Are you affected by cleaning solutions?

[RitaZ.]

I sprayed a small amount of Tylex mildew remover in the kids' bathroom. I left the bathroom immediately, but I left the door open (big mistake). That stuff is so powerful, I started to get a little lightheaded.

My DH is afraid that I'm going to "gas myself" out of existence one day with all these chemicals. I have to find something that isn't as harsh. Any suggestions? Does this happen to anyone else?

 

[Cindy B]

My Zout bathroom stuff did that to me as well..

I do a lot of homemade cleaning supplies.. (sounds funny... but its true)


Like I use ammonia/water, or baking soda water/ vinegar/water... basically its the same stuff that is the main ingredient in all the store bought stuff, and its much much cheaper for me...


My one concocation that was very fumey, but worked wonders was a homemade presoak (I got a "recipe" from someone)

1 part ammonia, 1 part water, 1 part dish (like handwash) detergent...

I messed up the parts, and wow! I had a headache for a while...

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I purchase from The Clean Team.

http://www.thecleanteam.com/catalog_f.cfm

Their "red juice" and "blue juice" work great for general cleaning...they come concentrated and make a lot...very economical. They also have something for tiles, but I don't know too much about it...DH does the heavy duty stuff.

 

[Kermit]

I love to clean with pure vinegar. DH thinks the house smells like pickles, but I've learned to associate vinegar with a clean scent just like most people do with Pine Sol. It doesn't say so on the label, but vinegar is almost exactly as effective against molds and germs as bleach. (It would be more expensive if it said it were antibacterial on the label because you have to do all this stuff with the government to do so.)

I don't clean the kitchen with vinegar because I don't want that smell in there, so I use something called CitraSolv, or something like that. I buy it at health food store. It's a bottle of very concentrated orange cleaner that you mix into another spray bottle with water to dilute. It can knock you out when you're pouring it from the original bottle because it's so concentrated, but the smell of the mixed up solution is very pleasant.

 

[Nikki W]

I also get light headed by whatever solution the cleaning people use in the showers at my work. Add to that the steam...eww! I'd much rather get lightheaded with some Bailey's!

 

[d.kurz]

DH CLAIMS he is affected by cleaning products. I've always had my suspicions, though....

 

[Disney Doll]

I pretty much clean everything with window cleaner or bleach. Not mixed together mind you!!!!!!!

The bathroom I do with a diluted bleach spray. I also use "Scrubbing Bubbles" in the bathroom toilet. There's something about those little guys zooming around in there that makes me think they're really getting it clean!!!!!

I use window cleaner in the kitchen on counter tops, appliances etc. I'm not one for a million different cleaning solutions, and all that anti-bacterial stuff is a farce. It actually does more harm than good by building up more and more resistant strains of bacteria.

When I use the bleach solution, I make sure I have a window open, as that can get me once in a while. The window cleaner doesn't bother me.

 

[browneyes]

Murphy's Oil can trigger migraines for me.

 

[Serena]

yep

 

[RUDisney]

The worst that I've ever heard someone be affected by cleaning solutions is my DH's cousin. She was cleaning rought iron with a bleach solution mixed with something else, that I can't remember what it was. She scrubbed and scrubbed and when she was finished, her hands were tingling, but she though it was more of a thing where she used muscles in her hand that weren't normally used. She went to bed figuring that it would be better the next day. When she woke up, she had no feeling in her hand and went to the ER. She has had countless surgeries on her hand, including the removal of part of two fingers. She suffered nerve damage in her hand and arm because of this. She has a scar on her bicep that is enormous and has most, but not all of the feeling in her hand and she can't grasp anything in it very well.

The bottom line of what I'm saying is, don't mix bleach with anything. From toxic fumes, to nerve damage, you never know how you'll be affected.

Our cousin says that the best thing that comes out of it is that kids who come into her store are usually curious about what happened to her, so she takes the opportunity to teach them about what could happen if they don't follow directions and listen to their parents.

 

[RitaZ.]

When she woke up, she had no feeling in her hand and went to the ER. She has had countless surgeries on her hand, including the removal of part of two fingers. She suffered nerve damage in her hand and arm because of this. She has a scar on her bicep that is enormous and has most, but not all of the feeling in her hand and she can't grasp anything in it very well.

OMG, that's horrible!

I know not to mix bleach with anything, its smell is powerful enough on its own. That's the last time I use Tilex!

 

[helenabear]

I have trouble too. Not only do I have a hard time breathing, most cleaners really affect my eyes and skin badly. I always have to use rubber gloves and even then sometimes my hands are burning by the end. My eyes just burn and get really red. I have used products from the Clean Team as well and I do fine with those. Truthfully, DH just does a lot of the cleaning like that so I don't suffer

 

[RitaZ.]

I wish DH could do it, but with his asthma it's just not possible. Can I buy those products (The Clean Team) at a store?

 

[jldriscoll]

Interesting question.....we were having all kinds of breathing problems with our children and headaches ourselves...one day DH said he thought it was the chemicals I used to clean the house.

My neighbor gave me a book, Clean House, Clean Planet. It has all kinds of homemade cleaning recipes in it. NONE with ammonia or bleach! Both are horribly strong and unsafe!

Most are made with vinegar, baking soda, boroax and pure soap. They work great!!! They are REALLY inexpensive and the kids can use them so they do most my cleaning!!!

Another plus is the soaps and oils come in different scents. We are in a mint phase right now!

The key to keeping your house from smelling like pickles....add some scent to them!!!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by RitaZ.
Can I buy those products (The Clean Team) at a store?

No. But the concentrates make so much that it's worth the shipping. Their spray bottles hold up well too...I've got the same ones from years back.

I absolutely can't stand the smell of Windex and other cleaners and they make me choke...there is NO odor and no irritation to skin or throat with their red and blue juices.

 

[Jennifran]

I am very much affected by cleaning products in the same way. Just do a search on homemade cleaning recipes online or buy the book (or borrow from Library) Clean house clean planet. I clean practically my whole house with baking soda, vinegar or a solution made from Dr Bronners liquid soap and water. Good luck!

 

[nativetxn]

Only when I mix ammonia with chlorine bleach do I have a problem. Other than that cleaning chemicals don't bother me.

 

[Kitty 34]

I have problems cleaning with bleach.

 

[Kallison]

Orange Glo works well and smells great. I got Kaboom from Target and used it in my shower, it worked well. I've also posted before about using liquid Dishwasher detergent such as Calgon on grout. Just be careful, it makes the floor very, very slick. I've wiped out a few times, even when trying to be careful.

I threw bleach in the toilet once and there must have been some reidue of ammonia in there, I immediately got a searing pain in my head, had a migraine for about 12 hours. Almost passed out. Be very, very careful when mixing solutions.

 

[FINFAN]

I just have problems cleaning.
Seriously...RUN from anything that gives you a reaction...I like all these homemade ideas...think I'll give them a try. It's tough up here in the winter when the windows are all closed and the fumes are trapped, I'd rather be safe than sorry.