Vocalist.org archive


From:  Dr Colin D Reed <colin.reed@e...>
Date:  Mon Apr 3, 2000  11:12 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] cleaning products


I sent a rather detailed reply to this earlier, and it didn't seem to
get through. Unfortunately I was accessing my e-mail remotely and
wasn't able to re-send the reply. I'll paraphrase it.

Many people are developing allergies to natural products. There are
theories that this is due to overly sterile upbringings, etc. Whatever
the reason, some of these are very serious (rubber latex, nuts, etc.)
Natural products are difficult to purify exactly, and can contain
numerous allergy triggers. d-limonene (orange oil, used in this
product) is very concentrated. If you suffer any mild hayfever symptoms
from orange blossom, then it is possible that you will suffer much
worse from limonene. It is becoming more common as a cleaning
product. It is used industrially as a degreasing solvent as a
replacement for Genklene (1,1,1-trichloroethane) which was banned under
the Montreal Protocol. We use this in our laboratory for cleaning
polymers off test equipment. I work with many potentially hazardous
chemicals, and being asthmatic, I am very careful how I handle all of
them. however, I have had no specific problems with this product, but
then I probably have different triggers to you.

I would suggest that you try using polishes based on wax, and buy them
in solid form rather than spray. This will prevent as much material
from reaching your lungs. No matter what the allergen, if it can't get
to where it causes trouble, you'll be fine.

Colin

jjh wrote:
>
> Dear Vocalist:
>
>
> inhalers generally keep my asthma under control.
>
> However, yesterday I was house-cleaning. Normally, just moving the dust
> around from place to place makes me a little sneezy/wheezy. But yesterday,
> I used some new cleaning products that sent me into an asthma episode that
> really scared me. I did not have to go to the emergency room, although at
> various times during the day I felt like I probably should.
>
> The products I used yesterday were purchased through mail-order, and they're
> called Orange Glo. Yesterday I was using the furniture polish, which really
> works great on wood but sent me into a chest-tightening and wheezing panic.
> I am normally not very chemically sensitive--I have no reactions to perfume,
> hairspray, detergent, other cleaning products that contain bleach or even
> ammonia, or Static Guard. I've never before in my life had such an extreme
> reaction to a household product. And it was suggested to me that these
> products would be more asthma-friendly--NOT!
>
>
> Jana
>

--
Colin Reed, Tenor
Newark, Nottinghamshire, UK
Tel +44 1636 706158
Mobile +44 973 952447



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