Housework Labeled Bad for Your Health: No Wonder We Dislike It!

Housework, the common daily or weekly chore that takes up way too much time and goes unappreciated because nine times out of ten what you just did gets messed up anyway. Vacuuming, laundry, toilet scrubbing, mopping, taking the garbage out, cleaning the litter boxes, etc., the list just goes on. One of things that I hate about housework is those scrubbing cleaners, bleach cleaners, and cleaning sprays that tend to leave your hands (covered or not) reeking of the product for at least a day or two.

If you feel as I do about such cleaners then you should also know that recently a study in Researchers determined that using such cleaners at least once a week could raise the risk of developing asthma. Inhaling these cleaners even on the slightest basis could cause an inflammation of your airways and cause you to feel chest tightness, coughing, even shortness of breath. Presently there is an estimate of over three hundred million people across the globe suffer from this situation.

Using air fresheners, furniture cleaners, and also glass cleaners have up to a 50% higher risk causing asthma. Cleaning products not only have a high risk of causing asthma but also have the potency to burn your skin and your eyes. Furniture and metal polishes can be toxic and flammable.

Many people commonly mix cleaning products that contain chlorine bleach and cleaning products that contain ammonia. Doing this causes a harmful gas called chloramine that can induce the symptoms leading to asthma.

Honestly, even though there are hazards to our health with cleaning, we can not stop doing it and we really can't have our kids get out of doing chores because of it, but we can make cleaning safer.

When purchasing household cleaners, check the labels, stay away from purchasing anything that has phosphate or chlorine bleach. Chlorine we had spoken of has the harmful effect to cause asthma; however phosphates are very dangerous to rivers, lakes, and our oceans. Many states have banned the use of phosphates in cleaning products due to the rapid effect to grow algae and pollute the water systems.

Avoid using liquid drain cleaners and try using mechanical methods such as a plumber's snake or plunger. Many people claim that pouring boiling water down a clogged drain will help loosen dirt gathered in the pipes to stop back ups.

To stay away from using window cleaners, an easy and very effective window cleaning method is simple; just mix vinegar and ¼ of a cup of warm water. I've done this trick before, however to prevent streaking make sure that you use a squeegee to dry the surface. Lemon juice mixed with boiling water is also a great way to clean surfaces, especially stovetops and microwaves.

Another great clean all is baking soda; baking soda absorbs the worst odors and neutralizes acids. Take my advice, I had gotten a used refrigerator that had not been open in four years and was stained with four year old spilt gumbo...baking soda is amazing!

Not only are cleaning products bad for your health, many people have allergic reactions to some of the chemicals, therefore forcing them to turn to a more environmentally and personally safe alternative.

To find cleaning products that do not contain chlorine and are save for you and the environment, many say they look for products that are Green Seal Certified. Green Seal Certified states that the cleaning products are natural, non toxic and contain no heavy metals, ammonia, chlorine bleach, phosphates, ozone depleting compounds, dyes, and all around claim that they are not harmful to humans and marine life. The only downfall of this product that I have found is that it is very expensive and some claim that it doesn't clean as well as they would like.

There are other natural cleaning product out there; Seventh Generation, Eco-Products, and Planet Natural just to name a few. Eco-Products I have found to be the cheapest of them all and have very respectable prices for purchasing cleaning products by the gallons. Personally though, I have found it safer and cheaper to use natural products such as vinegar, lemon and of course baking soda for cleaning purposes.

All and all, we need to realize that a little can go a long way, especially when one or two uses of cleaning products can cause health and life changing problems such as asthma. So, check your products ingredients before purchasing, and always remember to wear a face mask, gloves, and open some windows for ventilation when cleaning... it could save your life.