Very often, back to school is an opportunity to clean up, but not with just any product … Indeed, in its latest issue, on newsstands since last Thursday and relayed by the Huffington Post, the magazine 60 Million Consumers surveyed 77 floor and surface care products in order to establish a precise list of the chemicals they contain.
As a result, four families of harmful substances were identified by the magazine: disinfectants, allergens, corrosives or irritants and substances that are bad for the environment.
3 categories harmful to humans
Regular use of the first family, disinfectants, “can give rise to microorganisms which are resistant to antibiotics,” explains 60 million consumers. Eliminating all bacteria from our environment makes our immune system less able to fight certain diseases. Consequently, the magazine advises against the use of Sanytol’s “Disinfectant Floor and Surface Cleaner” as well as St-Marc’s “Anti-Bacterial” without bleach, both containing “substances too potent for everyday use”.
Allergens can trigger rhinitis, eczema, or respiratory problems. While they are required to appear on the label of the products concerned, “Tornado of cleanliness and freshness, eucalyptus” from Ajax and “Floor cleaner, lemon / ginger” from Method, are targeted by the magazine because it contains some of the main molecules to avoid.
In the category of corrosives or irritants, certain dangerous substances such as hydrochloric acid and formic acid were found in Starwax “Powerful descaling gel” as well as “100% descaling” detergent. Substances which can burn the skin, eyes or be easily inhaled during household chores.
Biodegradable products to respect the environment
Finally, “Ultra-degreaser with black soap” from Vigor as well as “Brilliance with citrus essences” detergent from Terra are strongly discouraged due to their very harmful impact on the environment. Indeed, molecules like EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid) have been identified in Vigor’s product, yet they are not biodegradable and thereby pollute the planet.
All the detergent products analyzed are of course not to be thrown away. Containing no suspicious substances, 15 of them are even recommended by 60 million consumers, such as Rainett’s “Multi-Surface Cleaner” or “Green Tree Scent Limescale Cleaner”.
The full results of the 60 million consumer survey and the products they recommend will be available in their next issue, which hits newsstands in September. In the meantime, they already have uploaded the list of components among the 77 cleaning products studied on their site.
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