The other day, my sweet husband, Frank, decided to give our kitchen a major scrub down. Unasked. I know, I know. I’m a very lucky woman, and, no, you can’t have his phone number.
He was well into the project when he emerged from the kitchen, pale, nauseated, sweaty, and dizzy. One glance and I knew he was in some kind of trouble. Instinctively, I suspected the cleaning supplies.
I asked him what he’d been using and he named two products: Murphy’s Oil Soap, which we keep in a spray bottle diluted with water to use on our wooden kitchen table and cabinets, and a non-brand-name window cleaner in a blue bottle, clearly a famous brand’s copycat.
I didn’t think Murphy’s was the problem, because it’s made from natural plant oils. The 99-cent-store glass cleaner was another story. Its label listed that its active ingredient is a chemical called 2-butoxyethanol (111-76-2). I googled the stuff, and the very first hit absolutely shocked me. Now I was feeling dizzy.
That’s because the manufacturer’s product sheet said this, in capital letters: “Danger! Harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Causes eye irritation. Affects central nervous system, blood and blood-forming organs, kidneys, liver, and lymphoid system.”
There was more. On a “health rating” scale with 1 being “slight” and 3 being “severe”, the manufacturer rated 2-butoxyethanol a 2. The chemical also appears on the National Institutes of Health Household Products website. More products than I could count contain the stuff. Although our product didn’t make the list, several other glass cleaners did; one contained a 50% concentration of 2-butoxyethanol, for example.
But here’s what really made me crazy: the Centers for Disease Control says that the principal effect of 2-butoxyethanol is hematotoxicity. That means that it’s poisonous to the blood. My husband has chronic myeloid leukemia.
Now, not to worry. He’s fine, just fine. His condition is totally under control thanks to a miracle drug called Gleevec. He’s been fine for more than three years now and his doctor tells us he’ll live a long, normal life as long as he doesn’t walk in front of a bus.
Or, I wonder, use products containing 2-butoxyethanol?
Luckily, as soon as Frank got into fresh air and rested for a little while, he was totally back to normal.
I know better than to use chemical cleaners—especially in enclosed, unventilated spaces; I’ve written about their dangers and healthier alternatives many times. But somehow, window cleaners didn’t worry me, and so I didn’t yelp when Frank, the household’s penny-pincher, brought home his bargain brand.
We’ll still be penny-wise: From now on, our exclusive window cleaner will be white vinegar and water, 50/50. For more ideas on safe home-cleaning supplies, check out this slideshow.
Previous posts by Sara Altshul:
