Question:

Are cleaning supplies really that dangerous?

Household Cleaners Solutions

Have you often wondered if your household cleaners are harmful to you and your family? How can you find out which ones contain harmful chemicals?

Visit householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov for a list of chemicals and to see how harmful your cleaners may be. You can compare other cleaners to see which ones are best for you to use.

POISONING OUR CHILDREN

These children died from results of coming in contact or ingesting the following chemicals found in their homes. Jason Whitley...swallowed hair conditioner. Adrian Gonzales...crawled through spilled laundry bleach. Peter Schwab, nearly died... ingesting dishwasher detergent. The little girl across the hall in the hospital wasn't so lucky! Eighteen month-old boy, had to eat and breathe through tubes for five months and had 30 operations. Dishwasher detergent is what destroyed his throat, too. Carlos Rodriguez lived three horrendous and painful weeks, having surgery after surgery, resulting form spraying oven cleaner in his eyes. He was left blinded for life. Sara Tucker, has had multiple skin graphs, resulting in her exposure to Clorox Cleanup. Tommy McGloughlan used to go with his mommy when she cleaned houses for her maid service. He now has chronic asthma, and learning disabilities.

Why must these children have suffered so? They were exposed to hazardous chemicals.
Every year, five to ten million household poisonings are reported. Many are fatal. Most of the victims are children.
Accidental ingestion of household substances are common.

These tragedies can easily be avoided. But most parents aren't aware that there are effective products on the market that are much safer than nationally advertised brands, and, in most cases, cost less.

This document should serve as a wake-up call to parents. You will be shocked to learn about some of the health hazards your child is exposed to everyday because of the cleaning and personal care products in your home.

LONG-TERM HEALTH HAZARDS OF HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

We have seen the results of coming in contact with and ingesting these poisons. But did you know that most poisonings happen slowly, over a long period of time? By daily exposure to toxins in the air, and toxic chemicals.
Household products are among the most toxic substances found in our daily lives. In one study conducted over a 15 year period, women who work at home had a 54 percent higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away from the home. The study concluded that the increased death rate in women was due to daily exposure to hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products.

A report for the Consumer Product Safety Commission on chemicals commonly found in homes identified 150 that have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities. A 1985 EPA report concluded that the toxic chemicals and household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.

Our children are exposed to these chemicals every day in their own homes. Daily exposure to these toxins, may lead to cancer, learning difficulties, allergies, lung problems, or damage to the immune system.