Be in the KNOW about loopholes in the cleaning products industry! KNOW if your cleaning products are really clean.

Do you ever stop to look at what is in your all-purpose cleaner you use on your kitchen counter? How about the laundry detergent you wash your clothes with? If you do, you may notice that most of what you pick up will not have any ingredients listed at all. There are industry loopholes that give companies the chance to hide carcinogenic ingredients on their labels, some being endocrine disrupting compounds.

Although regulation on household chemicals is lacking, California has led the way towards transparency in cleaning products. On September 13, the state passed the California Senate Bill 258 Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017, a bill requiring disclosure of all ingredients on the labels of cleaning products, as well as on their website. While it is only one state, it is a requirement which is anticipated to move companies to disclose their ingredients throughout the nation.

What to look for before the change comes? Currently, companies will use vague terms such as “fragrance” which acts as an umbrella term for dozens of chemicals. Fragrances are often made up of phthalates, an endocrine disruptor. Other endocrine disrupting compounds to avoid in cleaning products are alkylphenol a in detergents, and nonylphenol ethoxylate in cleaners, degreasers and air fresheners. These chemicals as well as many others may not be tested by the companies administering the product, the EPA, or the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Protect Our Breasts wants you to stay in the KNOW about the different chemicals you could be using around the house that can lead to a breast cancer diagnosis down the line. As many companies are coming out with fall scented cleaning products and household goods, choose ones that pride themselves on transparency, and are free from fragrance and other carcinogenic ingredients.