5 Common Poisons Under Your Sink

By Jeany Miller

That cabinet under the kitchen sink is a veritable hosting spot for toxins. While chemicals like bleach and ammonia are widely recognized as poisonous, cleaning products that contain such are largely unknown. This makes for a list of items that are surprisingly dangerous. To keep your family out of harm's way, provided below are five common cleaners with perilous ingredients. As a health precaution, use of these products should be minimized or avoided altogether.

#1 Oven Cleaners

Of all the cleaning products people commonly use, the National Capital Poison Center names oven cleaners among the most toxic. These are known to contain lye, which corrodes the skin in a similar manner to acid. Ammonia is also present in oven cleaners, and can produce lingering fumes that negatively affect the respiratory system. One of the most potent dangers with oven cleaners is that they reactivate every time the oven is used. Lye and ammonia both leave internal residues that can intensify as the oven heats. This means when the oven is used for cooking, harmful toxic chemicals are released. A much safer alternative is to use sea salt and baking soda for scrubbing.

#2 Furniture Polish

Furniture polish is another household item that many individuals do not consider to be toxic. However, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPC) states that this item poses a great threat. Furniture cleaners contain petroleum distillates, making them highly flammable. Petroleum distillates are also linked to cases of skin and lung cancer. Such can occur where an individual's skin makes contact with furniture polish or when he or she unwittingly inhales fumes. Furniture polishes also routinely includes nitrobenzene. This can be easily absorbed through pores and is considered extremely poisonous. Instead of using products laden with chemicals, persons should opt for all-natural furniture polishes. Ingredients like orange oil and bee's wax are both effective and non-toxic.

#3 Carpet Deodorizers

According to the AAPC, carpet deodorizers use toxic substances to overcome upholstery stains, including perchlorethylene. This carcinogen is known to damage the liver, kidneys and nervous system. Carpet shampoos also routinely consist of ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive that can irritate the respiratory passages, skin and eyes. Commercially sold organic alternatives are available so that consumers can discontinue the use of toxic carpet cleaners.

#4 Air Fresheners

A more surprisingly dangerous under the sink items is the air freshener. These are intended to eliminate odors, but they also interfere with a person's sense of smell by emitting agents that kill nerves and coat nasal passages. This is largely achieved with a pesticide that accumulates in fat cells called methoxychlor. Air fresheners also contain formaldehyde, a gravely toxic carcinogen that, according to the National Cancer Institute, is linked to some cancers. Phenol is another common ingredient of air fresheners, and can cause skin to swell, burn and peel upon contact. Essential oils used in a reed diffuser and open windows are natural ways to freshen the home without using noxious air fresheners.

#5 Chlorine

Today, chlorine is used in pools, public water supplies and any number of common household cleaners. This poison, however, was the first agent of chemical warfare. Again, the American Cancer Society indicates that exposure to chlorine is the leading cause of breast cancer and is considered highly lethal. The toxic effects of chlorine are only intensified when added to hot water, as when cleaning a bathtub, kitchen sink or toilet bowl. Simply put, chlorine is extremely toxic and should be completely avoided. Alternative cleaning products are available and should be used in place of those that contain chlorine.

Sources: http://www.poison.org/prevent/house.asp

http://www.emaxhealth.com/34/281.html

http://www.cancer.org