Facts on Cleaning Products

From environmentally friendly "green" cleaning products to homemade solutions and standard cleaning products, deciding what products to use can be a real challenge. But it helps if you have a little bit of information. Here are some facts on cleaning products.

History

It's only during the last 60 or so years that synthetic cleaning products have become commonplace, even though soap and soap-like cleansers have been in use since 2800 B.C.

Significance

With the discovery of bacteria and germs, the regular use of cleaning products has improved our health, increased life expectancy and slowed down the spread of many diseases.

Considerations

Cost, environmental effects, antibacterial properties, cost and effectiveness are important considerations when choosing cleaning products, but don't forget about safety, such as toxic fumes and damage to skin or mucous membranes when purchasing or making a homemade cleaning product.

Misconceptions

Homemade cleaning products are not always environmentally friendly, so take some time to research the effects of the ingredients on the environment if you are trying to make your own "green" cleaning products.

Warning

Mixing cleaning products can be deadly, especially combining bleach with any type of ammonia or acid, since such mixtures will often emit toxic fumes.

Fun Fact

Many modern cleaning products, especially detergents, were introduced to the public during World War II when a shortage of ingredients used to make soap caused companies to come up with synthetic detergents and cleaning products.