Could I Get Cancer from the Household Products I Use?

You may have to rethink what household cleaning products you use after reading this. The Cheat Sheet, a news website that covers lifestyle topics, recently ran a story alleging some household products cause cancer. According to the Cheat Sheet piece, certain ingredients in the household items are carcinogens, which means they can cause cancer.

Just because something is a carcinogen does not mean that you will get cancer as a result of exposure. Some carcinogens are more powerful than others. In addition, it can depend on the amount of the carcinogen you were exposed to and how much time you spent around the cancer-causing product. Even your genetic makeup can play a part in determining whether exposure to a household product causes you to get cancer. Still, if there’s even a remote chance that a product could cause you or someone you love to develop cancer, it shouldn’t be allowed in your home. Particularly, if you don’t even know it’s a carcinogen in the first place.

3 Common Household Products That May Cause Cancer

The Cheat Sheet article lists three types of household products that pose a cancer risk:

1. Cleaning Products – A non-profit public health risk awareness organization called The Environmental Working Group made a list of cancer-causing household cleaners named Cleaners Hall of Shame. As of April 2016, the list included over 2,500 cleaning products.
2. Air Fresheners – A 2008 study conducted at the University of Washington and published in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review found that almost all air fresheners contained cancer-causing compounds. In addition to causing cancer, these chemicals can lead to problems with reproduction, breathing and cell regeneration.
3. Dryer Sheets – A study published in a journal called Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health in August 2011 found that dryer vent emissions from laundry loads that included dryer sheets contained carcinogens. Cancer-causing chemicals in the emissions include benzene and acetaldehyde.

Product liability lawsuits can enable victims of product defect injuries, including cancer and other diseases, to bring those responsible for their pain and suffering to justice and get the help they and their families need.

What would you do if you found out a product you had used for years could cause cancer? Tell us in the comments section or post your thoughts on our Facebook, Twitter or Google+ pages.