingredients, such as plant oils, can be "certified organic," the USDA's National Organic Program doesn't yet regulate household cleaning products. Terms such as "natural," "eco-friendly" and "non-toxic" shouldn't be equated with safety, as these terms aren't verified by a third party and have no official definition.
The label "biodegradable" can also be misleading, even when it's accurate. DDT, for instance, biodegrades into DDD and DDE, which are both EPA-designated probable human carcinogens, just as DDT is.
It helps if these labels are backed up with specific ingredient information, such as "solvent-free," "no petroleum-based ingredients," "no phosphates," etc, but even these more specific claims are not third-party verified, so read ingredients carefully. When the complete ingredient list is not printed on the label or on the company's website, contact the manufacturer and insist they disclose ingredients.
A Final Note
The petroleum-based plastic bottles used to package cleaning products also pose environmental problems, especially if they're not recyclable. Most cleaners are bottled in high-density polyethylene (HDPE, denoted by the #2 inside the recycling triangle) or polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or #1) which are accepted for recycling in a growing number of communities. However, some are bottled in polyvinyl chloride (PVC or #3). PVC, otherwise known as vinyl, is made from cancer-causing chemicals such as vinyl chloride, and it forms dioxin, a potent carcinogen, as a byproduct of production and incineration. As a final insult, most sanitation departments do not accept PVC for recycling; less than 1 percent of all PVC is recycled each year. And those pesky spray nozzles are often made from more than one material and don't have a number identifying the type of plastic, so are inevitably landfilled.
