Bleach has been used for many years to disinfect and remove stains from our household and to whiten clothing. However, due to bleach becoming misused, it is causing harm to the environment, and this needs to change.
The original purpose of bleach
Household bleach, also known as chlorine bleach, was first introduced in 1789 and has been a staple cleaning product in households ever since. Bleach’s original purpose was to help clean and whiten fabric, dating back to Egyptian times. When the chemical element chlorine was discovered, it made the whitening process quicker as it easily broke down the stains allowing them to be easily removed with a simple wash.
Today, bleach has become widely and easily accessible. Most commonly found in laundry detergents, disinfectants, toilet cleaners and bought on its own, bleach is used in almost every household daily. Due to bleach being very cheap to manufacture, it is highly popular with consumers as it is affordable and can disinfect nearly any surface. However, not enough people are aware of how bleach can endanger individuals health and how its misuse can harm the environment.
The Misuse of Bleach
Even though Bleach is used by people daily, the dangers it poses are not widely known, and the risk of these dangers happening if bleach is misused is very high.
Not only is bleach a harmful substance on its own, if used with other cleaning chemicals, bleach can cause a reaction that releases toxic vapours. This can not only cause you to be sick, but regular inhalation of these fumes can cause damage to your respiratory health also. For example, when bleach is mixed with products containing ammonia, it can cause damage to nasal ways and lungs.
Products containing bleach are widely used to disinfect surfaces, yet if it is not used correctly or checked first, it can damage the surface and remove their colour. More importantly however, it has been known that bleach can remain on surfaces and continue to emit its fumes. A recent study found that constant exposure to these fumes caused respiratory problems especially in children.
Moreover, when used on food preparation surfaces, there is a high risk of bleach contaminating it, making it harmful to humans. Recently, health and safety inspectors have advised against using bleach in catering environments because of this.
Bleach can also cause damage to your skin. One easy spill when using the product can cause irritation and may even cause burns on the skin.
For these reasons, people should be looking into limiting their use of bleach to reduce these risks. Some consumers have started to prefer using natural cleaning products as an alternative, as they still act as a great disinfectant, yet come with few risks to human health.
How bleach is causing damage to the environment.
Chlorine based bleach is used in industrial processes and the chemical is released into the environment in large amounts, through chlorine gas and chlorine dumped in waterways. In households, the most common way that bleach enters waterways is using toilet and sink cleaners that contain bleach. This is due to the purifying system being unable to fully extract the bleach, leaving it to be sent out to the oceans.
When dumped in water, the chlorine chemical in the bleach reacts with other chemicals and causes the formation of Dioxins which are harmful to health. The Dioxins take years to wash away and breakdown, yet with bleach being continuously pumped into waterways, the water does not have time to purify itself. Not only does the Dioxins cause harm to human health, it also puts wildlife at risk. Toxins caused by bleach have been found to contribute to the lowering of bird and fish populations.
Bleach can linger for many years, and not just in our oceans. Landfills are also home to bleach remnants from a vast majority of plastic containers that once held bleach being disposed there. These containers can take at least 450 years to decompose. This leaving bleach residue to remain on these containers for years also, allowing the bleach to continue to release toxins into the atmosphere and adding to air pollution.
However, it is not only bleached based cleaning supplies containing bleach that contribute to harming the earth.
Hydrogen peroxide has been named to be a safer alternative to chlorinated bleach for removing stains and cleaning toilets. Although it is easier for this chemical to biodegrade, it can be toxic to sea life. Therefore, when used as a toilet cleaner, residue is entered into the ocean, posing high risk to sea life.
Products containing phosphates, such as detergents, create a fertilising effect for algae. Therefore, when phosphates enter water, it takes up the oxygen in oceans which causes harm to the sea life.
In spray cleaner, hydrocarbons and compressed gases are added into the product. These gases can contribute to global warming and pollute the air.
Disposable cleaning wipes also harmful to the environment as they get flushed or thrown in the bin and take a long time to decompose, up to decades if they contain plastic.
Making eco-friendly choices
In a time where it is extremely important to preserve not just the earth, but to also take healthier precautions; we need to be aware of what toxins we are releasing when cleaning. Therefore, by taking the eco-friendly route when choosing out cleaning products, you can be rest assured that you are lowering your contribution to both air and sea pollution. Here at The Cleaning Cabinet, we make sure we only stock products that are environmentally friendly and natural, in order to help our customers remain environmentally friendly.
It is very important when buying cleaning products that you are making choices that will not damage your health. Making switches to products that are hypoallergenic, such as our Bio-D range, can lower your own and your family members allergies and reduce the amount of illnesses in your home.
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