Asthma, allergies and ‘green’ cleaning products.

The last decade or so has seen an exponential increase in the amount of products that are sold or marketed as being environmentally friendly. This explosion of environmentally friendly products has created an interesting challenge in the cleaning products sector: Although some cleaning products may truly claim to be green, their safety in use for those with asthma and allergies is not as clear and cleaning product testing for this may not have been carried out.

While a cleaning product should be as health (and environmentally) friendly as possible, there is little benefit to be gained from cleaning with a product that is ineffective. Indeed, recommendations given to those suffering from asthma and allergies include the removal of dust and mold in order to control asthma and allergy symptoms, and therefore an effective cleaner is required.

In a survey carried out in 2009, 40% of people cited allergies as a reason for buying eco-friendly cleaning products^[1]. In addition to this, the main driving factor in the purchase of environmentally friendly cleaning products was the health of the individual and NOT environmental concern^{[1] [2]}. However, alternative constituents used in environmentally friendly cleaning products such as coconut derived surfactants (eg sodium lauryl sulphate and cocamide DEA) have been associated with contact dermatitis, contact allergies and skin irritation^{[3] [4] [5]}. Fragrances, whether derived from natural or synthetic sources may still cause allergic contact dermatitis as well as respiratory irritation^{[6] [7]}. So it appears that although consumers are purchasing environmentally responsible cleaning products for their own health benefits, the constituents of these cleaning products may have adverse consequences in sensitive individuals. For those who are not sensitive to constituents of green cleaning products there is no such issue and they represent a proactive choice that the consumer can make with regards to environmental responsibility.

Correct and informative labelling practices by manufacturers may assist the informed consumer in the avoidance of products containing constituents to which they are allergic or sensitive. However, this is quite a complex area and is complicated by the excessive and sometimes misleading use of phrases such as natural, non-toxic and biodegradable. The overuse of phrases such as these has been such that the Federal Trade Commission has established guidelines for environmental claims^[8].

Certification by third party can be an aid to the consumer, there are many certification bodies that operate to certify (among other things) cleaning products. These include for example, EcoLogo, Green Seal and Nordic EcoLabelling. However the cleaning product testing done by these bodies, while encomapssing a health aspect,  mainly focuses on the environmental concern.

So, in the absence of cleaning product testing, what is a consumer to do? For those with allergies or sensitivities to constituents in cleaning products (green or ‘traditional’) here are a few tips.

• Use whatever information is available to you.
  • If you are allergic to fragrance, choose unfragranced products, but read the label carefully!
    • Products that are described as ‘fragrance-free’ may still contain fragrance if it used for another purpose (ie as a preservative).
    • Products may be described as ‘unscented’ but still contain fragrance in order to mask the scent of the chemicals in the product (to render it unscented).
  • If you are allergic to detergents, try to use a product that incorporates alkyl polyglucosides (APG) rather than sodium lauryl sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate as APG has been shown to be a more gentle detergent^[9].
• If you are unable to get information regarding the content of a cleaning product, either do not use it or employ suitable protective equipment such as gloves and/or face-mask.
• Where a product is certified by a third party, examine the criteria by which it is certified.
• If you suffer from inhalation sensitivities try to use a cream cleaner rather than a spray.
• Try to use a multi-purpose cleaner where possible rather than using a different cleaning product for each environment (kitchen, bathroom, floor, surfaces, etc.)
• Use as little of the cleaning product as possible, while using enough to clean thoroughly.
• Rinse your hands thoroughly after use.
• Ventilate the room as much as is possible during cleaning.

For more on Cleaning Product Testing visit here

References

[1] Mintel. Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products – US – January 2009 Market Size and Forecast.

[2] Haystack Group, Maid Brigade: Consumer Attitudes on Green, 2007.

[3] Uter, W., Geier, J., Becker, D., Brasch, J. and Loeffler, H. The MOAHLFA index of irritant sodium lauryl sulfate reactions: first results of a multicentre study on routine sodium lauryl sulfate patch testing. Contact Derm 51: 259-262, 2004.

[4] Loeffler, H. and Happle, R. Profile of irritant patch testing with detergents: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and alkyl polyglucoside. Contact Derm 48 (1): 26-32, 2003.

[5] http://www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/cos-dea.html

[6] Schnuch, A., Uter, W., Geier, J., Lessman, H. and Frosch, P.J. Sensitization to 26 fragrances to be labelled according to current European regulation: Results of the IVDK and review of the literature. Contact Derm 57: 1-10, 2007.

[7] Steinemann, A.C. Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients. Env Imp Asses Rev 29: 32-38, 2007.

[8] http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm

[9] Loeffler, H. and Happle, R. Profile of irritant patch testing with detergents: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and alkyl polyglucoside. Contact Derm 48 (1): 26-32, 2003.