Is it okay to use bleach while pregnant

Cleaning and Pregnancy - American Pregnancy Association

Unfortunately, ladies, most products are safe to use for cleaning during pregnancy. Yes, even bleach. So you don’t have to call a maid to do the household cleaning unless you want to.

However, try to avoid exposure to cleaning products containing:
Glycol ethers. These are toxic substances found in household cleaning products like oven cleaners and have been associated with miscarriage, decreased male fertility, and birth defects. They may be listed as 2-butoxyethanol (EGBE) and methoxydiglycol (DEGME). .
Phthalates. Prenatal exposure to phthalates may increase the risk of congenital reproductive anomalies in male children. It’s uncommon for phthalates to be listed on cleaning products, but if “fragrance” is listed, there’s a high probability that the fragrance contains phthalates. It is possible that the smells associated with some cleaning products might affect your nausea.
Avoid spray and aerosol cleaners when possible. Many studies have found that prenatal exposure to spray cleaners may increase the risk of asthma. Ingredients that were found to be especially problematic included alcohol, ammonia, chlorine, glycol and glycol-ethylene, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), acrylic polymers, and terpenes. The increased risk of asthma was not found when cleaners weren’t sprayed.
Avoid air fresheners. As with spray cleaners, prenatal exposure to air fresheners was also associated with an increased risk of asthma and respiratory problems. Another problem with air fresheners is they almost always contain that vague “fragrance” ingredient on their label. This means they may contain phthalates, which you should try to avoid when you’re pregnant. Avoid unpleasant odors from developing in the first place by opening your windows and “airing out” your house whenever possible. Use your oven vent when cooking, if you have one. Take the trash out often, and keep your house tidy.

If you are going to do the dirty work yourself

There are steps that you can take while cleaning during pregnancy to keep you and your baby safe from harm.
Step 1: Make sure that you have good ventilation where you are cleaning
Step 2: Wear protective gloves and clothing to protect your skin
Step 3: Always read the warning and instruction labels
Step 4: Never mix different chemicals, such as ammonia and bleach; doing this can be very dangerous for anyone to inhale
Step 5: Avoid cleaning the oven since it is such a tight space and the ventilation is not good
Step 6: If your partner is around, have him do the cleaning!!!!
Look up cleaning products on the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website. You can look up any cleaning product on the EWG database and learn what ingredients it may contain and the potential health risks. You’re unlikely to find anything with zero risks because of how the database works. However, if you have a choice between a cleaner with an A or B rating, compared to a cleaner with a C, D, or F rating, you could choose the A or B.
If you feel uncomfortable using chemical cleaning products, go natural. Using baking soda and vinegar can do wonders for cleaning just about anything in your home, from the kitchen to the bathroom.

Want to Know More?

Foods to Avoid When Pregnant
Wine During Pregnancy

Compiled using information from the following source:
March of Dimes, www.marchofdimes.org

Cleaning With Bleach While Pregnant

When a woman is pregnant, there are some things she needs to avoid like foods associated with listeria, recreational drugs, smoking caffeine, toxoplasmosis and salmonella (see the list of things to do and to avoid during pregnancy). However, depending on whom it is you are talking to, there are some things that are safe or unsafe for a pregnant woman as they can make her too nervous to do much. Nowadays, not a day goes by that the media does not report some bad news on the environment. This makes pregnant women more sensitive than they already are when they think about things that could harm their unborn baby. One of the many things pregnant women worry about is whether the products they use to clean are safe for their baby. Here is some useful advice on cleaning with bleach while pregnant.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, most cleaning products are safe to use during pregnancy including bleach. So, if you are pregnant, there is no need to hire cleaning help unless you need it. However, there is likelihood that some cleaning products have smells that might cause nausea.

Advice on Cleaning with Bleach While Pregnant

If you will be handling all the dirty work, here are some steps you should take whenever you clean with bleach while pregnant. This way, you will be able to protect yourself and the baby from any harm and keep you and your baby healthy.

Step 1: Ensure that the area you are cleaning has good ventilation.

Step 2: Wear protective clothing and gloves to protect the skin.

Step 3: Before you use a cleaning product, first read the instructions and warning labels.

Step 4: Do not mix chemicals like bleach and ammonia - this mixture is quite dangerous when inhaled.

Step 5: Try as much as you can not to clean your oven. The reason for this is that the space is tight, and ventilation is poor.

Step 6: Use Aerosol cleaning products but not routinely because they spread chemicals in fine mist, which makes it more likely for you to inhale. If you use fumes that make you feel sick, ask for help with the cleaning.

(Click here to see more precautions while using cleaning chemicals during pregnancy.)

Safe and “Green” Substitutes

You can easily make products that are non-toxic by using basic on-hand ingredients.

