Cleaning agents damage the lungs

Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for

More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.

Cleaning is not all that safe: pollutants in chemical cleaning agents pollute the lungs and irritate the skin - just as strongly as tobacco smoke. But there are gentle alternatives.

They are practical helpers in everyday life, remove dirt, grease and lime: cleaning agents can be found in every household and are used in large quantities for spring cleaning.But in the long run, cleaning sprays, but also other cleaning agents, can damage the lungs and skin.

Cleaning agents deteriorate lung volume

Anyone who cleans regularly, whether at work or at home, significantly worsens their lung function. That was the result of a Norwegian study. The scientists at the University of Bergen have followed 6,230 people for 20 years and regularly checked their lungs. Women’s lungs in particular suffer from the chemicals. Men seem to cope better with the strain.

The researchers determined the immersion capacity (FEV1). This is the maximum amount of air that a person can exhale in one second. If women came into regular contact with cleaning products, this value fell by 3.6 milliliters every year. When the test subjects cleaned professionally, the volume decreased by 3.9 milliliters.

The maximum amount of air that the study participants could exhale after taking a breath also decreased by 4.3 milliliters per year. In the case of cleaning staff, the loss in volume was even more pronounced: they lost 7.1 milliliters per year.

Lungs suffer like smokers

The scientists suspect that tiny droplets of chemicals from cleaning sprays and vapors from other agents damage the mucous membranes after inhalation and thus permanently change the airways. The chemicals damage the lungs in a similar way to smoking. The pollution caused by the cleaning agents corresponds to about 20 cigarettes per day.

Chemicals irritate the skin

It's not just the lungs that suffer. Many chemical cleaners throw the skin out of balance. The water softens the top layer of skin and chemicals, solvents, and preservatives can penetrate deeper layers of the skin. Inflammation and eczema easily develop. Strongly acidic or strongly alkaline cleaners in particular are irritating to the skin.

Therefore, hands should never come into direct contact with the cleaning agent. Rubber gloves protect the skin from the irritating ingredients.

Use gentle agents

Of course, not cleaning is not a solution either. Gentle cleaning agents remove dirt without endangering the lungs and skin:

• Limescale deposits: Lemon juice and washing-up liquid make limescale disappear in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Toilet: If you leave baking soda in the toilet for about an hour, you can then easily remove the dirt with a toilet brush.
• Oven: Baking powder and a little water make a paste that dissolves the crust in the oven.
• Pots: A little vinegar and salt boiled briefly in a dirty saucepan, dissolve burnt food without any chemicals.
• Windows: Water with a dash of vinegar ensures that the window panes are clean. Applied with a crumpled newspaper and dried, streaks disappear.
• Floors: Dishwashing detergent with a little vinegar is a gentle agent for clean floors and surfaces.

Tags:  eyes laboratory values dental care