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Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Are fumes from floor cleaners and stains dangerous to my baby?

Re: Are fumes from floor cleaners and stains dangerous to my baby?

The Bump Expert

Unfortunately, there are few scientific studies to guide us on this issue. The precautions I recommend are generally common sense. Read the labels of your products carefully and avoid any products labeled as toxic. Use gloves when cleaning, avoid aerosol sprays that can be easily inhaled, and keep the room well ventilated. Because you are pregnant, you may be more sensitive to the smells of products that contain ammonia and chlorine. You may also want to consider using or making alternative cleaning products with baking soda or vinegar.

Dr. Ashley Roman | June 04 , 2009 9:38 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Try Greenworks or Nature's Source. The day after I found out I bought a glass cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner by this brand. I wont even let my husband use the old sprays we had!

mholloway949 | December 08 , 2009 10:40 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Yes they are! Start switching products now. Products like Greenworks might be earth friendly but are NOT human friendly.l Try seventh generation or method. And make sure the products you use are human friendly. :)

Blessed2ServeHim | January 24 , 2010 9:01 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I’m slightly disturbed by the “expert’s” answer on this one. Yes, this is debatable, but my feeling is in modern life we are surrounded by small amounts of potentially harmful chemicals all the time. Why not reduce that exposure while I’m pregnant since a growing baby is so much more fragile than an adult? What we use to clean our homes is one thing we have control over – in addition to the cosmetics we use. Cleaning products that claim to be “natural,” are not verified by any outside body like certified organic food is, so do your research. Here’s an article on the topic from February’s Wall Street Journal: http://bit.ly/bk0gUl. And two sites I found really helpful on the cosmetics issue are: www.ewg.org and www.kontrollierte-naturkosmetik.de (a German association that certifies cosmetics for chemical safety). I’m 18 weeks and while I’ve realized I can’t obsess over chemical exposure all the time, I can do a few little things pretty easily.

snass | March 06 , 2010 9:04 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

trader joe's has a good natural cleaner!

crazywithbaby | April 05 , 2010 11:47 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

If something is made to kill little organisms (grems and bacteria) it can't be good for people. green or not green its made to kill. Open a window use a fan wear gloves and long sleaves shirts and if you have a ventilation mask (not a dust mask) us it.

andrewthemac | June 03 , 2010 11:55 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I just bought some multipurpose cleaner by BabyGanics...Found it at Babies R Us...People Friendly, Earth Friendly. It's fragrance free as well. I really like it so far, and I plan to get more cleaning products in this line.

jadentz | September 06 , 2010 12:12 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to change the products they have to use to clean. I work in a cafe where I have no control over the products we use and if I can't clean, I can't work. Health and safety laws require a certain degree of cleanliness. I think, barring obvious cleaners that are labeled as dangerous, following the Expert's advice about ventilation and whatnot is probably the best you can really do when you need to do a job or don't have access to other products. Really, use your best judgment.

brunoshort | December 02 , 2010 11:16 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Baking soda is a safe (and cheap!) product to use for cleaning. I really don't bother with anything else except a Magic Eraser and the occasional Clorox wipe.

kolfinna | December 11 , 2010 5:08 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I use baking soda, lemons and vinegar for cleaning and it is perfectly safe and healthy for my 19 week old growing belly as well as being safe for my 2 year old son.

malevolentheart | December 19 , 2010 11:53 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I have always had extremely sensitive skin. I wasn't able to use harsh cleaners in my home before, without thick gloves. I'm glad I switched before getting pregnant to just vinegar, salt, baking soda & lemons for the majority of my household cleaning. I also have a steam mop for the floor. You would be amazed at the items you have around the house that are extremely inexpensive and can clean just as well as any store bought cleaner. Ofcourse, not everything can be cleaned with these items but it will help your family's health, pocketbook and the environment over time! This article has a few good pointers: http://www.canadianliving.com/life/green_living/natural_and_cheap_household_cleaners.php

martinandariana | February 04 , 2011 11:19 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Yes, it is crazy how many toxins are in our cleaners. I use some ecofriendly products with natural ingredients, they work great and I know they are safe for my 7 month old. Especially the laundry detergent and bathroom cleaner.