Baking soda helps you to remove stains, eliminate odors and is a wonderful scouring powder.
White vinegar comes in handy as an all-purpose cleaning product. It comes with a bonus for cleaning as a bacteria and germs killer.
Club soda is also a good polisher and stain remover, while olive oil is a good furniture polisher.
Hydrogen peroxide can work as a stain remover or bleach (non-toxic, and disinfectant).
Borax is a wonderful alternative to bleach and helps to get rid of odor, deodorizes, disinfects and removes dirt.

How to make: Combine some liquid non-toxic soap with 2 tbsp. vinegar and a tablespoon of borax in an aerosol bottle and add some hot water. Shake the mixture well until all the borax has been dissolved then add some more liquid soap.

Precaution: It is worth noting that there are some people who add essential oils to homemade cleaner for the scent. However, pregnant women should avoid some essential oils because there are some that potentially have dangerous side effects in pregnant women. See the list of essential oils for pregnancy here.

Some household products, nitrobenzene and antibacterial soaps. It is not possible to avoid cleaning product chemicals completely. There are some chemicals that have been associated with probable health complications like Triclosan. Triclosan can be found in some household products, nitrobenzene in some furniture polishes and antibacterial soap.
Try not to do dry cleaning. Commercial dry cleaners mostly use PERC (perchloroethylene). There are some studies that have linked PERC to increased risks of miscarrying. You can instead hand-wash all the delicates or have someone dry-clean for you.
Check your crystal, ceramic dishes and pottery. There are some serving pieces that may contain lead. Check if your favorite pieces have lead by using a lead test kit.
The Cat’s litter box. A cat’s feces have a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite can cause a grave blood infection called toxoplasmosis. If you do have a cat, ask someone else to clean the cat’s waste box for you.

Here is a cleaning products video that will teach you about the dangers that come with some “cleaners” and they are the ones you should avoid most when expectant:

Click to learn more about pregnancy care:

Is it safe to use painting while pregnant? http://www.kids-center.org/thread/Painting-While-Pregnant.html

Is it safe to dye your hair while pregnant? http://www.kids-center.org/thread/Dying-Hair-While-Pregnant.html

Can you get your nails done while pregnant? http://www.kids-center.org/thread/Can-You-Get-Your-Nails-Done-While-Pregnant.html

Care and cleaning of teeth during pregnancy

American Russian Dental Center American Russian Dental Center

During pregnancy, 90 percent of women deteriorate the condition of their teeth and gums. This is due to two main reasons - a change in the hormonal background and a strong overexpenditure of calcium from the mother's body for the formation of the skeleton and teeth of the child. Changes in the hormonal background cause "pregnancy gingivitis" - inflammation of the gums, bleeding and swelling. If preventive measures are not taken, then gingivitis can turn into periodontitis in just a few months. In addition, a lot of calcium goes to the formation of the child's skeleton, therefore, if a sufficient amount of it is not supplied with food, then the mineral is taken primarily from the mother's teeth. To prevent dental problems, brushing your teeth properly during pregnancy and eating foods rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C is essential. nine0003

Measures to prevent gingivitis

It is usually recommended to go for an ultrasonic cleaning and all dental procedures before pregnancy, but this is only possible in case of a planned pregnancy. Since a large percentage of pregnancies happen quite unexpectedly, nothing prevents ultrasonic cleaning in the first weeks of pregnancy, and then repeating it every three months. An important note is that ultrasonic cleaning cannot be replaced by Air Flow professional sandblasting, since during pregnancy the enamel becomes thinner and the abrasive has a harmful effect on it. Ultrasonic cleaning is one of the most effective treatments for gingivitis and does not cause any harm to the child. nine0003

But one professional cleaning for the prevention of gingivitis is of course not enough. You also need to make some changes in your daily dental care. First, you need to abandon the hard toothbrush and buy a model with the most numerous and soft bristles. Also, do not use an electric toothbrush. Secondly, you need to stop using all toothpastes, where there may be an enamel bleach. Bleach additionally destroys already sensitive enamel. Pastes should be used only therapeutic anti-inflammatory. nine0003

Measures to preserve and strengthen tooth enamel

Brushing your teeth also helps in this matter, but its technique is described above. Brushing your teeth must be done twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. After each meal, you can simply rinse your mouth. To strengthen the enamel of the teeth and prevent its destruction, it is most important to eat a large amount of calcium in food. For this purpose, be sure to eat cottage cheese and softened chicken or fish bones. Fish bones are available in canned food, and chicken bones are easy to soften when stewing a young bird in the oven. To absorb calcium in the body, vitamin C is needed, so the bird should be eaten with greens or lemon, and cottage cheese with citrus fruits or sweet rosehip infusion. Vigorous chewing also contributes to enamel fastening, but special chewing gums cannot be used during pregnancy, as they contain phenylalanine, which can change the hormonal background in the body of children and pregnant women. It is better to chew branches of deciduous trees twice a day for 5 minutes, similar to how it is used in yoga practice. nine0003

8 things about household cleaning and cleaning during pregnancy.com

Cleaning the house during pregnancy: the pros and cons

It is not possible to completely give up household chores for nine months. From the point of view of doctors, cleaning during pregnancy plays a positive role. Moderate physical activity benefits the mother and fetus: improves blood circulation, helps keep muscles in good shape, reduce swelling and not gain extra pounds.

