How many different cleaners do you have in your house? If you're like most people, you probably have a specific cleaner for just about any purpose - one for cleaning the shower, another for the carpet, another for windows and glass, another for the coffee table, and so on. Have you ever given any thought to the potential harm that those cleaners can cause? Probably not. However, today's household cleaners contain many harmful chemicals that are dangerous to humans and the environment. Triclosan; phosphates; surfactants and solvents that are petroleum based; chlorine; and ammonia are some of the chemicals that you could find in the majority of American households. These chemicals pose risks to our soil, water and bodies and can be linked to cancers, reproductive issues, skin irritations, respiratory damage such as asthma, and damage to internal organs. Our food chain is at risk with these chemicals bio-accumulating into animal stocks and fruit and vegetable crops that we consume. These risks can be dramatically reduced if we replace these hazardous cleaners with safe natural options and reduce the impact on the environment by the way these products are packaged and purchased. For example, consumers can use reusable bags, so that waste is reduced and pollution from the industries that produce theses chemicals is minimized.

Anti bacterial soaps and cleaners contain triclosan. This chemical, combined with chlorine and sunlight, creates a fat-soluble toxin know as dioxin that is believed to be a cancer producing chemical. Further, diozin has been linked to reproductive problems in animals. When we pour anti bacterial cleaners down drains and follow the cleaner with tap water that is treated with chlorine, dioxin will form, and will go on to contaminate the water source. This water may be used to water soil in which our food sources are grown, thus contaminating the food chain. Anti bacterial soaps and cleaners provide no less defence than cleaners that do not contain anti bacterial agents. If we continue to use anti bacterial agents in excess, certain strains of bacteria will become resistant to theses cleaners and eventually be useless when we need to get rid of the bacteria. So, the question remains - why exactly do we use them in the first place?

Phosphates are used in household cleaners to combine detergents together. These cleaning products are harmful to fresh water sources as they are know to create algae. Algae grow excessively, which can cause lakes, rivers and streams to be deprived of oxygen, which can potentially harm any organisms that lives in these water sources. The water is then unsafe for swimming, fishing, or drinking...which will effect our food chain as we are not able to find a food source from the water. By using household cleaners that do not contain phosphates we will be protecting our waterways from eradication.

To minimize our effect on the environment with our use of household cleaners, use products that are free of harmful chemicals like anti bacterial, phosphates, or petroleum based solvents. An online database of safe and environmentally friendly cleaning products is available from the US department of Health and Human Services on their website. This database provides a list of the ingredients and possible health effects of certain cleaners. The site also contains recipes for safe and natural homemade cleaners.