The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization that focuses on the environment and public health. They recently published the Cleaners Hall of Shame list, which includes products containing carcinogens, asthma instigators, and poisons.
“Just 7 percent of cleaning products adequately disclosed their contents. To uncover what’s in common household cleaners, EWG’s staff scientists spent 14 months scouring product labels and digging through company websites and technical documents. EWG staff reviewed each ingredient against 15 U.S. and international toxicity databases and numerous scientific and medical journals,” EWG said in a press release.
According to the study, 53% of cleaning products contained lung-harming ingredients, and known carcinogens were found in several cleaners. EWG suggests substituting common household items for commercial chemical cleaners. If you prefer to use store-bought cleaners, EWG suggests that you know what’s in them.
The following products have made the Hall of Shame List:
- 2000 Flushes and X-14 Toilet Bowl Cleaners. These chlorine discs may be fatal if swallowed. Directions warn customers to wear rubber gloves, hold the product away from the face, and avoid inhaling fumes.
- Lysol Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner With Lime & Rust Remover. The corrosive acid is labeled “harmful or fatal if swallowed.” The label warns not to squeeze the container while opening and to wear safety goggles.
- Glade, Air Wick, Spot Shot. Glade and Air Wick fresheners warn “intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal,” while Spot Shot warns that “inhalation abuse of aerosol products may be harmful or fatal.”
- Ajax, Dynamo and Fab Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergents. These products contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, which can cause asthma or allergies.
- Tarn–X Tarnish Remover. This product contains up to 7% thiourea, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by California. The company’s technical information for workers says “prolonged or repeated exposure may cause reproductive and fetal effects.”
- Hagerty Liquid Jewel Clean. The cleaning agent contains perchloroethylene, a solvent classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
These are just a few of the common products that can have harmful, if not fatal effects on you or your loved ones. If you or someone you know has been injured using household chemicals, please contact us for a free consultation.