As a rule of thumb, you can count on three products to be the most toxic cleaners on the market: corrosive drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and oven cleaners.
Out of twelve oven cleaners tested and rated by the Environmental Working Group, only one product received a C. The other eleven all received Fs. It doesn’t matter if the product was “Fume Free” or filled with fumes – they flunked.
Wondering why they failed miserably? Because the eleven products all contain toxic chemicals.
Here are the big offenders – and to clarify, each F-rated oven cleaner has at least one of these F-rated chemicals:
Ethanolamine causes eye damage and severe skin burns. It’s harmful if swallowed or inhaled, and it irritates allergies.
Morpholine irritates allergies and skin. It also damages skin and vision and irritates the respiratory system.
Liquified and Sweetened Petroleum Gases may cause cancer.
In addition to the F-rated chemicals, the same oven cleaners also contain these D-rated chemicals:
Butoxydiglycol affects respiratory systems, and may cause cancer and reproductive effects. It also may damage vision, the digestive system, the nervous system, as well as irritate skin.
Sodium Hydroxide irritates allergies and skin. It also can damage vision and irritate the respiratory system.
The good news
The fantastic news is that there is a safe alternative. I’ll explain much more about it tomorrow, but I can tell you this: I’ve cleaned my oven with toxic sprays and the all-natural, nontoxic way. Believe it or not, both methods have taken me about as much time and labor. I’ve become a huge fan of the natural way of deep cleaning an oven, just because I don’t have to expose myself – or my family – to unnecessary toxins.
A final thought
Have you noticed that products that smell horrible or make you feel horrible tend to be pretty toxic? Take a cue from your body and stick to natural solutions.
Read about easy and affordable ways to make a healthy difference in your home in my eBook, Accidentally Green.
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