mrae1 | February 22 , 2011 5:18 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

There are harmful toxins and formedahyde in mostly all cleaners, shampoos, laundry soap, basically everything. Malaleuca products are all safe and great to use. I am in the process of switching all cleaning and other products to this company before baby comes in June! :) Check it out...

schultznik | March 28 , 2011 12:43 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Yes, yes! Try using Basic H and Basic G-made by Shaklee instead

meboxey | July 10 , 2011 6:47 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I always wear gloves AND a dust mask whenever I clean, especially if I'm working with powdered bleach like Comet or Ajax. Now that I'm pregnant, I'm especially conscientious of wearing a mask since I believe it gives me more protection against the harsh cleaning chemicals than if I were to go without a mask.

sweetdaisy456 | August 15 , 2011 10:42 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I am looking for a safe cleaner to clean the inside of my oven... any ideas? The spray on cleaner is so smelly and choc full of chemicals, and I don't need my eleven month old breathing that.

Clarasmummy | October 18 , 2011 11:09 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I know a product that works well and yet is so safe you can put it on your finger if you burn it and even put it in the water for your plants. It's highly concentrated and earth friendly, and you only need a little bit for it to do alot of work. It's called H2 and you can find it here in the cleaners section. www.stabilityandwellnessinone.myshaklee.com

Knicole30 | November 16 , 2011 3:52 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Although there is negligible scientific research on this I still think that reducing chemicals in the environment in general is a great idea. There is a brand of cleaning products out there that is essentially harmful chemical free and very environmentally sound. The initial cost is a bit pricey but the longevity of the materials is very good. Check out: http://www.norwex.com/ for yourself and see what you think. At least the reduction in strong chemical smells will be great for our hypersensitive systems right now.

seekingcalm | December 05 , 2011 12:57 PM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

There are several cleaning products that contain some toxic chemicals which may harm your baby. After I've given birth I decided to get rid of all my cleaning products and I gave them to junk removal wellesley. I bought instead some chemical free products which are very good and smell great.

astridanc | February 22 , 2012 12:08 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

I've recently given birth and I threw all the cleaning products that contain chemicals as I didn't want to harm my baby. Also I am having some awful kitchen pests and I bought some chemical free products from terminixpestcontroloffers.com. They are very good and efficient.

Ritarit | February 22 , 2012 3:02 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

There is so much confusion on this subject it must drive new and expectant mothers crazy. I work for a manufacturer of a wonderful disinfectant, Vital Oxide. When cleaning surfaces, you are removing organic matter (food particles, dirts, oils, germs, etc. This is important to do before following with a disinfectant when and where needed. Most disinfectants can't do the job when sprayed on top of a layer of dirt. Clean first and then disinfect when and where needed. I use quite a bit of vinegar and baking soda to clean in my home but seriously, when you are dealing with babies and their under developed immune systems, you need to disinfect against harmful germs that cleaning is not going to take care of. A simple germ like Nora virus (aka the cruise ship puke and poop virus) is highly contagious and can be extremely dangerous for a baby or toddler. Baking soda and vinegar will not effect it. You need to use a good disinfectant like Vital Oxide to kill it. Yes, it is a toxic disinfectant. All disinfectants are toxic because they kill germs but there are disinfectants that are less harmful than others. I hope you will visit our website to learn more about Vital Oxide. It works great on floors diluted with water 5 to 1. It is colorless, odorless, non-caustic and will not bleach out fabric colors. www.vitaloxide.com. Good luck and Best of Health!

vital oxide blogger | April 06 , 2012 9:01 AM

Q&A: Cleaning products harmful to baby?

Of course that cleaning products are dangerous for your baby. Be very careful were you put them after cleaning the house, my advice is to have special place for them, inside of a wood vanity that can be close with a key, in the bathroom for instance, where the baby doesn't have direct access. Your baby can anytime take them and play with them.

tonight11 | May 11 , 2012 4:17 PM

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