Hey everyone!
Two common products that I use at home back in Fresno are: Downy Fabric Softener w/ Febreze Fresh Scent and Windex Glass and Surface Cleaner!
Were you surprised to find out the toxicity rating of your household products?
When I used to work in food service, we were required to spray glass and surface cleaner into a towel before using it to clean. After looking at the toxicity rating for Windex Glass and Surface Cleaner, I immediately realized the benefit of spraying glass and surface cleaner into a towel. When we spray glass and surface cleaner (which usually comes in a spray bottle), we release hundreds of thousands of droplets into the air that we breathe. This can be dangerous over a long-term period, since there is a slight health risk for the ingredients in the bottle. I was somewhat surprised about the Downy Fabric Softener w/ Febreze Fresh Scent because of the slight health risk for its ingredients.
Did you decide to change any of your consumer behaviors based on your findings?
Although I found this activity informative, I cannot genuinely say that I will change my consumer behaviors based on these findings. I may be more careful about spraying Windex into a towel when I'm at home, but I'm not sure that the Downy is something that I'd be willing to give up.
Should everyone know about these risks? Why don't they?
I do believe, however, that people should know about the risks involved with buying potentially toxic household products. As a public health professional, I believe that we have a responsibility to communicate for healthy behavior and create awareness among community members!
I really enjoyed learning about the precautionary step in using Windex, and feel like I will definitely use that step in the future! It is all about baby steps and trying to mitigate as much damage as possible.
ReplyDeleteNot to be the most cliche person in the world, but "Rome was not built in a day".
I can say that Windex glass cleaner is one of those products we used growing up and the smell is so familiar. Of course this product is known to have ammonia in it I believe and is not the best chemical to be inhaling while you clean inside a small bathroom. After reading this I will now be spraying into the towel before the glass to limit my exposures.
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