Update Note: After this blog item appeared, the Soap and Detergent Association sent out its response. I've copied it at the end of the post.

Most people use disinfectants to keep from getting sick.

A report released yesterday by the national environmental health group, Women’s Voices for the Earth, contends they may actually make you sick.

The report, “Disinfectant Overkill: How Too Clean May Be Hazardous to Our Health,” cites more than 40 peer-reviewed reports and scientific studies that illustrate the health impacts of chemicals found in household disinfectants. The group contends that disinfectants are linked with chronic illnesses and conditions such as asthma, hormone imbalance, and immune system problems.

The industry has maintained that its chemicals are safe to use. Within reason, of course. Many products also list warnings about breathing the vapors or letting the substance come into contact with your skin or mucous membranes.

Chemicals reviewed in the report include chlorine bleach, ammonia, Triclosan and Triclocarban, ammonium quarternary compounds, and nano-silver.

Not that they don’t work on household surfaces. It’s just that they have other effects as well, the report finds.

“Just as you wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to kill a fly, we’re advocating for people to use disinfecting products only when the situation calls for them,” WVE Executive Director Erin Switalski says in a statement. “Consumers need to know that the harsh chemicals found in disinfectants are simply too strong for everyday use all over the house.”
Yet use them we do. According to WVE, the disinfectant market is growing steadily and will reach $2.5 billion in sales by 2012.

WVE suggests using alternatives like borax and vinegar and simply washing your hands more often with hot water and regular soap.

“Antimicrobial chemicals available in the home today were initially developed for hospital and clinical settings, but for the vast majority of people, the home does not need to be as sterile as an operating room,” says registered nurse Susan Luck, director of the Integrative Nursing Institute, in the WVE announcement about the report.

The report includes an index of cleaning products that contain the disinfecting chemicals of concern. It’s  available at www.womenandenvironment.org. 

Here are excerpts from the Soap and Detergent Association's response:

"SDA expressed disappointment that Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) would discourage the use of beneficial cleaning and disinfecting products, especially during the middle of the H1N1 pandemic and at the start of cold and flu season. The concerns WVE cites in its attack are not supported by science but the benefits of the products are. Discouraging the use of these products at a time when they are more critical than ever is irresponsible.

"Scientific and medical experts understand that proper surface cleaning and disinfecting are important factors in reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

"When it comes to everyday cleaning products and disinfectants, the most important advice for consumers is: use as directed. Use the right product for the right job.

"The product label provides information on proper use and storage and appropriate warnings that the consumer needs to use them safely. EPA-registered disinfectant products provide details on what bacteria or viruses the product is effective against."

"For factual, science-based information on the safety and effectiveness of cleaning and disinfecting products, visit CleaningProductFacts.com.

"SDA also offers an online fact sheet on the benefits and proper use of sanitizing and disinfecting product at www.cleaning101.com/Hard_Surface_Hygiene.pdf."