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| Photo by Jeshoots, Unsplash |
Q: "Remember grocery store employees spraying and scrubbing the carts all the time?"
A: "Oh, yeah, during the pandemic, for sure. Yeah, I don't think those sprays killed Covid-19. Killed plenty of people's skin, though!"
"The cleaning industry experienced a boom during the first years of the pandemic. Covid-19 cleaning protocols in schools, stores and other public spaces ratcheted up, with a spray and a wipe-down becoming de rigueur on every surface after every use," reports Dana G. Smith of The New York Times. "We now know that the extra cleaning was unlikely to have helped limit the spread of Covid-19, but it did increase people’s exposure to the chemicals used in those products — some of which may be hazardous to health. . . . But since we now know that disinfecting isn’t likely to protect us from Covid, it’s worth taking stock of whether the risks of using certain cleaning products are greater than the rewards."
Some items to consider, as outlined by Smith:
Disinfectants are commonly found in all-purpose surface cleaners marketed for use in kitchens or bathrooms. Think 409, Lysol sprays, Clorox wipes or anything else that says 'kills 99.9 percent of germs,' on the label. . . The most prevalent disinfecting chemicals are quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as 'quats' or QACs. . . . In professional settings, QACs have been linked to skin irritation, asthma and other lung problems. . . A 2021 study found that the presence of QACs in human blood was linked to disrupted immune and metabolic functions. In mice, exposure to QACs decreased fertility.
Bleach is a more familiar disinfectant to many people, but experts have raised concerns about its safety as well. . . . Bleach’s corrosive nature means that it can be damage skin and eyes. It has also been shown in numerous studies to be linked to asthma, among professional cleaners as well as people who use it frequently in the home. . . . A risk unique to bleach is the potential for producing toxic chlorine gas. "So what should I be using to clean?" Smith asks. "Most of the experts we spoke to for this article said that they rarely, if ever, use disinfectants when they clean their homes, instead opting for soap and water.
Finally, Samara Geller, senior director of cleaning science at the Environmental Working Group, told Smith, "We definitely recommend people substitute with some D.I.Y. recipes instead of buying products off the shelf. Even a dash of dish soap with a bit of baking soda can help remove that scum off your sink or out of your bathtub, and that can really help you to avoid some of the heavier, harsher chemicals."
A: "Oh, yeah, during the pandemic, for sure. Yeah, I don't think those sprays killed Covid-19. Killed plenty of people's skin, though!"
"The cleaning industry experienced a boom during the first years of the pandemic. Covid-19 cleaning protocols in schools, stores and other public spaces ratcheted up, with a spray and a wipe-down becoming de rigueur on every surface after every use," reports Dana G. Smith of The New York Times. "We now know that the extra cleaning was unlikely to have helped limit the spread of Covid-19, but it did increase people’s exposure to the chemicals used in those products — some of which may be hazardous to health. . . . But since we now know that disinfecting isn’t likely to protect us from Covid, it’s worth taking stock of whether the risks of using certain cleaning products are greater than the rewards."
Some items to consider, as outlined by Smith:
Disinfectants are commonly found in all-purpose surface cleaners marketed for use in kitchens or bathrooms. Think 409, Lysol sprays, Clorox wipes or anything else that says 'kills 99.9 percent of germs,' on the label. . . The most prevalent disinfecting chemicals are quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as 'quats' or QACs. . . . In professional settings, QACs have been linked to skin irritation, asthma and other lung problems. . . A 2021 study found that the presence of QACs in human blood was linked to disrupted immune and metabolic functions. In mice, exposure to QACs decreased fertility.
Bleach is a more familiar disinfectant to many people, but experts have raised concerns about its safety as well. . . . Bleach’s corrosive nature means that it can be damage skin and eyes. It has also been shown in numerous studies to be linked to asthma, among professional cleaners as well as people who use it frequently in the home. . . . A risk unique to bleach is the potential for producing toxic chlorine gas. "So what should I be using to clean?" Smith asks. "Most of the experts we spoke to for this article said that they rarely, if ever, use disinfectants when they clean their homes, instead opting for soap and water.
Finally, Samara Geller, senior director of cleaning science at the Environmental Working Group, told Smith, "We definitely recommend people substitute with some D.I.Y. recipes instead of buying products off the shelf. Even a dash of dish soap with a bit of baking soda can help remove that scum off your sink or out of your bathtub, and that can really help you to avoid some of the heavier, harsher chemicals."
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