The aroma of my favorite all-purpose cleaner makes me feel as if I a wafting through billowy clouds of jasmine and tuberose with a hint of fresh lemon. I want the fragrance to be on my clothes, in my hair, candles, oils and anything to infuse the atmosphere! Sound familiar? You are not alone. Thousands of people every day purchase products based on the fragrance, convinced their home needs to smell like a pine forest to be clean.  

Before you submerge yourself in your scented wonderland, take a look at a few studies and websites to learn more about the hazards of the chemicals fragrances are made from, most of which are found in every cleaning product that includes the word, “Fragrance”.

The term, "Fragrance" is chemical cocktail, usually containing a mix of individual chemicals, long associated with allergic reactions and hormone disruption. Manufacturers are not required by the government to list each ingredient on their label.

Children are more susceptible to the allergic reactions and hormone disruption caused by fragrance chemicals which include phthalates. Hormone disruption, aka endocrine disruption is a very serious and frightening issue and will bring a new list of problems.

“Hormone disruptors can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects,  learning disabilities, severe attention deficit disorder, brain development problems, deformations of the body; sexual development problems, feminizing of males or masculine effects on females, etc.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor

Environmentalists have called for manufacturers to phase out phthalates. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found phthalates in the urine of nearly every person tested.

But what if the product claims to be Non-toxic? That should make it safe to use, right??

In an analysis of 25 of the most commonly used scented products – including ones labeled “organic,” “natural” or “non-toxic” – scientists identified at least 133 different chemicals wafting off of them. A quarter of those chemicals were classified as hazardous or toxic. Virtually none of the chemicals were listed on product labels.

They found that fragrance chemicals emit an average of 17 chemicals each, and of the 133 different chemicals detected, a quarter are classified as toxic or hazardous, 11 emitted at least one chemical listed as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And of course, the chemicals were not listed on the labels.                                               "Surprisingly, the green products' emissions of hazardous chemicals were not significantly different from the other products." said lead author Anne Steinemann, a University of Washington professor of civil and environmental engineering.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/fraganced-products-toxic-chemicals/1#.T7uebcXh-So

Vital Oxide is a fragrance free, hospital disinfectant. It contains no added fragrance at all. If you put your nose right on the top of a gallon and inhaled deeply, you may notice a faint, fresh scent.  (Try doing that with chlorine bleach.) It safely eliminates dangerous bacteria, viruses and blood borne pathogens while gentle enough to use directly on food prep surfaces without a rinse. It is also a powerful odor eliminator, not a fragrance mask. Use Vital Oxide to clean and eliminate any bad odors in your home, safely and without added chemicals. 

Always avoid any products that use the term “fragrance” in the list of ingredients. No one needs extra chemicals in the environment. Instead, open the window; buy yourself a bouquet of fresh, fragrant flowers and breathe chemical free.