Should household chemicals be avoided during pregnancy?

Pregnant women are especially recommended a healthy lifestyle. During visits, pregnant women are given recommendations on the safest behaviors for their health and the health of their developing baby. They concern how to eat, which physical activities are recommended, which medications not to take and many other health-promoting aspects. And what about the use of household chemicals during pregnancy? 

If you feel that you have insufficient knowledge about what cleaning products you should use and what effect household detergents have on your health and that of your babies, read this article. You will find out whether you should avoid household chemicals during pregnancy and what to look for when choosing cleaning products. On the occasion of topics related to home chemistry, such as Domestos during pregnancy and its harmfulness, we will also raise the issue of the risk of poisoning with chlorine and other chemicals by inhaling fumes. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the rules regarding the use of household chemicals during pregnancy.

Pregnancy and everyday duties 

Although pregnancy is an extraordinary state for a woman and a time of exceptional health care, mundane duties are difficult to eliminate from everyday life. Cleaning the house, washing dishes and laundry are activities that are difficult to escape from. Of course, it is best if most of them are taken by a partner. Although it is not always possible for someone else to be responsible for cleaning. But, even if you are not the one who cleans the house and you do not use detergents yourself, it is important for you to be aware that the products used by someone else have an impact on other household members, and therefore also on you.

Using household chemicals during pregnancy

You should be careful when using cleaning products during pregnancy, of course, because of your health, the condition of your skin, but above all because of the health of your growing baby. Children of pregnant mothers have been exposed to chemicals, including home care chemicals, there is an increased risk of asthma and wheezing and allergies.

Harsh chemicals such as chlorine-based or solvents can have extremely dangerous consequences. You should be especially careful not to expose yourself to these substances. Chlorine poisoning by inhalation, although not common, is definitely dangerous. Do not take risks and do not stay in an unventilated place where such a product has been used.

Special needs of the skin of a pregnant woman 

As a result of the hormonal revolution that occurs naturally in pregnant women, the protective function of the skin may be disturbed. This is due to changes in the hydrolipid coat of the skin. During this exceptional time, the skin often becomes dry and prone to irritation, it can be irritating with burning and redness. Her care sometimes requires a woman to change her cosmetics and rituals.

You may notice that now your skin is rebelling against the same care it used before. The same is true for other substances whose use requires contact with the skin or mucous membranes, so also household chemicals.

The ingredients of household chemicals are not neutral and their use by a pregnant woman may affect the health of the developing fetus.

We equip the layette for a newborn with cosmetics intended for children from the first day of life. These are very delicate products, with a pH close to neutral, with a short composition - thanks to which we minimize the risk of allergies. We will take into account that what a pregnant woman comes into contact with and what she inhales can penetrate the baby. This, of course, also applies to household chemicals. So be careful not to allow, for example, the risk of chlorine poisoning by inhaling its fumes.

It is best if you equip yourself with cleaning products with the most delicate composition before pregnancy. Of course, make sure that the rooms where you are staying are clean and hygienic, but let it be done with safe preparations, because agents such as Domestos during pregnancy are not indifferent when it comes to their harmfulness.

Pay attention to what is written on the label of the chemical 

Read the warnings and instructions for safe use. Some will warn against using them by pregnant women, but the lack of such attention does not mean that the agent is safe for pregnant women.

It is worth remembering that before the household chemical preparation is released on the market, no research is conducted on the doses it is healthy for pregnant women, how long a pregnant woman can stay in its vapors or how it reacts with various other products. Be sure to be careful.

Watch out for the strong one household chemicals 

Among household chemicals, there are preparations that pregnant women should definitely give up. This group includes strong, bleaching and corrosive ones. These detergents can be replaced with more gentle ones or their use can be delegated to another member of the household.

Domestos in pregnancy: the harm of household chemicals

And what about the use of the popular Domestos during pregnancy? Does using it during pregnancy pose a risk of chlorine poisoning, e.g. by inhaling the fumes? Household chemicals such as Domestos, whose strong effect is due to chlorine-based bleach, should be discontinued during pregnancy.

Chlorine is irritating. It is dangerous for the respiratory tract and skin, penetrates the body. In more advanced situations, its use may even generate the risk of chlorine vapor poisoning by inhalation. In addition, chlorine can also react toxically with other preparations, and even with urine.

Or maybe even - not only during pregnancy - give up such a strong agent in everyday home care?

Use with caution household chemicals during pregnancy

Even when using more delicate cleaning products than, for example, Domestos, you should be careful during pregnancy. Weaker household chemicals can also cause adverse reactions in pregnant women.

The preparations you use for washing, cleaning surfaces and windows are not considered to be strong, but you also have to be careful in their case. The use of protective gloves will be a good idea and will minimize the risk of skin irritation or allergic reactions, although these agents are not as harmful to the skin as Domestos.

Ndangerous results of combining different chemicals

We must also remember that chemicals can react with others that we use. These are situations that are really hard to predict. Even if you trust a particular dishwashing product, this one - used in close proximity with, for example, window cleaner - can cause unforeseen adverse reactions. Although used separately, they do not cause such reactions.

Also remember that despite heavy rinsing, some chemicals remain on the surfaces after cleaning. Later subjected to e.g. heat, they can emit toxic substances. It is worth keeping this in mind, because even though you used the preparation using gloves and ventilated the room after cleaning, the residues of the cleaning agent, for example on an induction cooker, can emit dangerous fumes under the influence of heat during cooking.

Dangerous vapors and danger hidden in refreshing aerosols

We have already mentioned the danger of chlorine poisoning by inhaling its fumes. However, you should also be careful with substances left in the air after cleaning. This applies to vapors from strong agents, those with a strong chemical smell, but also those that smell pleasantly due to the fragrance compositions in the composition. These are also dangerous to the health of the developing fetus.

What the mother inhales can penetrate the baby and negatively affect its health and development. If chemicals from this group were used in the room, the pregnant woman should not stay in them until the room is thoroughly ventilated.

Dilute household chemical concentrates, it will be good for your health 

Dishwashing or floor liquid and concentrates for mixing with water should be diluted more strongly than recommended by the manufacturer. There will be less of a chemical footprint in the air and on surfaces in your home, and it will have less impact on your body.

Your home doesn't have to be sterile. The environment will be grateful if you change your cleaning products to more delicate ones.

Replacing synthetic household chemicals with ecological preparations is a noteworthy solution. cand more such products are available on the market, although it is always worth reading their composition carefully. Product labels are sometimes difficult to decipher. Unfortunately, it also happens that the manufacturers of these preparations are misleading. Although there are no substances on the label that, according to our knowledge, are harmful, they may have been replaced with others with undesirable properties.

Couple as an alternative to household chemicals during pregnancy 

An interesting proposal for a less chemically dangerous method of cleaning surfaces is steam. Steam cleaners are safe and effective in the fight against microorganisms.

During pregnancy, we usually pay close attention to what we eat, avoid cigarette smoke, choose the best vitamin preparations and give up dangerous substances, all for the sake of the growing baby inside us. Attention to what comes into contact with our skin, the air we breathe, the rooms where we stay during pregnancy are equally important. Even if our habits do not significantly reduce environmental pollution, the air we breathe in our home depends to a large extent on our actions.