GoodGuide Household Cleaner Ratings

In 2001, a medical student at the University of Connecticut published a study of indoor air quality that reported that the chemicals found inside most homes would qualify them as Superfund chemical waste sites. Chances are the area under your sink is contributing mightily to that chemical load. Household cleaners, from window sprays to drain clog removers, contain a variety of possible carcinogens, skin or respiratory irritants, allergens, and hormone disruptors. (more)

Pine, lemon, or orange-scented cleaners or fresheners contain terpenes, which react with ozone in the air to form the skin and lung irritant and carcinogen formaldehyde. Drain cleaners, among the strongest and most toxic of all products, often contain corrosive chlorine bleach (often listed as sodium hypochlorite on labels), which causes respiratory irritation and can damage skin and eyes. Oven cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners, also among the strongest products, can contain corrosive potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. Anti-bacterial cleaners may contain triclosan, which is an environmental toxin that may lead to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria.

Chemical fragrances found in many cleaners can conceal the presence of phthalates, which are linked to endocrine and reproductive system disruption. Fragrance isn’t just an ingredient in strongly scented products—the chemicals in many cleaners are so potent that fragrance is often necessary to mask their smell. The solvents in standard cleaning products generally are from a class of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which can cause respiratory, eye, and skin irritation as well as nausea and dizziness. The cleaning ingredients (called surfactants) that have replaced soap in most cleaners come from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. Dyes and brighteners often contain benzene, a toxic irritant (found also in gasoline and cigarettes) that, in cases of long-term exposure, can cause leukemia.

All of this is just the stuff that’s known to be in cleaners; some are also contaminated with neurotoxins and possible carcinogens such as 1,4-dioxane. Although companies aren't required to list the ingredients in their cleaners, some do, and you can look through our data for companies with good records for disclosure.