Are you familiar with quats, a common “active ingredient” that may be lurking in popular household cleaners such as Clorox/Lysol disinfecting wipes, cleaning sprays and toilet bowl cleaners?
Quats, aka ammonium quaternary compounds, are registered by the EPA as pesticides and harmful on many levels – these chemicals are powerful skin irritants, can irritate your lungs, and have even been linked to asthma, fertility issues and reproductive harm; not to mention that the overuse of quats can lead to the promotion of antibacterial resistant bacteria (“superbugs”). In fact, the FDA is even currently considering banning some of the most widely used quats, due to a lack of available data to assure the safety and effectiveness of these chemicals.*
So, how do you find out in the products you’re using contain these pesky pesticides? Commonly found quats in household products may be listed as any of the following:
- Benzalkonium chloride
- Benzethonium chloride
- Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides (C12-16)
- Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (C14 60%, C16 30%, C12 5%, C18 5%)
- Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (C12-14)
- Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides (C12-18)
- Didecyldimethylammonium chloride
- Dioctyldimethylammonium chloride
Can you imagine using a disinfecting wipe that you hope will clean your home or classroom to only realize that you’re supposed to wash your hands after use, keep these wipes away from children and in some cases rinse that same surface with water afterwards?! What happened to the convenience factor that you’d hope these wipes would provide?
Whether you’re finishing up that school supply shopping or amping up to protect yourself from any fall/winter germs that may come your way, be sure to read the labels of cleaning products to ensure these chemicals are not listed. And if you didn’t know already about the harmful effects of quats, let’s arm ourselves with this information now, so we can safely clean and shop better!
Looking for safer alternatives to Clorox or Lysol wipes? My top picks are Better Life, CleanWell and Seventh Generation wipes**.
And if you’re wondering how to have this conversation with your child’s teacher(s), check out this handy welcome back card from Women’s Voices for the Earth. It’s such a great resource you can share along with your own note and any safer alternatives!
*Source: Women’s Voices for the Earth
**Amazon affiliate links
Living Cleaner, Easier & Safer 