Toxic Household Cleaning Products to Avoid During Pregnancy

Spring cleaning is the period where the house is practically enveloped in the smell of cleaning products. But that is definitely not for everybody, and especially not if you are in a sensitive state, such as pregnancy. If you are pregnant and resting at home, you should make sure that whoever is doing the house cleaning is avoiding some substances and products which could harm you and the unborn child. There are quite a few of those in play when you go shopping at the supermarket and all of them are very heavy on the chemical side. Here are the biggest offenders to avoid when shopping for cleaners, or which you should avoid going near when somebody is home cleaning.

Oven Cleaners
Have you ever done any oven cleaning? Takes some effort, doesn’t it? Also, it takes an incredibly strong detergent to eat through all the dirt, grease and grime that accumulate inside the oven. The cleaners usually used for ovens are highly toxic, they burn through all the dirt and the rest, and are even dangerous to the touch. You should make sure to keep away from such cleaners, and even stay away from an oven cleaned with such a cleaner. Instead, either you, or, better yet, have your special someone use a baking soda paste made of two parts baking soda, one part water. It’s a natural method that causes no problems.

Bathroom Cleaners
Just like the oven cleaners, it is ironic that these products are just as dangerous as the germs they are dealing with. Bathroom cleaners are usually necessary because of the high number of germs people usually have to exterminate when dealing with that particular space. But instead of using those, you can rely on white vinegar and its acidic properties. Take a bottle, fill half of it with vinegar, half with water and you will have an all-purpose cleaner that will do the job just fine without any danger to the baby.

Polish
You don’t want any allergic reactions and rashes while you are pregnant, so you don’t want your upholstery cleaning to be done with some of the polishes out there on the market. It is a much better idea to simply use a feather duster to take care of the dust, and then a moist microfiber cloth to sweep all the remaining dirt and any problematic spots.

Window Cleaner
Windows have to be cleaned often, and the cleaning products you use for them usually contain large amounts of ammonia, and that is problematic as it also causes rashes. Inhaling any residue also damages lung cells and could cause further health problems to the more fragile state you are in while pregnant. Here is a much better way of solving window washing problems: take a cotton cloth, dip it in a mixture of water, vinegar and dish detergent, and you get another green product that causes absolutely no problems. Also, have somebody else do the window washing – you are pregnant, in case you haven’t noticed.

Carpet Cleaners
Some people try to keep their carpets in top quality by using special chemicals and cleaning products that contain quite a few toxins which eat through all the dust and supposedly protect the carpets against more accumulation. Many of them also cause rashes if you step on them with bare feet, so do avoid them. Cleaning companies know best – just vacuum frequently or use a steam cleaner to take care of carpet-related problems. White vinegar and water work just as good for stains, though you should test whether the vinegar would damage or discolour the carpet first.

And there you have it. Avoid these cleaning products and you will stay in a healthy environment for the duration of your pregnancy – you can even keep avoiding after the birth them to keep the baby away from any chemicals for as long as possible. There will always be ways to avoid health risks, just stick to this plan and do remember not to overexert yourself – have your partner take care of those chores.