'Unnecessary' cleaning damages lungs

In the days when hair was washed in soap, you always gave your hair a vinegar rinse after the wash to make sure the residues of the soap were not still in your hair to make it dull and sticky. Although, as a child my hair was washed with shampoo. My mother always finished my hairwash with a vinegar rinse, then ran a strand through her fingers to see if it squeaked, this being confirmation that all the soap/shampoo residues had been washed out.

I have always been very sparing in the use of household chemicals, no virtue, just parsimony and lack of cupboard space.

I don't know how to comment on this news. Interesting, did they use lord of the flies Freudian theory tooly.io/lord-of-the-flies/ to get such results or not? This information sounds a little bit shocked and I don't know is it true. Too many fake news nowadays. Need more deep theory on that.

Valerie My Mum used white vinegar, in water, to rinse her hair after shampooing. Said it got rid of the scum from the soap.
She had beautiful hair.

Recently having done levels 1 n 2 Cleaning facilities at Local college we only used micro cloths and mild cleaning solution, Bleach was banned, at home I use water and mild cleaning fluid (Flash lavender but watered down) and micro cloths and water. I do use the beeswax on wood.

I do use the limescale chemical down the loo though but not bleach.

hair wish there was an edit button

One of my sons late mother in law,cleaned everything with vinegar, her whole house stunk of it,she also washed her gair with it,
Im sure she just rins with vinegar,but he insisted she said she washed it with it
I know someone else who used bicarb of soda for cleaning all kitchen surfaces, did just as good a job especially on cookers

I am fairly houseproud but I really do not like these spray cleaners, or other such products, including spray deodorants. The fact that they catch the back of my throat and make me cough has been enough for me to avoid them as much as possible. Now research has confirmed my suspicions.

All I have to do is to convince my husband who sprays the bathroom regularly and liberally with bathroom cleaner.

I remember a Swedish Consumer study in the 1990s into anti-bac sprays and soaps that took off in Sweden at the time. As a result Sweden never really became part of the "dettox" generation - like the UK whereby adverts guilt people into buying chemical anti bac sprays. The study found that people were developing lung problems as a result of inhaling the spray and also they were very polluting to water and anti-bac chemical residue was found in fish! It also very interestingly found that they were not best in test at killing germs. The most germs were killed by ordinary, diluted Fairy liquid!

Also doing well in the tests was the traditional "Grönsåpa" (green soap) made from pine oil and used to clean wood and hand wash textiles since the 1800!Not sure if this is available in outside Sweden.

I knew there was a reason I wasn’t a clean freak

Katek -
I knew it was something bad, but not as bad as that!
He sometimes goes to extremes.

I am not in the least surprised about that. The chemicals are polluting, particularly aerosol sprays.

They are bound to get into our lungs. Hot soapy water is best.

Your dh was fortunate Fennel as he’d actually made chlorine gas!

We have a Prayer Room in the town centre and I've just spent the whole day cleaning it. I'm sure the research is right, but sometimes needs must I'm afraid. I think I inhaled huge amounts of anti-mould spray today. [cough cough]

I prefer basic old fashioned cleaning products though my Dh has a fondness for sprays. His mother used to say that a good layer of dirt keeps the germs out!

I think you are right Auntieflo My last respiratory test showed my lung capacity to be well above average for my age.

I always suspected too much cleaning was a dangerous activity!

The best advice I read recently, probably on here, was that if you are not an avid cleaner, you are building up your immunity

While doing my cleaning job at a well known supermarket, I had a spray cleaner for the washbasins and toilets. It always made me cough. It was one of the reasons that I gave it up and retired completely. I'm not the most enthusiastic cleaner, and I only ever use water and a cloth for cleaning the windows.

Now I know why I don't do it!!

That is GREAT news! I'm not a 'cleaner' at the best of times and now I have a proper excuse

My husband is rather fanatical about cleaning (I'm not).
One time he was washing a badly stained floor, with a mixture of bleach and some other chemical, (?hydrochloric acid?) and he had a severe attack like asthma. Passed out. I took him to hospital where they kept him in overnight and he was ok TG.
But he never made that mixture again.

stella - of course there are many people who smoke 20, 40, 60 a day and will not get cancer. It's about the risk factor. This is a long term detailed study so I would consider that it has some validity.

fourormore - I'm with you there!

I'm up for any reason not to do housework!!!

I do wonder about these "studies" which seem to dictate to us about every facet of our lives. I'm a "clean-a-holic" and use spray products all the time, ever since I was a young wife. My lungs are just fine and work perfectly well - I guess I must be the odd one out with this study.