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Why cleaning products may be doing the same damage to your lungs as a pack of cigarettes.
Scientists advise that harmful cleaning products damage your lungs like a pack of cigarettes a day.
BY GABRIELA SMITH
UPDATED: 5th SEPT. 2025
TESTED BY SARAH DAVIS
PRODUCT TESTING MANAGER
HOME & HEALTH UK
For years, we’ve been told that keeping a clean home is the healthy choice.
But a study from the University of Bergen in Norway turned that belief on its head.
Researchers followed 6,235 people over 20 years, tracking their lung function with regular medical tests.
What they found was shocking…
Women who used cleaning sprays and products at least once a week showed lung damage equivalent to smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes every single day.
The decline wasn’t minor.
Lung capacity fell steadily over time.
And the damage was permanent.
It wasn’t just professional cleaners affected…
Ordinary people cleaning their homes saw the same effect.
The conclusion?
Cleaning with these products isn’t just a minor irritation.
It’s a long-term health risk, on par with one of the most infamous causes of disease: smoking.
It’s not only your lungs…
The Norwegian study is just one piece of the puzzle.
Other research shows cleaning chemicals can also:
🛑 Raise asthma risk — children in homes with regular cleaning spray use had a 35% higher chance of developing asthma.
🛑 Disrupt hormones — chemicals like phthalates have been linked to fertility issues and pregnancy complications.
🛑 Damage the gut — residues from dishwashing detergents can weaken the gut lining, leading to food sensitivities, inflammation and leaky gut.
🛑 Increase cancer risk — carcinogens such as 1,4-dioxane and benzene have been tied to higher cancer rates.
This isn’t scaremongering.
It’s the conclusion of real studies and toxicology reports that regulators themselves acknowledge.
What’s in your cleaning products?
The average UK home is exposed to over 62 different chemical compounds just from regular cleaning.
Many of these fall into categories you don’t want near your family:
⛔️ Carcinogens – 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, benzene compounds.
⛔️ Hormone disruptors – phthalates (hidden in “fragrance”), parabens, triclosan.
⛔️ Respiratory irritants – quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), bleach, ammonia.
⛔️ Gut disruptors – alcohol ethoxylates in dishwasher products.
⛔️ Skin allergens – optical brighteners, dyes, isothiazolinones.
These aren’t fringe ingredients. They’re in some of the UK’s biggest brands.
If they are so toxic, why are they still sold?
You might assume regulators wouldn’t allow unsafe products onto shelves.
But safety testing has serious loopholes:
• Tests usually look at short-term exposure, not decades of daily use.
• Chemicals are reviewed one by one, but in reality, our homes contain cocktails of 60+ chemicals that interact.
• Many formulas hide behind vague labels like “fragrance” or “surfactants”, which can legally mask hundreds of undisclosed ingredients.
• And big corporations? They know reformulating costs money so they stick to what’s “legally permissible,” not what’s healthiest.
Are these chemicals needed for a good clean?
It’s a myth.
Before the post-war chemical boom, people kept homes clean with simple ingredients like vinegar, soap, and baking soda.
Today, enzyme technology and plant-based surfactants can clean just as well (or better) without the health risks.
Modern non-toxic brands prove you don’t need a chemical cocktail for fresh laundry, spotless dishes, and a sparkling bathroom.
Best Non-toxic brand recommendations
We tested the UK’s leading non-toxic brands on performance, safety, and eco credentials. Here are our top five:
1. Dip — Best Overall
When we tested Dip across laundry, dishes, and general cleaning, it consistently stood out.
The laundry sheets handled tough stains (mud, makeup, grease) with ease. The dishwasher sheets left glasses crystal clear with no chemical aftertaste. And the multipurpose cleaner replaced half a cupboard of sprays with one simple strip that dissolved into water.
What impressed us most, though, wasn’t just the performance. Dip avoids the usual suspects: no phthalates, no 1,4-dioxane, no optical brighteners. And yet the products still smell fresh, clean well, and are packaged without plastic.
It feels like the rare eco brand that doesn’t ask you to compromise.
Right now, Dip has a Sale where you can try their full range for £29.99 (usually £68.99). That’s 55% off so worth grabbing while it lasts.
Update: Dip are currently running a 55% OFF Spring Sale!
2. Home Things
Smol has become one of the UK’s most popular eco brands and we could see why. Their laundry and dishwasher capsules are neat, tidy, and genuinely effective. Whites stayed bright, and everyday stains lifted without fuss.
We also liked their stain gel, which worked particularly well on food-based marks. The subscription model makes life easier if you like deliveries on autopilot, though some people might prefer more flexibility.
Smol isn’t perfect on colour fading over time, but for convenience and solid cleaning, it’s a strong choice.
3. Smol
Minml takes a circular approach. You order in refillable bottles, and when you’re done, you send them back to be cleaned and reused.
We found their formulations did a good job on most household cleaning. The ethos behind the brand (genuine circularity) is one of the best in the space. The trade-off is that it requires you to be organised with returns, but if you value true zero-waste thinking, Minml delivers.
4. Minml
Bower offers a wide range of natural household products, often in refill pouches. In testing, the products performed reliably on everyday cleaning. We particularly liked their focus on natural fragrances, which feel gentler than synthetic ones.
They’re not completely plastic-free, since the refill pouches still require recycling, but they’re moving the right way. For households looking to make gradual swaps without losing performance, Bower is a brand to know.
5. Bower Collective
Bower offers a wide range of natural household products, often in refill pouches. In testing, the products performed reliably on everyday cleaning. We particularly liked their focus on natural fragrances, which feel gentler than synthetic ones.
They’re not completely plastic-free, since the refill pouches still require recycling, but they’re moving the right way. For households looking to make gradual swaps without losing performance, Bower is a brand to know.
Conclusion
The science is clear: cleaning products aren’t just harmless helpers.
They can damage lungs as much as a pack-a-day smoking habit, while also disrupting hormones, gut health, and skin.
The good news is you don’t need them. Safer, high-performing alternatives exist.
And after putting the UK’s best to the test, Dip came out on top not because it’s flashy, but because it worked across the board without the toxic trade-offs.
If you’re ready to try it, the £29.99 bundle (usually £68.99) is the easiest way to start.
Shop Our Favourite Non-Toxic Brand
Update: Dip are currently running a 55% OFF Spring Sale!
Disclaimer: This is an advertorial, while we believe the information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge, it is not an actual news article, blog, or consumer protection report.