According to the Christian trade union ACV, many cleaning agents that we use every day contain chemical that could be harmful to our health. The union commissioned research into the risks posed to the health of domestic cleaners by the use of cleaning agents.
The research concludes that domestic cleaners in particular have an increased risk of lung and heart problems. The Leuven University (KU Leuven) Professor of Occupation Medicine Lode Godderis told the VRT’s consumer team ‘WinWin’ that “The impact is often underestimated”. ‘WinWin’ examined which chemicals are used to make the products we use every day to clean our homes.
Karolien from Minderhout (Antwerp Province) works as a domestic cleaner. She told ‘WinWin’ that she suffers health issues such as skin irritations.
"I only started wearing gloves once my fingers had completely dried up in the evening”. She find that the smell of the products is too strong and she tries not to inhale it. “But I don’t know exactly what is in them”. Karolien is not the only domestic cleaner that has issue. Many other have similar medical complaints. They don’t always have a say in the products that they have to use in their work.
Skin complaints and lung problems
A large-scale study conducted in 2023 by the Christian trade union ACV shows that shows that a strikingly large group of domestic cleaners suffer from health issues that are directly linked to their daily exposure to cleaning products.
33% of the domestic cleaners surveyed reported having skin problems. In addition to this 28% said that they suffer from lung and respiratory problems. Coughing, tightness of the chest, shortness of breath, and even headaches are remarkably common among those employed as cleaners and complaints of this nature are more common than among those with other kinds of job.
Professor Lode Godderis (KU Leuven) told the VRT that
Many traditional cleaning products contain a mixture of chemical ingredients that have an impact on our health. “It is this that causes irritation to the lungs, making you cough or become short of breath. It can also cause allergies and even asthma,” says Professor Godderis says. According to Mr Godderis, aerosol cleaning products are particularly harmful: “With these products you inhale more. It is better to add a cleaning product to a bucket of water than to spray it.”
Endocrine disruptors
But what exactly is in the cleaning products? Solvents ensure that a product evaporates quickly. Detergents and disinfectants are designed to combat dirt and bacteria and foam boosters make the whole thing look more effective and give us the impression that a floor or other surface is clean more quickly even if this is not always necessarily the case.
In addition to this, there are preservatives that extend shelf life and fragrances that make the room that has been cleaned smell nice. It is these fragrant components, such as limonene that can be particularly irritating, especially to people that are exposed to them on a daily basis.
Protect yourself, your family and your cleaner
ACV has provided a list of tips to help protect yourself, your family and if you have one your clear from the harmful effects of overexposure to cleaning agents.
Provide gloves for your cleaning assistant
Avoid aggressive products and sprays
Consider using alternative cleaning products, such as vinegar, ecological soap (Marseille soap) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
Use eco-friendly products that don’t contain harmful chemicals.