IS YOUR CLEANER HARMING YOUR BABY?
*Plonk*
Yes, that’s the sound of the last slice of your favorite pepperoni pizza hitting the floor. Five second rule? Did your mind just go there too? We’ve all been there. Thinking that our reflexes are faster than the germs on the floor. That we have precious five seconds to pick up that slice and pretend to have amnesia about its fall. Are you guilty of taking a bite out of that slice? Or did the germaphobe within you just cringe?
Irrespective of which category you fall under, there’s one thing which unites both. The need for CLEAN FLOORS! And, the COVID-19 era has exacerbated this need.
Irrespective of which category you fall under, there’s one thing which unites both. The need for CLEAN FLOORS! And, the COVID-19 era has exacerbated this need.
By Glitz Cleaner
Hence, it’s no surprise that disinfectant floor cleaners have become cart hogs during shopping sprees. And, obviously they’ve got to be the best disinfectant floor cleaners right? Kill 99.99999% of creepy crawlies lying in wait back home? But, what if we told you that those trustworthy cleaning buddies are actually harming rather than helping you?
Here’s how:
1. Direct Exposure: One touch away from health problems?
Some of the active ingredients in traditional chemical-based floor cleaner liquids harm our health with direct exposure. For example:
- Disinfectants like benzalkonium chloride and triclosan cause severe skin allergies and potentially induce endocrine imbalances. This could lead to weight fluctuations, mood swings and fatigue*.
- Surfactants, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which help lower surface tension and allow us to clean, have been linked to skin problems like irritation, dryness and contact dermatitis.
- Phthalates, which are included liberally in cleaning formulations to make them fragrant, have been linked to asthma, reproductive and developmental disorders.
Can you imagine what this chemical cocktail could do to our weakened immunities post COVID?
Save yourself the horror of imagining that scenario, or worse living it, and switch to plant-based disinfectants. As the name suggests, they contain plant extracts or enzymes which are skin, nose and internal organ friendly.
2. Indirect Exposure: Fumes, fumes everywhere!
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as ethanol, formaldehyde and chlorine, may be out of sight, but they’re in your lungs! These compounds remain suspended in the air long after the mopping is over.
They deteriorate the indoor air quality, and have been associated with nausea and headaches. In some cases they’ve also caused damage to the central nervous system. Since air doesn’t have any barriers, these suspended particles flow out your windows and do their bit for the smog outside too. Natural floor cleaner liquids leave behind no residue. Hence, they don’t cause any chemical buildup in your home.
3. Polluting the environment: Even fish can’t breathe under water.
Did you know that domestic sewage is the biggest source of water pollution in India?** On average urban Indian cities flush out 38,354 million litres of domestic waste water almost every day. So, the phosphorus and nitrogen from the floor cleaners not only impact your immediate environment, but also find their way into the marine ecosystem. Why is that bad?
- Increased nutrient build-up in those waters encourages excessive growth of algae, which deprives aquatic life of much needed oxygen.
- Furthermore, some of the active ingredients in these floor cleaners break down into more toxic versions by the time they reach these waters, causing long term endocrine and reproductive problems in the wildlife that consumes them.
Conversely, plant-based disinfectants are eco-friendly! Since they’re made up of non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients, you can proudly claim that no animals were harmed by your pocha-paani.
4. Harming the floors: The Ultimate Terminator..
In their bid to kill more germs, chemical floor cleaners also go the extra mile and kill your floors too! For example, exposure to acid and bleaches in these cleaners causes iron oxidation in marble floors, provoking yellow stains. Acid based cleaners are also corrosive to granite floors. They break through the surface sealants and seep into the porous bottom layers of granite. Trust us, in a few years there won’t be much left to clean.
If the thought of damaging your pristine floors, or your baby/ pooch rolling on those residual chemicals sent a chill down your spine, (we’re sorry! But we had to tell you) it’s time to switch to natural cleaners. And, we’ve saved you some Googling! No need to search for “pet friendly floor cleaner india” or “eco-friendly floor cleaner india”, because we’ve formulated the best floor cleaner liquid in India a.k.a Born Good’s Plant-Based Disinfectant Floor Cleaner.
Lest you think we’re biased, here’s our reasoning:
- Made with natural ingredients like coconut, glycerine and vegetable oils, it’s a baby friendly floor cleaner. Safe for you too! Both of you can crawl the floors worry free.
- It’s reinforced with the goodness of neem and tulsi. Remember those geography lessons about these plants? Yes, they’re still the unbeatable champs of the germ fighting world. It’s safe to say that Born Good’s plant-based disinfectant floor cleaner spells doom for germs in your home, and gets the job done.
- Since it uses no chemicals, it leaves none behind either.
So if you do pick up that slice of pizza.. you can feel a smidge less guilty about taking that bite. But, only after you’ve made the switch!