We all house a collection of various cleaners meant for different parts of the house. Some are for the bathroom, some for the kitchen, some for the floor and some for the air. But do you know what goes into the cleaners that you use regularly around the areas in which you bathe and cook food? How about the air freshener that you spray luxuriously above your couch? Well, because the cleaning industry is less regulated than other industries, such as the food industry, it is common for companies to altogether not list the chemicals that products contain, only list a few ingredients, or to be completely misleading.

As I began my research on household cleaners, I came across the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization who's core mission is to empower people with the information they need to live healthy lives in a healthy environment. In 2012, the EWG created the Cleaners Database Hall of Shame, shedding light on the ingredients of common household cleaning products.

After reading through the PDF, I was surprised to see how many cleaners were actually banned in the European Union but not in the U.S. These include Scrubbing Bubbles (which is sitting in my kitchen cabinet), Spic and Span, and EASY-OFF Fume Free Oven Cleaner. Drano Professional Strength Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover states that it "can severely burn eyes and skin and cause blindness or even death."

The Hall of Shame also points out two products with suspicious amounts of hidden chemicals that are not listed on the label, but were found by the EWG's air pollution tests, and both of these products are in my house. The first product that they comment on is Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder, which "emitted 146 different chemicals, including some thought to cause cancer, asthma and reproductive disorders". These chemicals include formaldehyde, benzene, chloroform, and toluene. There is little known about many of the other detected chemicals in Comet. The other product mentioned is Febreze Air Effects which is an aerosol containing 89 unmentioned air contaminants.

Learning about all of these cleaners really sparked my curiosity about what other harmful chemicals may be lurking in my cabinets. So, I gathered them and did some research.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I currently have two different brands of toilet bowl cleaner: Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner Power and Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach. The EWG has an A through F scoring system for chemical products and the Lysol cleaner was given an F. There are only three known chemicals used in the product; Hydrochloric Acid (given a score of F) and then PEG-8 Tallow Amine and Alcohol Ethoxylates, both of which have no known data about their effects on human health and the environment. The EWG states that the Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner is corrosive and that it "may contain ingredients with potential for respiratory effects, chronic aquatic toxicity, and cancer."

The Clorox brand cleaner was also given a rating of F for containing both Sodium Hypochlorite and Sodium Hydroxide. The EWG gives the same warnings for the Clorox cleaner and the Lysol Cleaner but states that the Clorox cleaner has less aquatic toxicity, but has added developmental, endocrine, and reproductive effects.

Glass Cleaner

I own an off brand (yet comparable) version of Windex, so that is what I researched for my glass cleaner. It was given a D, as it's broader ingredients list ranges in ratings all the way from A to F. It has called for moderate concern over its environmental effects and respiratory effects, with some concern saved for its effects on the skin.

All-Purpose Cleaner

In the house, we have a large, concentrated container of Mr. Clean Multi Purpose Cleaner with Febreze that we pour into a spray bottle and dilute with water. It's overall score was a D with five ingredients determined to be A level ingredients, and nine ingredients ranging in scores from C to F. There are concerns for respiratory effects, nervous system effects, acute aquatic toxicity, and cancer associated with this product.

Floor Cleaner

Pine-Sol Original All Purpose Cleaner was given a rating of D with some concern over its effects on the respiratory system, skin, development and reproduction, cancer, and moderate concern over its effects on the environment.

Dishwasher Detergent

My generic dishwasher detergent is comparable to Cascade, so that is the brand I will focus on here. Cascade Dishwasher Detergent is given a rating of F for the multiple F rated chemicals it contains, along with many other poorly rated chemicals. The EWG warns for some concern over the products respiratory and cancer effects, moderate concern about its environmental and skin effects, and high concern over developmental and reproductive effects. One chemical in Cascade, Sodium Hypochlorite, which is given a D rating, has a seemingly endless list of bodily effects: "general systemic/organ effects, developmental/endocrine/reproductive effects, cancer, nervous system effects, kidney and urinary effects, digestive system effects, skin irritation/allergies/damage, damage to vision".

Reading about this last product really made me sit back in my chair and think about how we use such toxic chemicals so regularly. Cascade "cleans" my dishes. But really, it is depositing chemicals into my dishware and utensils that could kill me.

Of course, there are sustainable and non-toxic cleaners on the market, but they are less popular and more expensive than the brands mentioned above. I knew that these products couldn't be good for us, but in researching them I realized that both myself and all other consumers of these chemicals should not only be more aware of their contents and effects but should be more conscious of our decisions when buying them.