Any time I think of any cleaning supplies I automatically remember the heinous smell of bleach. I used to work in a daycare and whenever someone had an accident the teachers would use bleach and the room would wreak of poison. The other teacher’s in my classroom did not mind the smell of bleach, and they actually got excited because they felt a lot cleaner while teaching around such a germ infested environment.With such a strong smelling scent I couldn’t help but wonder if the smell was harmful to breathe in for the children and for the adults.
From an article on Science Direct , a study was conducted to determine the indoor effects of different cleaning products. California Air Research Board conducted this experiment using three different cleaning methods: a general cleaning spray, a degreasing product and a scented-oil freshener that would typically be plugged into a wall. The objectives studied in the experiment was mainly the amount of ozone that would be formed in the air and the volatile carbonyl reaction products formed with the use of these cleaning supplies. The scientists tested the air quality with each of the products. The conclusion of the experiment that the use of certain cleaning products inside a space that already has indoor ozone inside of it can contain secondary air pollutants that the people in that room are exposed to. The study determined that air fresheners are not as strong as cleaning products such as bleach because when they are plugged in they take longer to emit the chemicals. Even though these products take longer to emit, they contain a harmful organic compound called terpenoids. These harmful organic compounds create secondary pollutants which can be dangerous for someone to breathe in.
I think that people like the idea of using the cleaning products with such potent smells because they believe that they work stronger to kill the germs. I recommend not using strong cleaning supplies frequently and to use different products that are known to be environmentally friendly. Some recommendations that can be substituted for these harmful cleaning products are baking soda which can be used with a sponge and MoSo natural air freshener. These two products can be used without harming the environment and your body.
Sources:
Science Direct :http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231006006364#bib37
Non-toxic Air Fresheners: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/safe-product-guides/air-fresheners/
It’s ironic that cleaning products may cause us to be exposed to harmful organic compounds. The whole purpose of cleaning supplies is to limit our exposure to harmful compounds. I also noticed that in the study, these compounds can linger for extended periods of time. What I’d be curious to see is if they did a similar experiment, using a similar amount of cleaning supplies and what not, but had a control that didn’t use cleaning supplies at all? They could create identical messes common in households- spilled milk and food, tracked in dirt, etc- and essentially see if using cleaning supplies is still preferable to not using them. Would we be better off without them? I’d also be curious to see how harmful terpenoids are compared to the bacteria we kill with the cleaning supplies.