Scientists from the University of Bergen in Norway conducted a 20-year study and found that using chemical cleaning products may be as harmful as smoking 20 cigarettes per day.
The European Community Respiratory Health Survey aimed to discover more information about the long-term effects of using cleaning products. The study examined lung function in 6,230 participants across 22 locations worldwide. Participants answered questions about how frequently they used cleaning products over a 20-year period, and their lung health function was measured.
"The study found that most people responsible for cleaning at home or working in professional cleaning services had worse lung health than those who weren't responsible for cleaning."
Additional information: thoracic.org
The research revealed that exposure to hazardous chemical cleaning materials and products has direct long-term health impacts on users. The effects of cleaning for 10-20 years may cause damage equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes per day over the same time period.