Toxic Cleaning Product Ingredients Might Be Missing On Your Bottle's Label (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

We recently shared a list of hazard symbols to look out for on your cleaning products. These warning signs are issued on cleaners to help protect you and your family from injuries. However, there is one thing that isn?t always listed on the bottle: product ingredients.

The Federal Hazardous Substances Act does not require household products to include a list of contents. The manufacturer is just responsible for labeling their product if it is caustic, toxic, an eye irritant or if the chemical make-up of the product could pose such a hazard.

So what does this all mean? Well, consumers may be cleaning their homes with chemicals they wouldn't normally use. But that doesn?t mean you?re out of luck when it comes to giving your home a good scrub without exposing yourself to problem ingredients. If you visit the National Institute of Health's Household Products Database, you can search for the name of the product you?re using and read all about its health and safety information. According to The Record, the American Lung Association at lung.org, suggests consumers should choose products that don't contain (or, at the very least, have reduced amounts of) volatile organic compounds (VOCS), fragrances, irritants and flammable materials.

You can also switch to "green" cleaners which are becoming more and more popular. Many swear by natural solutions made from baking soda, white vinegar and water. "I always use a combination of white vinegar, water (1 part each) and rubbing alcohol and it cleans nearly everything. [It's] totally green and very safe to use. If you are cleaning wood, I'd omit the alcohol. White vinegar cleans everything. Floors, glass, tables, counters, coffee pots, tiles, bathrooms, you name it,? New Jersey homeowner Erika Haedo told The Record.

Watch the video above to see how you can clean using homemade solutions and click through the slideshow below to see the Environmental Work Group?s list of Cleaners Hall Of Shame.

• 2000 Flushes And X-14 Toilet Bowl Cleaners

  <a href="http://www.ewg.org/" target="_hplink">List and captions courtesy of EWG</a>. <em>Fatal If Swallowed</em> These chlorine-laden discs don't harm plumbing or septic systems, but according to the label they "may be fatal if swallowed." The boxes warn customers to wear rubber gloves when handling, hold the disc away from the face and avoid inhaling the fumes. A pet could confuse a disc with a plastic chew toy.

• Lysol Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner With Lime & Rust Remover

  <em>Fatal If Swallowed</em> This corrosive acid concoction kills bacteria but is also labeled "harmful or fatal if swallowed." The cleaner's child-proof cap is an important safety feature. The label warns not to squeeze the container when opening and to wear safety goggles. A bit of this acid in the eye can cause "irreversible damage."

• Glade, Air Wick, Spot Shot

  <em>Fatal If Inhaled</em> <strong>Glade</strong> air freshener sprays warn that "intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal." <strong>Air Wick</strong> automatic air fresheners and old English furniture polish carry the same warning. <strong>Spot Shot</strong> carpet stain remover warns that "inhalation abuse of aerosol products may be harmful or fatal.

• Ajax, Dynamo And Fab Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergents (Phoenix Brands)

  <em>High-Hazard Ingredients</em> These contain formaldehyde, also known as formalin, classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. government and World Health Organization. Formaldehyde can cause asthma and allergies. The company divulges the presence of formaldehyde in the product only on technical disclosures for workers.

• Tarn-X Tarnish Remover

  <em>High-Hazard Ingredients</em> This "Wipe & Rinse" product contains up to 7 percent thiourea, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the state of California. The company's technical information for workers says "prolonged or repeated exposure may cause reproductive and fetal effects."

• Hagerty Liquid Jewel Clean

  <em>High-Hazard Ingredients</em> It contains perchloroethylene, a toxic solvent classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

• Spic And Span Multi-Surface And Floor Cleaner

  <em>Banned Abroad</em> This product contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, which the state of California has banned in cleaning products manufactured after 2012. Products containing this chemical cannot be sold in the European Union. It breaks down to nonylphenol, which can disrupt the hormone system, is toxic to aquatic life and persists in the environment.

• Scrubbing Bubbles - Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner & Extend-A-Clean Mega Shower Foamer

  <em>Banned Abroad</em> These products contain up to 10 percent DEGBE, also called butoxydiglycol, a solvent banned in the European Union at concentrations above 3 percent in aerosol cleaners. It can irritate and inflame the lungs.

• Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner

  <em>Banned Abroad</em> It contains DEGME, also called methoxydiglycol, at up to 15 times the concentration allowed in cleaners sold in the European Union. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe says DEGME is "suspected of damaging the unborn child."

• DampRid mildew Stain Remover Plus Blocker

  <em>Banned Abroad</em> It may contain up to 10 percent of a hazardous solvent called 2-butoxyethanol. Canada caps this chemical's use in non-aerosol cleaners at 6 percent. It also contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, prohibited in cleaners sold in the E.U.

• EASY-Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner

  <em>Banned Abroad</em> This spray contains 5 to 10 percent DEGBE. The E.U. bars concentrations of DEGBE greater than 3 percent because it can harm the lungs.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/toxic-cleaning-product-ingredients_n_2535009.html

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