Hmmmm, I DON'T THINK SO!

A famous maker of bleach says they now have safe, green cleaning products…Hmmmm I DON’T THINK SO! When I was told to go to their website because of a video that a lady made telling how glad she is to have found these “safe” products, I did a little checking for myself. I went to their website and looked at the ingredient glossary. I found that many of the ingredients were just fine, but some were pretty bad. A little further down I'll show you just two examples and their hazards, cautions, and first aid procedure. The information was on different sites so the format is different but you will be able to get the picture. They make the claim of biodegradable: A biodegradable material is something that has the ability to safely and relatively quickly breakdown biological compounds into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment. Much of the ingredients used in XXXXX XXXXX™ natural cleaners are biodegradable helping to minimize the impact on the environment. They also say ‘Not tested on animals”. Quote: “Animals were not used to test the safety and efficacy of XXXX XXXXX™ natural cleaning products.” They are probably telling the truth because they don’t have to test on animals. When I looked up the ingredients, I found the results of the animal testing, that had already been done, by the makers of the ingredients that this company is using to formulate their cleaning products. What happens if Mom gets a phone call and just for a minute leaves her 2 year old to answer it. How many 2 or even 3, 4, 5, and 6 years old would you feel completely safe being around these ingredients unattended even for a couple of minutes? You won’t find these kinds of warnings and this information on their bottles! How would a Mom know? Here is the first ingredient that I looked up. Soda Ash FIRST AID: SKIN: Wash exposed area with soap and water. If irritation persists, seek medical attention. EYES: Wash eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting lids occasionally. Seek Medical Aid. INHALATION: Remove to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen INGESTION: If swallowed, induce vomiting immediately after giving two glasses of water. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Handling and Storage Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place away from incompatible materials. Wash thoroughly after handling. Effects of overexposure: Acute: May cause eyes burns. Harmful if swallowed. Inhalation of dust may cause respiratory tract irritation, coughing or labored breathing. (in this instance, the soda ash is not in a dry form so there is no dust) Excessive contact can damage nasal septum. Ingestion may be corrosive to GI tract, symptoms may include severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and collapse. Skin contact may cause irritation w/blistering and redness. May be corrosive to eyes and cause conjunctivitis, edema and corneal distruction. Chronic: Prolonged or prolonged contact may cause sensitization. Conditions aggravated/target organs: Persons with pre-existing eye, skin or respiratory conditions may be more susceptible The second ingredient I checked is: Hydroxyacetic acid GENERAL HYGIENE CONSIDERATIONS: Eyewash facility and emergency shower should be in close proximity. SARA 311 / 312 HAZARD CLASSES: X Acute Health Chronic Health Fire Reactive PRECAUTIONARY LABELING: WARNING! Causes irritation to eyes and mucous membranes. May be harmful if swallowed. FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY – KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN Contains phosphoric acid and hydroxyacetic acid. TYPES OF HAZARD/EXPOSURE ACUTE HAZARDS / SYMPTOMS PREVENTION FIRST AID / FIRE FIGHTING FIRE Combustible. Inhalation Cough. Shortness of breath, Sore throat .. Avoid inhalation of fine dust and mist. Place in half upright position in fresh air, rest. Refer for medical attention. Skin Redness. Pain. Serious skin burns. Wear protective gloves. First rinse with plenty of water then remove contaminated clothes and rinse again Eyes Redness. Pain. Blurred vision. Severe deep burns. Wear safety goggles, or eye protection in combination with breathing protection. First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes. (remove contact lenses if easily possible) then take to a doctor. Ingestion Abdominal pain. Burning sensation. Shock or collapse. Do not eat, drink, or smoke during work Do NOT induce vomiting. Give plenty of water to drink. Refer for medical attention. Watch for the rest of the story on the next blog!