MAILBAG: Are Household Cleaners Harmful?

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted July 18, 2023

Yes, household cleaners often DO contain toxic chemicals. In fact, MOST standard cleaning products emit volatile organic compounds or VOCs.  

VOCs are gasses that seep out of the cleaners and into the air in your home. And as a result, their concentrations can be up to 10 times higher indoors.   

Breathing in these corrosive chemicals can cause short- and long-term health damage… particularly to the lungs. 

A University of Versailles and Harvard study followed over 73,000 nurses who are often exposed to various cleaners as part of their job. The study found that regularly using chemical cleaning supplies could increase the chance of developing chronic lung disease up to 36 percent.  

Another study, conducted at the University of Bergen, followed a group of folks who clean for a living. Researchers concluded that cleaning houses was as BAD for your lungs as smoking. 

Incredibly, the volunteers who regularly used household cleaners over 20 years had the equivalent lung function of someone who had been smoking 20 cigarettes a day over the same period!  

But the harm doesn’t end there. You can also be exposed to toxic cleaning chemicals through your skin when you wear clothing or sleep on sheets washed with them.  

Luckily, there are many safer and even non-toxic cleaning products available. For example, enzyme cleaners use “good” bacteria to get the job done. They’re great for cleaning up greasy or oily messes and removing their smells. 

Vinegar is another safe and versatile cleaner that’s stood the test of time. It can’t replace disinfectant products. But in many cases, it tackles dirt and grime as well as commercial cleaners.  

Vinegar can be used to clean windows, mirrors, counters, and other hard surfaces. Plus, it deodorizes and softens clothes and bedding when used in the washing machine.  

Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Top Green Cleaning Products page for more information on safer commercial cleaners. 

P.S. Listen up ladies. Countless women are being poisoned daily by something considered “safe” thanks to toxic “forever chemicals” LURKING in their homes. CLICK HERE to find out what you need to know. 

Sources: 

“Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses.” JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(10):e1913563. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.13563 

“Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction.” Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 May 1;197(9):1157-1163. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC. PMID: 29451393.

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

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