When we buy cleaning products for our homes, we really only expect them to do one thing: clean. The truth behind the matter is that many of the general cleaning products you find in most households are toxic, if not potentially fatal. While the list of common ingredients that can cause you harm is frightfully long, some cause only temporary or short term damage, such as skin irritations or breathing problems, while others have been linked to long term and fatal health complications, such as chronic lung problems and cancer. The biggest problem with these ingredients is that they are mostly synthetic and therefore not inherently safe to humans.
Take for example your oven cleaner, drain cleaner or toilette bowl cleaner. These products will all more than likely contain chlorine bleach or ammonia, both of which produce toxic fumes on their own, but become even more dangerous when combined. The damage done to lungs if inhaled can be irreversible, but short term damage can also lead to more acute disorders. Even if you manage to avoid the toxic fumes, there is always the potential threat of spilling these products onto your skin, which can cause burns and skin irritation.
Take for example your oven cleaner, drain cleaner or toilette bowl cleaner. These products will all more than likely contain chlorine bleach or ammonia, both of which produce toxic fumes on their own, but become even more dangerous when combined. The damage done to lungs if inhaled can be irreversible, but short term damage can also lead to more acute disorders. Even if you manage to avoid the toxic fumes, there is always the potential threat of spilling these products onto your skin, which can cause burns and skin irritation.