There is no doubt that Bleach and Antibacterial cleaning products are very good at killing bacteria, funguses and viruses as they are very strong disinfectants. Actually, they are made up of the chemicals that unfold the protein in these microorganisms and kill them. Therefore, these conventional cleaning products work quickly and are easily available, at a very low cost.
But what is really wrong with using bleach, and what is the true cost?
Scientists continue to expose the harmful effects of these cleaning products, as bleach and other antibacterial chemicals can be highly hazardous for human health as well. Most people realize that they can be very harmful if ingested, what they don’t know is that these cleaning products including bleach remains on the surface of the cleaning area and continue to emit fumes. These fumes can be responsible for respiratory illness, asthma, allergies and many other health-related problems. Not only these products are harmful on their own, but they can also produce more harmful reactions once they interact with other chemicals in other cleaning products. For example, when bleach comes in contact with ammonia or acid like vinegar it releases chlorine gas, a very small dose of which can cause irritation to eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
The common chemicals that are present in these antibacterial cleaners, like ammonia, phthalates, QACs, lye, fragrance etc are not safe for human exposure. Human skin is porous and absorbs these chemicals which can cause allergy and other health issues. Consumers think that the antibacterial wipes they use are helpful, however, researchers have proven that these antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than benefits if used regularly.
Antibacterial products, as the name implies, kill bacteria. Not only does this kill harmful bacteria, but also good bacteria! You might wonder why your skin often dries out or reacts when using antibacterial products – it’s because it’s stripping your skin of good bacteria. Ingesting this by accident can also upset the bacterial balance of your body.
The main issue with antibacterial cleaners, though, is that frequent use leaves only the resistant strains of bacteria.
Pets and kids can also get hurt with these antibacterial cleaning products. When you clean your floor or the bedding, these chemicals stuck on the surface and can easily get exposed to the paws or fur of your pet. Cats and dogs often lick themselves, and sometimes small kids tend to put everything in their mouth, which can cause them to indigest these hazardous chemicals.
These conventional antibacterial cleaning products are also very harmful to our environment. When used commercially and industrially, chemicals from these products are released in the air or water in huge quantities. Due to this a lot of air and water pollution occurs, putting the environment at risk. In the water, they can kill marine life, and on the land, they put wildlife at risk. The environmental toxins released from these chemicals are also dangerous for several species of birds as well.
You need to make sure that you understand the harms of bleach and other antibacterial cleaning products before deciding to use them. There are many alternative green cleaning products that you can replace with these harmful cleaning agents. As they say “Prevention is better than a cure”