Bi-O-Kleen - Household Hazards

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If you are wondering if or why the cleaners you use may not be safe for you and the environment, the following information will help you understand and make a conscience decision when you buy and use cleaning products.

Use these links to learn more about specific household hazards:

Disinfectants
Tub-N-Tile Cleaners
Toilet Bowl Cleaners
Drain Cleaners
Laundry Cleaners

Toxic chemical cleaners are not necessary to achieve safe, effective cleaning for you and the environment. Bi-O-Kleen offers safe, non-toxic, natural, effective alternatives for all these cleaning tasks and many more. We stand behind our products 100% with excellent customer satisfaction and following. Bi-O-Kleen has and continues to set the standard.

DISINFECTANTS:

Most of us have been conditioned to believe that they must use powerfully chemical disinfectants such as bleach, pine and ammonia cleaners to really clean. The truth is, hazardous disinfectants are not necessary to effectively clean. Even if you used a disinfectant to clean with, you can not completely sterilize every surface in your home or the air. Chemical disinfectants only temporarily clean with long term, hazardous effects to you and the environment. The most common chemical used to kill bacteria are phenol (a particularly hazardous class of chemicals), quaternary ammonia, pine oil, and sodium hypochlorite, otherwise known as chlorine bleach. Using chlorine bleach is particularly hazardous because they react with ammonia or acids to release toxic gases. There are thousands of accidents each year caused from mixing bleach with other cleaning products. These are all corrosive and toxic chemicals.

TUB-N-TILE CLEANERS:

How many of you have used cleaners called solvents or glass cleaners? They usually come in a spray bottle and dissolve dirt without scrubbing. The reason they can do that is because they usually contain glycol ethers or chlorine bleach. This is yet another strong and hazardous chemical which is used in most of today’s bathroom cleaners for mold and mildew. The warning label may read something like this, "Not recommended for use by persons with heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems". "Do not mix with acids, ammonia or other household cleaners". "Use only in well ventilated areas". So what are glycol ethers? Well, they have been known to cause birth defects in laboratory animals (not tested by Bi-O-Kleen), and pregnant or nursing women should avoid using these kinds of products. They can damage red blood cells or bone morrow, causing anemia. And using these products in small confined spaces, such as bathrooms, makes some inhalation of glycol ether inevitable. Like chlorine bleach, it is readily taken in and absorbed through the skin, even when no damage to the skin itself occurs (that is why you can taste a lot of these products in your mouth).

TOILET BOWL CLEANERS:

Well, it’s time to break out those yellow, rubber gloves we love so much. We are going to clean the toilet. So you’ve got your toilet brush, gloves and goggles (pretty picture) so what cleaner do you use now? There are a variety of toilet bowl cleaners out on the market. You have liquids, crystals, and tablets. The most hazardous cleaners are usually the liquids and crystals often marked DANGER. They contain strong acids and are toxic and corrosive. They can burn skin and eyes on contact.

DRAIN CLEANERS:

Nobody likes to get a clogged drain, but most importantly, nobody should use chemical drain cleaners to open them up. They are among the most hazardous class of consumer products available. Accidental consumption, even the smallest amount, can cause severe damage or death. Inhalation and skin contact can cause damage to the skin, eyes and lungs. Drain cleaners are another temporary solution because they often end up damaging and corroding drain pipes, making for a bigger mess in the future.

LAUNDRY CLEANERS:

So you want whiter whites, softer linens, stain and odor free clothes? Who doesn’t? It seems everyday there is a new laundry product promising all of these things, but what does it cost you and the environment? Whiter whites mean more chlorine bleach and optical brighteners. Softer linens mean more quaternary ammonia. Having your clothes smell like the first day of spring means more artificial fragrance. Commercial laundry products contain most of these ingredients including: metasilicates, borax, free silica, cationic fabric softeners, borine, petrochemical surfactants, toxic algaecides and sanitizers, artificial fragrance and coloring, and fillers. When you are washing your clothes with these kinds of products, you are wearing them against your skin all day, absorbing any left over residue your wash did not rinse away. These cleaner are also hard on your clothes, washing machine and dryer, leaving residues behind that build up each time you wash causing corrosion of washing machines and dryers, and fading and thinning of clothes.