Healthy Cleaning 101

Fabric softeners reduce static, add softness, and infuse clothes with fragrance. Enhancers may include scent beads or in-wash boosters that complement softeners. They make fabrics feel softer and fluffier, reduce static and wrinkles, and often also add a pleasant scent. They also protect fabric, preventing fading, pilling, fuzzing, and stretching, which is especially important for natural fibers like cotton and linen that can be rougher and more prone to damage.

During the wash cycle, they coat fabric fibres with lubricating agents, reducing friction and making garments feel softer and easier to iron. When you wash your hair, shampoo cleans, and conditioner softens and protects. When you wash your clothes, detergent is the shampoo and fabric softener is the conditioner. Like hair conditioner, fabric softeners work by coating the surface, but it also penetrates the fabric fibers. This lubricates the fibers and reduces friction, leading to the many benefits of using the product.

The key ingredient used in both conditioners and fabric softeners is often primarily cationic surfactants, usually derived from fatty acids. These positively charged surfactant particles attach to the negatively charged clothing fibers. This helps prevent the process of hydrogen bonding, which can cause wrinkles and stiff fabric.

Yes, when used as directed. Consumers can be confident that these products are safe when used according to label instructions.

For all types of fabric softeners, read and follow the label directions. This will give you details on the correct amount to use and when to add it in the laundry cycle. During use and storage, keep fabric softeners out of reach and sight of children.

Some individuals with sensitive skin may experience mild irritation. Hypoallergenic and fragrance-free formulas are available.

Yes. Use caution with microfiber, towels, or moisture-wicking clothing, as fabric softeners may reduce absorbency or performance.

Yes. The substances in these products are regulated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the label for these products is governed by the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act and its Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations, 2001 (CCCR 2001).

Polyvinyl Alcohol known as PVA or PVOH is a water-soluble, synthetic polymer that creates film coatings for laundry and dishwasher detergent pods. This film can be used in other products such as fishing lines and eye drops.

In detergent packets, PVA is used to hold the concentration detergent but be flexible and water resistant when packaged. However, the film becomes soluble and biodegradable when used in washing.

This technology has been researched to ensure its safe use in the home, along with the ingredients they encapsulate, and that they fully dissolve and fully biodegrade in our environment after use.

Yes. PVA films are biodegradable. Yes, PVA films are biodegradable. When exposed to moisture and microorganisms, PVA breaks down into non-toxic components.

Yes, scientific research shows that PVA is does not negatively impact environmental health when water treatment facilities are available.

No, PVA films fully dissolve in water when used and the dissolved polymers are fully biodegraded in water treatment facilities and the environment.

Yes. PVA is listed on the Domestic Substances List (DSL) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act which allows its use in Canada.

QACs are a group of chemicals used for a variety of purposes including as preservatives, surfactants, antistatic agents and as active ingredients for disinfectants and sanitizers.

QACs can be found in commercial and consumer products such as disinfectant wipes, disinfectant sprays and liquids, laundry disinfectants and sanitizers, and surface cleaners.  These products are used in households, hospitals, medical, food service, food and beverage processing, and other institutional sites. Quats may also be used in cosmetics, lotions, contact lens cleaning solution and nasal sprays as a preservative, and even used in some first aid sprays to help prevent infection from minor wounds.

Quats are excellent antimicrobial agents. By themselves, they are odorless, non-staining and non-corrosive to metals when used according to directions. Products formulated with quat active ingredients have been rigorously tested using guideline studies and shown to be effective at killing a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Canadians can be confident that these products are safe when used according to label directions. These common and effective ingredients are used in approved products that provide protection to Canadians through proper use of disinfectants in the home, by medical staff in hospitals and in other institutions such as nursing homes and schools. Quats have been studied extensively using stringent testing standards and guidelines to demonstrate to global regulatory authorities that they can be utilized safely when used as directed. The science behind quat safety is periodically re-reviewed by these global regulatory authorities and, when necessary, additional data is generated to keep the information up to date with most current requirements and address any new questions that arise over time.

