Naming names – cleaners that trigger asthma

By mudlark • January 25th, 2008

Rates of asthma are rising in children and adults alike. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 9 million US children under the age of 18 (that is, 12.5% of all US children) have been diagnosed with asthma at some point. It’s the third ranking cause of hospitalization in children under the age of 15.

So, if you or your child is struggling with asthma, what can you do at home to decrease the risk? Well, going all-natural would be a great idea. But if you’re not ready to completely step out, here’s a list of cleaning products that contain the chemicals most frequently linked to asthma (Monoethanolamine and Benzalkonium chloride).

All-Purpose Cleaners:

* Cinch Glass and Surface Cleaner
* Clean Swipe Spray Cleaner
* Formula 409 Orange Power All Purpose Cleaner
* Mr. Clean Antibacterial Multi-Surface Cleaner (orange & lemon)
* SOS All Purpose Cleaner Lemon Scent
* Spic & Span Disinfecting All-Purpose Spray and Glass Cleaner
* Lysol Brand Disinfectant All Purpose Cleaner- all scents

Degreasers and Oven Cleaners:

* Break Up Floor Stripper
* Easy Off Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner
* Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner
* Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner – Original

Glass Cleaners

* Glass Pluss Smart-Fill
* Glass Plus Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner (Refills)

Kitchen and Stainless Steel Cleaners

* Clorox Disinfecting Kitchen Cleaner
* Easy Off Self Scrubbing Kitchen Cleaner
* Easy Off Self Scrubbing Kitchen Cleaner
* Dawn Power Dissolver

 Laundry Detergent:

* Ace
* Ariel
* Ariel Liquid Laundry Detergent
* Cheer 2X True Fit
* Cheer Colorguard Regular, Free & Gentle, Fresh Linen
* Cheer Complete, High Efficiency
* Cheer Liquid Laundry Detergent
* Dreft
* Dreft 2X Concentrated
* Era
* Era Liquid Laundry Detergent
* Gain 2X Concentrated, Gain / Bleach Alternative
* Gain 2X Simply Fresh/Cotton Fresh
* Gain High Efficiency (HE), Joyful Expressions
* Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent
* Ivory Snow 2X
* Ivory Snow Liquid Laundry Detergent
* Tide 2X Concentrated
* Tide 2X Con High Efficiency
* Tide Free Ultra Liquid
* Tide Ultra 2 with Bleach
* Tide Ultra Liquid
* Ultra ACE 2X Concentrated, Ultra Ace Free
* Ultra Ace Simple Pleasures
* Ultra Ariel 2X Concentrated
* Ultra Ariel High Efficiency

Of all of that, the most distressing to me was the Dreft laundry detergent. It’s marketed specifically to parents of young children, and claims to be the #1 recommended laundry detergent by pediatricians. I don’t know about you, but I would expect that to mean that it’s free of allergens and asthma triggers. Also of note, every one of the laundry detergents listed above are made by Proctor & Gamble, and there are 2 ‘free and clear’ type detergents in the list as well. Apparently not all free and clear detergents are the same.

Other things can trigger asthma as well – it’s important to note what you and your kids are exposed to and how it affects their breathing. There could be other chemicals that will affect your asthma or your child’s, and it all depends on how and what your body reacts to.

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Comments(5) Cleaning products, Health, asthma

Comments

By Lara on January 25th, 2008 at 6:48 pm

Interesting. Thanks for sharing and I’ll definitely be passing it on. By the way – what detergent do you use in your laundry???

By mudlark on January 25th, 2008 at 10:09 pm

I use Ecos, and I buy it at Costco. I don’t know of any other stores that sell it. It has natural soy-based fabric softeners built in, and it’s comparable in price to Costco’s store brand.

By LL on January 28th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

I use Eco Products laundry detergent too (and buy it at a great price at Costco. They also sell a fabric softener that works quite well. Both are environmentally friendly and are approved for HE washing machines. The products are available on their website, along with toilet tissue, and other home essentials. They are based in Boulder, CO.

http://www.ecoproducts.com/

I have asthma myself and cleaning products are my worst triggers!

By sonia camacho on June 17th, 2009 at 8:43 am

what laundry detergent is best for people with asthma

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