Ingredients to Avoid
at Home.

A common ingredient in glass cleaners and multi-surface sprays. Ammonia fumes irritate the respiratory tract, eyes, and skin — and when mixed with bleach (a common accident), it creates toxic chloramine gas. Particularly dangerous for people with asthma or respiratory conditions.

While effective at disinfecting, chlorine bleach releases fumes that irritate the lungs, eyes, and skin. It can react with other household chemicals to produce toxic gases (chlorine gas when mixed with acids, chloramine when mixed with ammonia). Residue on surfaces can also be absorbed through skin contact.

A known human carcinogen that off-gasses from certain cleaning and disinfecting products, as well as building materials and furniture. Chronic low-level exposure in the home is associated with increased cancer risk, particularly leukemia.

Just as in personal care products, "fragrance" in home cleaners can legally contain hundreds of undisclosed chemicals — including phthalates, VOCs, and allergens. The "clean" smell of conventional products is often a synthetic chemical cocktail that lingers in your indoor air.

Antimicrobial agents added to household cleaning and personal hygiene products. Linked to hormone disruption, antibiotic resistance, and environmental toxicity. Banned from hand soaps by the FDA in 2016, but still found in some household products.

Fabric softeners coat fabrics with a thin layer of lubricating chemicals — most commonly quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) — that are left on your clothing and bedding after washing. These chemicals have been linked to skin irritation, respiratory issues, and contact dermatitis, and some quats are associated with asthma development with repeated inhalation.

Synthetic chemicals added to laundry detergents to make whites appear brighter by absorbing UV light and re-emitting it as blue-white light. They don't wash out — they deposit on fabric and remain in contact with your skin. Linked to skin irritation and allergic reactions, and are not biodegradable, making them an environmental concern.

A byproduct of the ethoxylation process used to make detergent ingredients milder. 1,4-dioxane is a probable human carcinogen that is not listed on ingredient labels because it's a manufacturing contaminant, not an intentional ingredient. Studies have found it in many mainstream laundry detergents.

Conventional air fresheners don't clean the air — they mask odors with synthetic chemicals. Many release VOCs including formaldehyde, benzene, and phthalates into your indoor air. Some contain nerve-deadening chemicals that reduce your ability to smell rather than actually eliminating odors.

Paraffin wax is a petroleum byproduct. When burned, paraffin candles release toxic chemicals including benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde — known carcinogens — into your indoor air. Synthetic fragrance oils in conventional candles add further chemical complexity to the smoke.

Phthalates are used as fixatives in synthetic fragrances to make scents last longer. They are inhaled, absorbed through skin contact with scented surfaces, and ingested through household dust. Linked to hormonal disruption, reproductive harm, and developmental issues in children.

Phosphates are effective cleaning agents but cause serious environmental damage — when they enter waterways, they trigger algae blooms that deplete oxygen and kill aquatic life. Banned from laundry detergents in the U.S. but still found in some dishwasher detergents and industrial cleaners.

A common solvent in glass and multi-surface cleaners that is rapidly absorbed through the skin and inhaled as vapors. Linked to blood disorders, kidney and liver damage, and neurological effects. Often not listed on product labels despite being a primary active ingredient.

Surfactants used in cleaning products that break down into nonylphenol — a persistent environmental pollutant that mimics estrogen and is toxic to aquatic life. Banned in the European Union but still used in some U.S. household and industrial cleaners.