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Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

independent.co.uk

41–50 of 161 posts

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#41
post #18
post #5

I switched to vinegar-based cleaning solution. High dose inhalation of acetic acid seems to induce an acute reaction in mice without long-term effect, so I'm hoping that chronic low dose inhalation won't have an effect in humans either.

considering some people ingest vinegar for blood sugar regulation, seems like a safe way to go

I could imagine that inhaling into lungs might have a different impact from swallowing into the digestive tract. People doing blood sugar regulation are drinking, not snorting, vinegar, right?

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#42
The amount used and technique for spraying probably matter. A careful cleaner may use only a very small amount as needed while some seem to think it is necessary to slather everything with concentrated soaps that leave a strong smell. We are still just coming to terms with aerosols as high powered forced air hand dryers have shown, and those were intended to minimize spread of contaminants.

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#44
post #8

I use vinegar for light cleaning and dusting, and rubbing alcohol for almost all other household cleaning now. Isopropyl alcohol is basically magic — it sterilizes and completely evaporates with no lingering residue or fragrances. And a steam mop for the floor.

In case someone reads your comment and takes it to heart: isopropyl alcohol is not as magic as you're making it sound. It is a disinfectant but isopropyl alcohol does not sterilize. Some bacteria and spores are not killed by isopropyl alcohol, and depending on the surface you are cleaning, it can be ineffective at even disinfecting. >Alcohols are not recommended for sterilizing medical and surgical materials principa…

[deleted]

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#46
I don't like the idea of paying someone else to clean my filth, but I don't clean often enough myself.

So I get really lazy, and soak a sponge in phosphoric acid[1] then rub it gently on the glass around the shower. Leave for 2 minutes, and the limescale in gone! It's much easier than any "real" cleaning product, and the phosphoric acid is the equivalent of about $1.50 for a litre.

But I don't know if it's bad for me. I wear gloves.

[1] "pH 1.0" and "contains phosphoric acid" is all the label says.

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#47
post #8

I use vinegar for light cleaning and dusting, and rubbing alcohol for almost all other household cleaning now. Isopropyl alcohol is basically magic — it sterilizes and completely evaporates with no lingering residue or fragrances. And a steam mop for the floor.

In case someone reads your comment and takes it to heart: isopropyl alcohol is not as magic as you're making it sound. It is a disinfectant but isopropyl alcohol does not sterilize. Some bacteria and spores are not killed by isopropyl alcohol, and depending on the surface you are cleaning, it can be ineffective at even disinfecting. >Alcohols are not recommended for sterilizing medical and surgical materials principa…

Alcohol kills most things very well. I'm a scientist that handles lots of nasty things like MRSA and gram negative organisms that have killed their human hosts and we spray our gloves with 70% ethanol and spray down our biosafety hoods with it as do almost all labs in the world.

This is all moot probably because homes don't need disinfection (hygiene hypothesis implies you probably need the opposite) but alcohol will certainly kill most things. It would be extremely rare for you to need to kill exotic things like bacterial spores that need nuclear options like autoclaving to kill.

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#48

I don't like the idea of paying someone else to clean my filth, but I don't clean often enough myself. So I get really lazy, and soak a sponge in phosphoric acid[1] then rub it gently on the glass around the shower. Leave for 2 minutes, and the limescale in gone! It's much easier than any "real" cleaning product, and the phosphoric acid is the equivalent of about $1.50 for a litre. But I don't know if it's bad for me…

Just use vinegar from a pharmacy or grocery store, unless you want to needlessly risk your well-being. Acetic acid at typical household vinegar concentrations is plenty strong enough to dissolve limescale.

Re: Cleaning sprays have an impact on lung health comparable to cigarettes

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In case someone reads your comment and takes it to heart: isopropyl alcohol is not as magic as you're making it sound. It is a disinfectant but isopropyl alcohol does not sterilize. Some bacteria and spores are not killed by isopropyl alcohol, and depending on the surface you are cleaning, it can be ineffective at even disinfecting. >Alcohols are not recommended for sterilizing medical and surgical materials principa…

Alcohol kills most things very well. I'm a scientist that handles lots of nasty things like MRSA and gram negative organisms that have killed their human hosts and we spray our gloves with 70% ethanol and spray down our biosafety hoods with it as do almost all labs in the world. This is all moot probably because homes don't need disinfection (hygiene hypothesis implies you probably need the opposite) but alcohol will…

Eh, the GP did mention provisos like immuno-suppressed individuals. That's perhaps more common than you think.
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