Yes. Products including disinfectants, pest control products and cleaners are regulated by Health Canada. Disinfectant products are considered drugs and regulated under the purview of the Food and Drug Act and Regulations, while pest control products, including sanitizers, are regulated at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency under the Pest Control Products Act. These products undergo rigorous scientific evaluation as part of their pre-market assessment. Domestic cleaning products regulated under the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act are labelled with appropriate symbols and directions to support safe use under the Consumer Chemical and Containers Regulations 2001.

Disinfectants and cleaning products intended for the workplace are regulated under the Hazardous Product Act and Regulations and require labelling to identify risks associated with chronic exposure. Pest control products, disinfectant and cleaning product regulatory frameworks include robust incident reporting requirements. Health Canada collects and analyses this data on a continuous basis to identify safety signals and trends related to product use.

No. While a recent study suggests that quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) used in specific products may have adverse environmental and human health impacts and links to antimicrobial resistance, the paper has many flaws. The policy recommendations stemming from this study did not take into account the robust and science-based regulatory frameworks that govern these ingredients and products in Canada. The paper offers numerous “policy recommendations” that are not applicable to the Canadian legislative and regulatory landscape. The recommendations focus on reduction of use without considering Canadian safety measures already in place. Other statements in the media also suggest links to antimicrobial resistance, but this discourse is common among all approved and effective antimicrobials. It is important to note that antimicrobial resistance should be differentiated from antibiotic resistance and that quats are not used as antibiotics. No microbial resistance has been reported against Quat based disinfectants or sanitizers when they are used as directed on the product label.

All cleaners, whether commercially formulated products or mix-at-home recipes, are composed of chemicals. These chemicals be food ingredients extracted directly from a plant or chemicals synthesized in a laboratory.

All chemicals, including common table salt (NaCl), are toxic at some exposure. Toxicity is the level of exposure at which something can be harmful. Commercially formulated cleaning products are evaluated for both intended and unintended exposures, so that non-toxic levels of exposure can be clearly identified. Labels provide use directions and safety information that contribute to the safe use of the product.

Nostalgia for “the good old days” shouldn’t take precedence over the important assurances that come with today’s commercially formulated cleaning products. These products undergo extensive safety and performance evaluations before they are marketed. The data from these evaluations enable manufacturers to stand confidently behind their products. That’s why their names, and often a toll-free phone number, are printed on cleaning product packages.

The individuals or organizations promoting “alternative” recipes should be able to support their recommendations. Consumers should be able to ask them, for example, whether the recipe has been tested under conditions where it will be mixed with the other “chemical” products used for cleaning; what treatment is advised if the mixture is accidentally splashed in the eye or swallowed; and whether the effect of the recipe on surfaces to be cleaned has been evaluated.

Things to Consider About Choosing a Mix-at-Home Cleaner

1. Has the recipe been tested for cleaning purposes?
2. Do you have complete directions for safe and effective use?
3. Are you aware of any safety precautions for mixing the recipe or combining with other products?
4. Do you know how to treat accidental exposures?
5. Are there any special instructions for safe disposal?
6. Is the recipe as cost effective as a commercially formulated cleaning product?

Considerations of safety and performance should come first when thinking about using homemade mixtures.

With mix-at-home recipes, responsibility for product label information falls on the person following the recipe. That means that the consumer should prepare a label that includes the names and amounts of ingredients; emergency treatment guidelines; safety procedures for mixing, combining with other products, usage, etc.; and complete directions for use. Poison control centres have extensive data on commercially formulated cleaning products, but may have difficulty handling accidental exposures to homemade mixtures unless they have information on the formula.

One final word on safety: Some recipes suggest that boiling water be used in combination with “alternative” ingredients. The practice of carrying quantities of boiling water from one location to another in a home, especially a home with young children, raises serious safety concerns.

