Consider some of the most widely used cleaning products like all-purpose glass and surface cleaners, bath and tile cleaners, mold and mildew removers, floor waxes, laundry detergents, and even oven cleaners. If you use any of these, then you’re probably well aware of the strong and sometimes sickening chemical smells these products often have. Over the years, we’ve come to erroneously equate these smells with strength and effectiveness. Remember the old ad slogan for Ajax? “Stronger than Dirt” made up an entire campaign for this company that helped shape beliefs about other cleaners. In other words, if it doesn’t have a strong chemical smell then it must not be doing the job.
The truth is that the chemicals that give these products their noxious smells are not only toxic to inhale but in some cases can even kill you. Take a common and widely used product like Windex for example. This is a product people have used for generations, but did you know that it contains ammonia? Ammonia is a dangerous chemical that can easily make you pass out if you breath too much of it and potentially lethal when combined with something like bleach. This seems like a steep price to pay for clean mirrors and windows and yet most of us apply it or similar products liberally and frequently without a second thought.
Everyone knows how dangerous and even toxic a mold or mildew infestation can be, so it only seems natural that we would buy a simple spray to prevent it from happening. However, a spray like Tilex may be even worse for you to breathe in than the mildew it is eradicating. That’s because it contains concentrated bleach, which means it can stain anything that isn’t white, will burn your lungs if you don’t cover your nose and mouth while you spray it, and can be quite harsh if it comes in contact with your skin too.
Speaking of cleaners that stink up your entire home, oven cleaners are notorious for making your eyes water and your skin sting. Products like Easy Off contain ingredients like Diethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether, sodium hydroxide and other chemicals that cause kidney damage in humans, create chemical burns, and can even cause blindness in some cases.
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