The kitchen can quickly become one of the dirtiest areas in the house, so it’s incredibly important to ensure you clean and disinfect regularly. But are you using the correct products in your kitchen? Using the wrong products can be detrimental to your health, so it is essential to understand the risks you take when using certain products.

BLEACH

Bleach is a staple in most households, as when it comes to whitening and disinfecting it is considered the holy grail. But did you know bleach is usually the most hazardous substance in the ordinary persons’ household? Bleach can cause a variety of health issues, including;

• skin and eye irritation 
• headaches and migraines
• lung irritation and respiratory issues
• in some severe cases, death

The biggest risk when using bleach is when it is mixed with ammonia (also known as NH3, is a colorless gas with a distinct odor composed of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms.), which can be found in other household cleaning agents. When bleach and ammonia mix, it creates a chloramine and will evaporate into a gas which is toxic to humans and if you breathe it in, it can result in fatal consequences. 

In addition to these health risks, bleach can also damage the surfaces of your kitchen as well as  the environment. As bleach contains chlorine, it can become corrosive which causes faucets and such to rust. Even worse, when bleach is poured down the drains it can kill wildlife and damage ecosystems and is therefore incredibly destructive for the planet. 

Multi-surface cleaners promise to make life easier as they claim to clean a variety of different surfaces. However, solvents like these contain many harmful chemicals like ammonia or 2-Butoxyethanol which can be the cause of an assortment of ailments including skin irritation and sore throats in mild cases, but can lead to more severe kidney and liver conditions when exposed to these chemicals too often. 

OVEN CLEANER 

Many oven cleaners contain potent sodium hydroxide, which is a corrosive substance that can severely damage and burn the skin and eyes if it comes into contact. It will also burn the lungs and cause a sore throat and cough that lasts several days if it is inhaled. The danger with oven cleaner is that they are usually in the form of a spray or cream that is dispersed quite forcefully, and this can easily get sprayed in the wrong direction.

If any of these products listed above are used incorrectly, there can be fatal consequences. Accidentally ingesting any of these toxic chemicals, either by spraying the products and inhaling it or not wiping chemicals away correctly from food prep areas, is incredibly dangerous. 

This is why we recommend using organic products in your kitchen and the rest of your household. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is an eco-friendly disinfectant and cleaner made from organic ingredients, whilst also being 60x stronger than bleach! HOCl will not cause any skin irritation or damage if inhaled, in fact HOCl can be found naturally in the body of mammals as a natural defense and disinfectant to heal wounds. It has been known to use a safe and effective wound healer since World War I!

For effective HOCl products, shop here.