Household Products

Dawn Ultra Dish Soap

This is the only dish soap that I choose to use in my household. I've looked it up previously and chose it for it's minimal hazard. Under the Household Products Database, there were limited to no acute health effects and chronic health effects, besides possible eye irritation if the product comes in contact with eyes. I recall that there used to be an antibacterial version of this soap which is no longer available on the market, due to the harmful effects of triclosan. I'm thankful that it's been banned from such products, especially considering that we eat off of the dishes that we wash with these dish soaps. For this reason, I decided to look into safe dish soap alternatives and haven't used any other since then. Unfortunately at work I am constantly exposed to the hazards of other dish soaps. I visit multiple agencies where I may have to wash dishes after my nutrition education demos. For this reason, I carry a small Dawn container with me, to make sure I avoid unnecessary exposure through my work environment. 

Lysol Power Bathroom Cleaner with Hydrogen Peroxide

This was one of the products that I was most nervous for, because I know I haven't looked into healthier alternatives for bathroom cleaners to use in my home. I consider bathrooms to be some of the dirtiest spaces in the home, so I tend to choose options that I know have a higher chemical content for proper disinfecting. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this product is not as harmful as I thought it may be. Under the Household Products Database, there were no to low acute and chronic health affects as well as no known carcinogenicity. This puts me at ease, but I still hope to find safer alternatives that don't cause as high a level of skin and eye irritation. I've been looking into homemade vinegar based multi-purpose cleaner and hope to make a batch soon to use at home. 

Although I have two products with limited hazards, that is not always the case with household products. Similar to personal care products, there is definitely a need for transparency about the harmful effects of ingredients in the products that we use. I forgot to mention this in my personal care product blog, but I also believe that the support of the research community can have a significant influence on regulation of these products. If we can use evidence-based research to bring to light the harmful effects of ingredients while also showing how we can cut healthcare costs by doing so, we have an increased chance of accessing healthier options in our community.