The Downside to Chemical Cleaners

Picture this scenario, you just had a rough week, and you finally get home Friday night. You decide to have a relaxing evening and pour yourself a glass of wine. You turn the movie on and… BAM! The TV blasts you with volume causing you to spill red wine all over your clothes, couch, and carpet. Just great.

Now you know you have to act fast and get things cleaned, your first thought is probably, "What is the most powerful cleaner I have to get these stains out!" Alternatively, "Please save me Google!" Immediately you go to strong Chemical Cleaners to erase your problems. The reality is that there is a downside to chemical cleaners - they come back to haunt you.

Chemical Cleaners Leave Residue

First, what is a chemical residue? Chemical residue is the byproduct left behind after washing and evaporation has taken place. When this byproduct is not thoroughly extracted or rinsed out, you are left with chemical residues, which is sometimes a more concentrated version of the chemical itself now that it is without liquid!

When this dry chemical is left in the carpet, couch, or anywhere else these dry chemical residues may become airborne causing problems for sensitive groups of people, especially small children, and pets. However, this is just the first type of residue.

Another residue problem that chemical cleaners create is caused by the very thing they were made to do. Soak up and attract dirt. Chemical cleaners are made to attract dirt. They are made to soak up the stain and attract and trap the stain within itself. You then soak up the chemical and the stain is magically gone.

Although it may be true that your current stain is now gone, you now have residue in your carpet that attracts dirt. Give it three months and the very spot that looked so clean before will soon be filled with dirt that appears to draw to the same place magically. The reality is that the chemical cleaner is now just causing more problems for you.

Chemical Cleaners May Have Health Risks

As we have seen residues from chemical cleaners can become airborne causing problems to people within sensitive groups, but what other health concerns may arise from chemical cleaners?

Exposure is one of the most significant concerns to not just sensitive groups, but everyone's health. Womansvoices.org (https://www.womensvoices.org/safe-cleaning-products/safe-cleaning-fact-sheets/cleaning-products-health/) did some extensive research into the problems of chemical exposures siting several scholarly articles where advance research was conducted. Here is a list of just a few of the problems with exposure as they put it:

Note the first four relate to acute exposure, the last three relate to prolonged chronic exposure

Eye injury: Eye injuries are commonly reported to poison centers, especially from accidents using cleaners in spray bottles containing corrosive ingredients such as chlorine bleach. [4]

Childhood poisonings: Accidental swallowing or spilling of cleaning products sends thousands of small children to the hospital each year, and has resulted in several deaths. [6]

Skin irritation and rashes: Cleaning products are common causes of rashes and other skin problems. [5]

Breathing problems: Use of some cleaning products have been known to lead to shortness of breath, and exacerbation of asthma and other lung diseases. [7]

Allergic contact dermatitis: Cleaning workers have higher rates of skin conditions such as allergic contact dermatitis associated with the cleaning products they use. [10]

Asthma: Studies of cleaning workers have found increased rates of adult onset asthma and work-aggravated asthma compared to people in other professions. [9]

Reproductive effects: Studies have found higher rates of birth defects such as cleft palates and Down Syndrome in the children of cleaning workers. [11][12]

How to clean without chemicals

Every stain is different, and the best way to tackle a stain is with knowledge. The internet is filled with thousands of suggestions for natural cleaning on all types of stains. Take wine stains for example, what you probably did not know is that a wine stain (caught quickly) in carpet can be almost entirely removed with water, salt, and towels. You never needed any chemical to get the job done right! You do however need a lot of towels and water. You can even get stains out of clothing by using a combination of Ice water, club soda, vinegar, and salt. These are all natural products that do not pose a health risk to you or anyone else around you.

If you have tough stains that won't budge Zerorez® is here to help. We use Zr™ Water which leaves No Residue® in your carpet, yet our tools combined with Zr™ Water actually clean better and last longer than our competitors. No Residue® equals a longer, healthier clean.

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