There is a wide range of household cleaning products which, although they make cleaning easier, are made up of chemical substances that can be potentially harmful both to our health and to the environment. Our awareness of the environmental impact of cleaning products is very low. A 2020 survey by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) revealed that 87% of respondents said they had very little information about it.

Cooking, cleaning, and other routine household activities generate significant levels of volatile chemicals and particles inside the home, leading to indoor air quality levels similar to those of a highly polluted city, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States.

The chemicals released into the air inside a home do not remain there: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products such as shampoo, perfume, and cleaning solutions eventually escape outdoors and contribute to the formation of fine particles and ozone, becoming a source of global air pollution.

Regarding health, people responsible for cleaning the home are exposed to agents that can be harmful to the respiratory tract, contributing to asthma and chronic bronchitis. Several studies state that 25% of these two diseases among domestic cleaning staff are due to exposure to these agents.

In this context, it is important to adopt a series of recommendations that help us develop healthy household cleaning habits. Academic studies highlight the importance of cleaning for mental health: cleaning our home not only burns calories through physical effort and prevents infections by keeping the environment clean, but also positively affects our mental well‑being.

🧽 Some specific recommendations

The website hogarsintoxicos.org suggests several recommendations for household cleaning:

• Reduce the use of cleaning products containing terpenes with pine or lemon scents (especially on days with high outdoor ozone pollution or when using devices that may increase indoor ozone levels, such as air purifiers or ionizers).

• Rinse surfaces thoroughly with water after cleaning, as well as mops and cloths used.

• Ventilate very well during cleaning and for hours afterward.

• Reduce the purchase of cleaning products, buying only those that are truly essential. This also reduces the complexity of the chemical cocktail that can form at home.

• Keep containers tightly closed and stored in areas of the house where they cannot release fumes.

• There is a growing market of ecological cleaning products that avoid certain problematic substances (such as some synthetic fragrances) and are just as effective—or even more effective—than more toxic ones. They can be purchased in eco‑stores.

• Finally, there are natural solutions that were commonly used before industries created the false need for synthetic chemical products. These solutions allow us to avoid buying prepared products. They include:

  • Baking soda

  • White vinegar or apple vinegar

  • Lemon

  • Borax (with some precautions)