The cleaning industry plays a vital role in maintaining health and safety, ensuring that workplaces, public spaces, and homes are free from harmful pathogens and pollutants. Most people spend 90 per cent of their time in built environments. However, for facility managers who are responsible for cleaning and maintenance, and for frontline essential cleaning professionals, understanding the ingredients in cleaning products is critical – not only for the effectiveness of the cleaning products but also for the safety of the workers who use them.
ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, emphasizes the importance of training in the cleaning industry, conducting in-person workshops for “essential cleaning professionals.” These workshops highlight the significant knowledge gaps among workers, particularly in their understanding of the chemicals they handle daily.
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Cleaning is an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line. ISSA aims to bridge the knowing-doing gap (the disconnect between knowledge and action) by providing essential insights into the ingredients found in cleaning products and the potential risks associated with their use.
The importance of ingredient knowledge
ISSA research highlights the alarming fact that 90 per cent of participants could not recall a single ingredient in the cleaning products they used at work. This lack of awareness poses a significant risk to both workers and the environments they clean.
Cleaning products are categorized into general-purpose cleaners and specialty cleaners, such as kitchen, bathroom, glass, carpet, floor care, and furniture cleaners. Each of these products may contain a wide variety of chemical ingredients, each with its own specific purpose, such as surfactants, solvents, bleaches, enzymes, and more.
Understanding these ingredients is crucial because different chemicals may react differently when combined or when exposed to various conditions, such as heat or light. This awareness is not just about knowing what is in the product but also understanding how these chemicals interact and what safety precautions should be taken.
Common ingredients in cleaning products
Surfactants: These are critical in most cleaning products, helping the product to wet surfaces, emulsify greasy soils, and lift away dirt.
Solvents: These dissolve soils, making them easier to remove. However, some solvents can be hazardous, especially when inhaled, so proper ventilation and protective equipment are essential.
Builders: Builders adjust the pH of the cleaning product, optimizing cleaning performance and suspending soils.
Bleaches: These chemicals oxidize and remove soils, often lightening the colour of stains. Bleaches can be particularly hazardous if mixed with other chemicals, such as ammonia, leading to the production of toxic gases.
Enzymes: These accelerate chemical reactions, breaking down soils more effectively.
Chelants: These bind to positively charged metal ions like calcium and magnesium in water, to prevent them from interfering with the cleaning process. Without chelants, more surfactants would be needed, or users would have to use more cleaning products, increasing the cost and potential exposure to chemicals.
Biological additives: These break down organic soils into smaller particles, allowing them to be more easily emulsified by surfactants and removed.
Preservatives: To ensure that cleaning products remain effective for months after production, preservatives are added. These prevent the growth of bacteria or mould within the product itself, which could otherwise degrade its effectiveness.
Risks associated with chemical ingredients
While the ingredients in cleaning products are designed to be effective, they also come with potential risks. If used incorrectly they can be toxic, explosive, flammable, self-reactive, oxidizing, or corrosive. Exposure to certain chemicals can cause health issues ranging from minor irritations to serious conditions like asthma or cancer. challenge
Inhalation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cleaning products can worsen indoor air quality, leading to respiratory issues. The way a product is applied can also influence exposure levels. For example, aerosol sprays disperse chemicals in fine droplets, which are more likely to be inhaled, whereas pump dispensers emit larger droplets that are less likely to be inhaled but may cause skin contact issues.
Moreover, some chemicals in cleaning products can react with substances in the air, such as ozone, to produce secondary pollutants like formaldehyde, which are harmful to human health.
The role of labels and safety data sheets (SDS)
Understanding the chemical ingredients in cleaning products is not just about safety but also about compliance. Products containing hazardous chemicals must be accompanied by a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that provides detailed information on the chemical’s identity, health and physical hazards, exposure limits, and necessary precautions.
However, as mentioned, many workers do not know how to interpret the information provided on these labels or in an SDS. For instance, terms like “handle in accordance with good industrial hygiene and safety practice” are often too vague for workers to implement effectively.
To address this, it is crucial for employers and facility managers to provide training on how to read and understand product labels and safety data sheets. Workers should be taught to recognize hazardous chemicals and understand the risks associated with them. For example, labels might list a solvent like 2-butoxyethanol under different names like butyl cellosolve or butyl glycol or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE), making it difficult for workers to identify if it is a hazardous substance.
Making informed choices
As the industry moves towards safer and more sustainable cleaning practices, there is a growing need for education and technical assistance to help protect the health of buildings, occupants, and the environment. ISSA is partnering with universities and community colleges to develop tools and educational resources that help businesses and disadvantaged communities make safer choices in their cleaning practices.
For those who are involved in the cleaning and maintenance of any type of building, the key to safe and effective cleaning lies in knowledge and understanding the ingredients in cleaning products. By being informed about the chemicals in these products and the potential risks they pose, you can ensure that the products you supply are used safely and effectively. This not only protects the workers who use these products but also contributes to a healthier indoor environment for everyone.
Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner is the Senior Director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council ® (GBAC), a division of ISSA. He is an Associate Professor at the Penn State College of Medicine. As an infection prevention expert and university professor, he works to develop protocols and education for the global cleaning industry to empower facilities, businesses, and cleaning professionals to create safe and healthy environments.
