http://www.care2.com/greenliving/chlorine-in-household-cleaners.html
Chlorine in Household Cleaners
Excerpted from Seventh Generation's Information Bulletin,
Should I worry about chlorine in household cleaners? In a word: Yes. Whether found alone or in a mixture of other chemicals, household products that contain chlorine pose a number of serious health risks. Products of special concern include: automatic dishwashing detergents, chlorine bleach, chlorinated disinfectant cleaners, mildew removers, and toilet bowl cleaners.
Many household cleaners contain chlorine, though it often masquerades behind aliases such as “sodium hypochlorite” or “hypochlorite.”
Breathing in the fumes of cleaners containing a high concentration of chlorine can irritate the lungs. This is particularly dangerous for people suffering from heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems such as asthma or emphysema. And the risks are compounded when the cleaners are used in small, poorly ventilated rooms, such as the bathroom. Chlorine is also a highly corrosive substance, capable of damaging skin, eyes, and other membranes. Chlorine was listed as a hazardous air pollutant in the 1990 Clean Air Act, and exposure to chlorine in the workplace is regulated by federal standards. What is Chlorine?
What Can I Do to Protect My Family from the Hazards of Chlorine? You can do plenty.
- One of the most important things you can do is buy paper products that aren’t bleached with chlorine. That’s because chlorine bleached paper can contain dioxin and organochlorine residues that can transfer to any food or person they come in contact with. Choose instead unbleached paper towels, napkins, facial tissue, and bathroom tissue… . How Does Paper Bleaching Affect Me?
- The EPA says that using bleached coffee filters alone can result in a lifetime exposure to dioxin that “exceeds acceptable levels”. Choose instead unbleached coffee filters.
- Using detergents that contain chlorine in the dishwasher or clothes washer can pollute the air in your home. The water in the machines, which contains chlorine from the detergents, transfers the chlorine to the air through a process called “volatilization.” We then breathe the contaminated air. Choose instead cleaning products made without chlorine. Once These Chemicals Are Inside My Body, What Can Happen?
- Dishwashers are the worst culprits, releasing chemicals in a steamy mist when the door is opened after washing. In a clothes washer, chlorine mixes with the dirt in clothes to generate airborne, toxic chlorinated organic chemicals. Chlorine-free dishwashing detergents are readily available.
Click hereto read the rest of Seventh Generation’s Information Bulletin, “Facts about Chlorine.
More from Annie B. Bond (3187 articles available)
Seventh Generation
Link to the full article on chlorine, and learn about chlorine-free products, at Seventh Generation's web site.
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52 comments
add your comment »I feel the same way about those chemicals and scents. That is exactly why I tell people here and "outside" about Shaklee. It has no fragrances to cause that reaction. It is less expensive, you save time and what American doesn't want to do that? 90% of Americans won't mix their own. So don't we have a need to show them a good way to be enviro friendly and save money at the same time? http://goshaklee.info/en/ pass word RE20020
48 gallons from 1 pint bottle of (Basic-H)concentrate. Works absolutely wonderfully. Basic-H found here www.shaklee.net/steve
Have a great Day!
Steve
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Easy to use, cheap and a real green company-not like Clorox.
Buy your cosmetics (NOT tested on animals like many companies do), environmentally sensitive Green products since 1960, completely 100% co2 neutral, certified climate neutral by Climate Neutral Network and linked/associated with a popular Nobel Prize winner known for the environment efforts and planting trees-lots of trees.
For more info check my site: http://www.shaklee.net/steve/prodHouWangari
Lower your costs, reduce the containers discarded, plant trees and help the Masses do the same.
Steve
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I don't want to keep using bleach in my wash but what can I use to kill the germs, icoli etc instead?
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Mimi, I'm not sure what military you're referring to when you write "our military", but unless you're German, then your assertion is incorrect. Chlorine's use as a weapon of war began with Germany's use in World War I and pretty much ended there. The only combatants still using chlorine as a weapon are Iraqi insurgents who hijack chlorine delivery trucks, diverting them from their much-needed use in purifying Iraqi drinking water - Iraq is experiencing an unprecedented cholera epidemic, by the way. Anything in abundance will be toxic - that includes water. I simply implore readers to use common sense. Bleach, when used properly, can greatly benefit mankind in ways other products cannot. Its safe and moderated use is compatible with a green lifestyle!
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I've known for a while the dangers of chlorine bleach! And this article is not over-demonizing! Did you know Thyme, yes thyme, will kill staph and strep germs? And I've never know thyme to outgas and poison children! Chlorine gas was a chemical agent manufactured by our military to kill people. Why would we dilute it down and wash our kids clothes in it??? There are many companies that market non-toxic products. Do your research and see which fits you best. I have found one I love that is actually manufactured here in the US and is not outsourced. They have also been able to keep the price down to what most people pay at the local grocery store!
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Unless an individual has some sort of respiratory illness, this article is over-demonizing common household chlorine bleach. Its proper use in a well-ventilated area is overwhelmingly safe. I'm particularly baffled by the unsourced (and frankly nonsensical) assertion that, when used in a clothes washer, "chlorine mixes with the dirt in clothes to generate airborne, toxic chlorinated organic chemicals." Chlorine can be toxic when not used properly - but what is more toxic is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is susceptible only to bleach. Everyone, use common sense in this matter. Thank you.
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I have found a company that manufacturer laundry, household cleaners, and body care products that are safer for your family that do not use caustic chemicals such as chlorine bleach or formaldehyde. Please send me an e-mail if you want the name of the company.
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Can anyone tell me how to naturally rid clothes of mildew? My extended family live in a village, and they still use the stream nearby to wash clothes. They always use washing soap, and washing powder sometime.
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I've been aware of some changes to make but others like unbleached coffee filters? Didn't know they made it....noe I know I'm changing.
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My toilet paper is recycled and bleached with chlorine-free methods. My detergents and cleaning supplies are also chlorine free. I recommend Ecover, One Planet and other great products easy to find in places like Whole Foods or Whild Oats.
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