We all want to live in a safe and clean home – and for years, we’ve been told that the chemicals in cleaners you’ll find in most stores are the way to do it. What else could help us make the house more sanitary?
However, it turns out that these chemicals in cleaners may be doing more harm than good to our health and the environment. Therefore, natural cleaning presents a much safer, greener alternative. Below we’ve compiled the main reasons why you may want to avoid the chemical in cleaners you’ll find at the store and opt for natural alternatives, such as those from Simple Living Eco.
1. Everyday safety
Many conventional cleaning products aren’t dangerous at first contact (although some are) but over time, they expose your body to endocrine disruptors, which affect your body’s hormonal system.
These chemicals in cleaners which could affect your health due to continuous exposure are fairly safe when you first encounter them, which is why they’re never considered harmful when being placed on store shelves. However, the more often we’re exposed to these chemicals, the more likely they’ll cause negative side effects.
Switching to natural cleaning is the best way to combat this.
2. Air quality
If you’re using any conventional cleaners that evaporate very quickly, they most likely contain ammonia, acetone or volatile organic compounds. These chemicals evaporate even at very low temperature and affect the air quality in your home.
This can contribute to many side effects from irritation and nausea, to damage to the organs and central nervous system. Although ventilating the area you’re cleaning in thoroughly helps, you’re still releasing these chemicals into the air outside. Therefore, the best solution is to opt for natural cleaners which don’t contain any of these substances.
3. Toxin release into the environment
Aside from negatively impacting the air quality, toxins from cleaners can also be released into the environment via sewage. The wastewater treatment plants likely won’t catch all of the components of the cleaner and some will be released into nature.
This chemical run-off from our homes can be detrimental to entire ecosystems. Again, the best prevention is switching to natural cleaning, as you can never fully make sure the chemicals won’t be flushed down the drain otherwise.
4. Less waste
The problems with conventional cleaning go beyond chemicals – these cleaners also often come packaged in unnecessary plastic.
Natural cleaners are usually designed with packaging in mind, to minimize the volume (making more concentrated products) or create recycled and recyclable packaging.
5. Drug-resistant bacteria
Many cleaners containing chemicals have an antibacterial effect – something that, arguably, sounds useful. However, these cleaners don’t prevent illness any better than a basic bar of soap. In fact, they may be bad for our health.
Unnecessary use of antibacterial agents may cause higher in the bacteria, lessening the effects of medical treatments. Staying away from ‘antibacterial’ products may be better for your health.