I thought I was cleaning... turns out I might be contaminating my house

Select two household products (cleaning products, pet care products, lawn/garden products, arts/crafts,etc.) and look them up using the National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database: http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) Post your findings on your BLOG under the category Products. Tell us what products you looked up, what you found about the health risks, and how you responded to this new knowledge. If they don't have your first product choose another and keep choosing until you find one for which they have information.

The first item I decided to look up, was the Shout Triple Acting Spray, which is one of my favorite clothes cleaners. I will admit, I am a messy eater and I never leave a restaurant without a stain so this spray has saved many outfits or fancy dresses before they hit the dry cleaners.

When I looked up the Shout spray, I was concerned over the fact that aerosol mists contain a small percentage of easily inhaled fine particles that can cause immediate injury to lung tissue, as well as be absorbed into the bloodstream. Aerosol mists can be harmful to people who are already having complications with breathing.

The HMIS rating for the product is a 1, which means it has the potential to be slightly harmful.

So in short, this Shout spray can be used but try not to breathe in the vapors or get in one's eyes.

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The next item I looked up was Windex Multi-Surface Cleaner with Vinegar is my favorite cleaner for surfaces. 

I looked up the information for the Windex Multi-Surface with Vinegar, and found that other than it being flammable, it seems safe.

The HMIS rating is 1 which means that there is a minimal health risk when using it. I am pleased to know this since I use it on my counter tops and when I clean my bathroom.

The two items I decided to review gave me mixed feelings. I was pleased that the Windex Multi-Surface with Vinegar was safe but the fact that Shout Triple Acting Spray can potentially be harmful to my lungs if I inhale it. 

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Cleaning products are supposed to "clean" our homes but sometimes, they are more harmful to our bodies than they are in the long run on inanimate objects, as their is no consequence for chemicals to be in contact with those objects. 

The fact of the matter is that we aren't truly cleaning our homes, but maybe poisoning ourselves with the items we set off to "clean" our lives with. After doing this exercise, I wonder if cleaning with these products are worth the risk of contaminating my home. Apparently water, soap and a rag wasn't enough for me but now I think about it I should revert back to my old ways of cleaning with them again since even though they might not be as effective, at least I might be doing more harm than good in the long run.