Probably not. The vast majority of commercially formulated cleaning products are water soluble, are disposed of safely down the drain into a municipal or home wastewater treatment system, and cause no harm to the environment. Extensive lab testing and “real world” monitoring, as well as compliance with applicable government regulations, ensure the environmental safety of cleaning products.

Some suggested “alternatives” may actually be more expensive to use than commercially formulated cleaning products. This is particularly true for food items which must be manufactured to a high level of purity. For example, cream of tartar, which is sometimes recommended as a metal cleaner, is 12 times more expensive per unit weight than aluminum cleaner. Consumers should compare unit prices, figuring the cost per job, and also note how often the job must be repeated. Something else to remember: some homemade mixtures may leave a residue that attracts new soil, so the job has to be done more frequently, adding to the cost.

Because “alternatives” are generally not as efficient as commercially formulated cleaning products, using them often requires extra effort. In addition to spending more time on cleaning, consumers may use more product and more hot water to get the job done, which can also mean extra costs; this is food for thought when figuring the ultimate costs of recipes.

Cleaning products help remove dirt and germs from surfaces, but only disinfectants actually kill disease-causing microorganisms.

Disinfectants are reviewed and approved by Health Canada. Any product labelled as a disinfectant has undergone extensive testing of its germicidal properties. These products are regulated and approved by Health Canada, and they display Drug Identification Numbers (DINs) on their labels.

Studies have shown that mix-at-home recipes that are suggested as alternatives to disinfectants are less effective than commercially formulated disinfectant cleaners, both in reducing microbial contamination and in removing soil. In fact, most mix-at-home recipes have no disinfectant properties at all. Particularly when there are health-related reasons for using a disinfectant, such as on a cutting board that might be contaminated with Salmonella or on a surface that has been in contact with someone who is sick, consumers should recognize that only disinfectants that have been approved by Health Canada and given a DIN have been tested for their ability to kill germs.

In areas vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases, such as kitchens, bathrooms and children’s play areas, it’s especially important to disinfect properly. The use of an approved disinfectant according to the label instructions will ensure that germs are eliminated.

All of the chemicals used to make the ingredients that go into cleaning products are found in nature. Very few chemicals extracted from plants or the earth are used without further processing to obtain ingredients that perform a cleaning function. Thus, the term “natural” to describe a final product can be misleading.

For example, claims for “natural” cleaners usually refer to the surfactant, the product’s primary cleaning ingredient. Almost all the products used for personal cleansing, laundering, dishwashing and household cleaning are surfactant-based. Surfactants are chemicals that reduce the surface tension of water, so the water can quickly wet a surface and soil can be loosened and removed. Surfactants are made from petrochemicals (derived from crude oil or natural gas) or oleochemicals (derived from fats and oils). Some types of surfactants can be made from either raw material source. Petrochemicals are often termed “synthetic” materials, while oleochemicals are sometimes called “natural.” Both have “natural” sources, since crude oil is extracted from the earth and oleochemicals come from plants or animals.

Whatever their source, surfactant raw materials have to be chemically converted, or synthesized, before they can become useful ingredients in cleaning products. In its final form, a surfactant based on oleochemicals is similar to the same surfactant based on petrochemicals. This similarity enables manufacturers to use either or both types of surfactants in their cleaning products. Availability, cost, ease of formulation, and desired product form and characteristics are the deciding factors.

Surfactant-based cleaning products are designed to be used with water and disposed of down the drain. There they combine with other wastes for treatment in either a municipal treatment plant or a household septic tank system. During treatment, microorganisms biodegrade surfactants and other organic materials, ultimately breaking them down into carbon dioxide, water and minerals. Any small amount of surfactants that remain after treatment continues to biodegrade in the environment.

Extensive laboratory testing and “real-world” monitoring studies have shown that the major surfactants biodegrade quickly and thoroughly, and do not present a risk to organisms living in the environment. The slight differences in biodegradation rates that can be shown in laboratory screening tests between petrochemical and oleochemical surfactants are not generally thought of as meaningful in the environment, since both are significantly removed during wastewater treatment.