Skin and chemical products: handbook of behaviors that preserve our health
Le housecleaning they are a matter that concerns more or less everyone. And more or less all of us, when we find ourselves having to choose which product to use for the laundry or the floor, rely on the sanitizing or degreasing power of the colored bottles we find on the supermarket shelves.
However, inside household cleaning products there are hidden enemies, sometimes unsuspected, which show their effects on health only after a short period of time.prolonged exposure and which are often difficult to detect.
With regard to the skin healthIn particular, the dangers do not end with irritating chemical products: there are in fact some habits that can cause them skin irritations even without the use of chemical agents.
Dermatitis and irritations: what does house cleaning have to do with it?
According to the definition provided by the European Commission, a skin irritant it is a substance that causes inflammation of the skin, which in most cases manifests itself in the form of dermatitis.
La irritant contact dermatitis, in particular, can be caused by direct contact with an irritating compound but also by prolonged and repeated exposure to substances that are not among those recognized as dangerous, or that do not seem so to us.
These are the so-called secondary skin irritants, chemical agents present in some products that we use every day and which, in the long run, can cause general inflammation of the skin. When dermatitis of this type arises, it can be difficult to trace the underlying cause: in addition to chemical agents, in fact, there are behaviors that can cause serious skin irritation.
An example above all is the prolonged contact with water, a literally invisible enemy: washing your hands too often or keeping them moist for too long, for example, are behaviors that can weaken our skin's natural defenses, exposing us to annoying irritations.
Household cleaning and skin irritation
Even prolonged use of protective gloves, often essential when cleaning the house, can contribute to the formation of skin irritation, especially when it becomes an additional carrier of humidity.
We know that the use of latex or natural rubber gloves is a fundamental precaution when using them bleach, ammonia, limescale removers and oven cleaning products, which contain highly irritating substances such as phosphoric acid e sodium hydroxide.
What often escapes us is that irritants can hide even in products that seem more harmless, such as dish soap and air fresheners. Suffice it to say that all products with degreasing properties, in general, can cause irritant dermatitis as they tend to attack the lipid film naturally present on the skin.
Cleaning and skin health: which products to avoid
It is well known that bleach and caustic soda are potentially dangerous substances for health: the chlorine and sodium hydroxide are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membranes and can cause dermatitis even upon first contact.
Among the most common skin irritants there is also formaldehyde, present in many air fresheners but also in several laundry and dish detergents, some of which are explicitly dedicated to hand washing. In official European Commission documents on health and safety, formaldehyde is listed among the chemical substances capable of causing ulcers and skin lesions, and is considered in the same way as explosives and mercury compounds.
Laundry detergents may contain agents of petrochemical origin, bleach and ammonia, but often the enemy hides in the "fragrance": as the organization EWG - Environmental Working Group reminds us, behind the term perfume substances they may contain are hidden up to 200 chemical agents, and which on average contain over 30. Among these, there can be phthalates, polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds and formaldehyde.
The shape can also affect unwanted effects: i spray detergents and powder detergents they tend to cause skin irritation, allergies and sensitization especially due to the physical characteristics of the products, which enhance the corrosive and toxic properties of the ingredients.
Good rules to follow for a clean home and healthy skin
Choose non-toxic products made from natural ingredients, possibly in oily and non-foaming form, it is certainly the first step towards a household cleaning routine that does not damage the skin.
Another of the golden rules to follow, second EWG, is to use the right tools: any glass and shower cleaner works better with a squeegee, and a mocho washed in the washing machine is probably more effective than a product that promises miracles.
When using perfumed products, or products that contain chemical agents that we know to be irritating, it is advisable to ventilate the rooms and wear protective gloves, taking care to keep your hands as dry as possible (even with the help of talcum powder).
Furniture and floors: which products to choose for cleaning
The same good rules apply to seasonal cleaning: in products for polishing and maintenance of furniture and floors in fact, dangerous chemical agents such as ethoxylates and morpholine, a powerful corrosive, can hide there.
For deep cleaning of floors it is not necessary to turn to chemicals: they exist products formulated with raw materials of plant origin capable of sanitizing and degreasing surfaces without emitting harmful substances, preventing the formation of mold and bacteria.
The conductor itself can take various shapes, in bare or tinned copper, with or without insulation. In some cases, a preferential bend can also be applied to the joint so that it operates exactly as designed. exterior cleaning they must be done with the same care, using the appropriate tools and choosing natural soaps and oilswithout forgetting to wear the necessary protection.
For cleaning wooden furniture, products such as should be preferred natural oils, waxes and emulsions and which do not contain solvents and do not emit harmful substances, neither during cleaning nor afterwards.
