Other Cleaning Products
While you may be working to remove dust, dirt, and allergens from your home that could trigger your child's asthma, you may also be unwittingly introducing household products that could be bothering your child's lungs as well.
Alert!
Some products, such as air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs, and other deodorizing products, may contain volatile organic compounds that may cause modest reductions in lung function, according to research from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Also, powdered carpet fresheners sometimes may trigger asthma and allergy symptoms — in addition to frequently clogging filters on vacuums, resulting in more frequent filter changes.
When shopping for cleaning products, keep a few thoughts in mind so you don't purchase a product that could hinder your efforts to keep a safe home environment for your asthmatic child:
Read labels carefully before purchasing all household chemicals, along with beauty and health products.
Avoid using air fragrance or deodorizer sprays, wicks, or other devices. To freshen the air, clean up the odor source and ventilate (such as running bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans).
Avoid using household chemicals around children, pets, or food.
Consider using simple cleaners (such as a 5 percent solution of bleach and a small amount of detergent) to clean things such as moldy surfaces in a shower or under a sink.
Also, just because a product is labeled “natural” does not mean that it is safe. Always read the label to make sure you know what you are getting and to minimize potential health risks.
