New independent lab testing on 20 top household cleaning products reveals that cleaning products commonly contain hidden chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and pregnancy complications. The tests were commissioned by the national nonprofit Women’s Voices for the Earth.
The report, “Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in Your Cleaning Products?” shows that top-selling cleaning products and detergents, including Tide Free & Gentle, Pine-Sol and Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, contain toxic chemicals not revealed to the consumer.
For this study, Women’s Voices for the Earth commissioned tests of 20 cleaning products including laundry detergents, dryer sheets, air fresheners, disinfectant sprays and furniture polishes manufactured by Clorox, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson and Son and Sunshine Makers (Simple Green), at an independent laboratory. The test results revealed:
• Tide Free & Gentle detergent, a fragrance and dye-free product marketed to people with sensitive skin and mothers of infants, was found to contain 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen.
• Simple Green Naturals was found to contain phthalates, a chemical associated with reproductive disorders and birth defects.
• Allergens were found in products marketed as “fragrance-free.”
• Hidden reproductive toxins and carcinogens such as phthalates, toluene, 1,4-dioxane and chloroform.
• None of these chemicals were listed on the product label.
Over 80,000 chemicals are on the market today, but nearly 20 percent of them are kept secret, according to the EPA. Consumers have been uncertain about the safety of chemicals in cleaners, even in products marketed as “green.” There has been a decline in the sale of cleaning products nationally, environmental and health concerns being one of the contributing factors. Some consumers are favoring homemade cleaners using vinegar and baking soda, for safety and cost reasons.
“I’ve heard complaints from hundreds of people who said that air fresheners and other fragranced household products made them sick—causing headaches, breathing difficulties, seizures, asthma attacks, and other health problems,” says Dr. Anne Steinemann, professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs at the University of Washington. “This report does a tremendous service by revealing the hazardous chemicals that can be hidden in cleaning products, so that consumers can know to avoid fragrances and other chemicals that are linked to serious health problems.”
WVE’s 2007 report “Household Hazards” found that Latina women are particularly at risk for overexposure to toxic chemicals through cleaners. Nationally, over one-third of domestic cleaners are Latina women.
Women’s Voices for the Earth has engaged the five major companies investigated in this report in an effort to encourage full disclosure of chemical ingredients and removal of toxic chemicals in cleaning products. WVE has been one of the lead advocacy groups calling on Congress to strengthen ingredient disclosure requirements for cleaning products. The Cleaning Product Right-to-Know Act of 2011 will require companies to list all of the product ingredients directly on the label and will create a uniform system for labeling.
Recently, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) introduced in Congress the Cleaning Product Right-to-Know Act, a piece of national legislation to change the lax regulations around the disclosure of cleaning product chemical ingredients. Currently, cleaning products are not required to list ingredients on the label, so unlike personal care products and food, there is no way for consumers to know the full list of ingredients in cleaners.
“Our cabinets are full of soaps and cleaners that we assume improve our homes and health. However, new research shines a light on the secret chemicals that might be doing more harm than good. You have a right to know what’s hiding in your household products. That’s why I’m introducing legislation to require full disclosure of the ingredients in everyday cleaning products,” said Rep. Israel.
Women’s Voices for the Earth is a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that impact women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices and government policies. www.womensvoices.org.
Do-It-Yourself Green Cleaning Recipes
Women’s Voices for the Earth has posted simple-to-make recipes for an all-purpose cleaner, soft scrub, furniture polish, toilet bowl cleaner, drain opener, and laundry detergent. Go to www.womensvoices.org
ECOMAIDS completely agrees! That’s why we aim to save the planet, one spotless home at a time. We even have locations right in Santa Fe and Albuquerque! Using products and supplies that are safe for people, pets and the planet, ECOMAIDS also partners with Cleaning For A Reason, a non-profit organization that provides free cleanings for women undergoing chemotherapy. If you know someone fighting cancer who could use someone in her corner, register them at http://www.cleaningforareason.org. You can also visit http://www.ecomaids.com to find a location near you and request a free estimate!