Cleaning Products: What to Know – Disinfectants

Simon Hahessy Says:

Continuing with our blog series identifying harmful ingredients in common household cleaning products, we discuss ammonia which is commonly found in household disinfectants. Ammonia has been part of family life for decades using it for cleaning toilets, sinks and baby areas. Although ammonia has a rather distinct and strong odor, many people associate the smell with cleanliness.

Ammonia also known as ammonium chloride, ammonium hydroxide, benzalkonium chloride, and quaternary ammonium compounds are not what I consider favorable ingredients in household cleaning products.

Consider the following; Ammonia used in normal applications is an irritant that affects the skin, eyes, and respiratory passages. In concentrated forms, ammonia vapors are extremely toxic when inhaled.

Repeated exposure to ammonia even at low concentrations can lead to bronchitis and pneumonia. Additionally, ammonia can cause chemical burns, cataracts, and corneal damage and medical studies have shown exposure to ammonia produces skin cancer.

Listed as a toxic chemical on the EPA’s Community Right-to-Know list it again is another chemical that is produced that has no right to be placed in the ingredients of common household cleaners.

With 2,000 new chemicals being synthetically developed each year and government and regulatory agencies only reviewing and testing less than 5% of these chemicals, it is all of our responsibilities to remove the harmful chemicals from our everyday lives. AirMD is proud to be involved in this process.

While ammonia has some beneficial uses in our society, it is unnecessary to use as a disinfectant in a home environment.

Let us all continue to work together to live healthier lives and protect our families.