Compliance with home hygiene is the prevention of bacterial and viral diseases. Carrying heavy buckets or climbing on window sills to clean windows is still not worth it. It is better to delegate these tasks to other family members or call a professional cleaner. nine0003

A woman's body goes through many changes during pregnancy. Each trimester has its own characteristics. They should be taken into account when distributing loads during the cleaning process.

There are also a number of activities that are strictly forbidden for pregnant women:

Climbing a ladder, stool, window sill and other “high-rise” objects;
Lift weights over 5 kg, especially in the early stages;
Use prohibited household chemicals1;
Clean up the litter box and garden because of the risk of toxoplasmosis;
Make sudden movements: tilts, turns, squats;
Exposing the body to physical stress for a long time, denying yourself rest.

Is it safe to use household chemicals

Cleaning products should be chosen carefully during pregnancy. It is better to give preference to natural cleaners: citric acid, soda, vinegar. However, household chemicals and pregnancy are also quite compatible things. The enhanced composition of store detergents allows you to get rid of germs, bacteria and mold. All household chemicals on the Russian market are subject to examination in terms of sanitary-chemical and toxicological indicators. If a drug has the potential to cause harm to a pregnant woman or unborn child, a warning label is displayed on the label. nine0003

In the first trimester, the baby's vital systems and organs are formed. To protect the fetus from the action of various toxins, the female body produces a special hormone - gonadotropin. Thanks to him, cleaning in early pregnancy can be accompanied by hypersensitivity to odors and toxicosis. To avoid "side" effects, gynecologists recommend using fragrance-free detergents.

To combat pathogenic biofilm in the bathroom and toilet, powerful antibacterial agents like Domestos are indispensable. Sodium hypochlorite in its composition effectively kills germs and mold, keeping plumbing clean. All work must be carried out with rubber gloves and a respirator, and the premises themselves must be well ventilated; nine0003
Even with the right organization of the entrance area, dirt and microbes brought on shoes from the street spread throughout the apartment. Glorix disinfectant will get rid of potentially dangerous microorganisms, dust and other contaminants. Washing floors should also be done with protective gloves;
The kitchen seems to be one of the cleanest places in the house. However, high temperature, humidity, microdrops of fat and bacteria brought on the products create all the conditions for the growth of harmful microorganisms. Work surfaces should be cleaned regularly with Cif cleaning gels or sprays, and sponges and kitchen towels should be changed every couple of weeks; nine0003
Lime scale, grease stains and other dirt can be removed with folk remedies. Apply a slurry of soda powder to the surface and after a while wash it off with a solution of vinegar;
Before applying the detergent, test it on an inconspicuous area;
Carefully read the instructions, precautions and contraindications on the cleaning agent bottle. Follow the indicated dosage; nine0003
Never mix household chemicals. This can cause a reaction with the release of volatile chlorine - the strongest of household poisons;
If your general condition worsens after cleaning, dizziness or nausea occurs during pregnancy, immediately inform your relatives and, if possible, consult a doctor.
- Replace your regular mop with a modern model with a longer handle and wringer;
- The water bucket on wheels makes cleaning much easier; nine0003
- Avoid bending over and putting pressure on your stomach. If you need to lean forward, bend your knees and gently stretch in the desired direction;
- Vacuuming should be done slowly, with the windows open for ventilation;
- Many pregnant women find it easier to wash the floor by hand, gently kneeling or squatting;
- If you have frequent lower back pain, ask your doctor for a special abdominal support bandage. nine0003
- It is forbidden to climb ladders, chairs and other high objects to avoid the risk of falling;
- It is strictly forbidden to lean out of the windows - entrust the washing of external surfaces to household members;
- Do not raise your hands above your head - for cleaning remote areas, you can purchase a special scraper or mini window mop with a long handle;
- Instead of aerosol detergents, it is better to use a citric acid solution. nine0003
- It is better to replace ordinary washing powder with a sulfate-free detergent without fragrances - this will reduce the risk of allergic reactions;
- Wet laundry becomes heavier - it is better to entrust it to your spouse;
- Remove clothes from the washer in small batches and leave to dry at height.

Can floors be washed during pregnancy

Washing floors and vacuuming during pregnancy is definitely possible. However, there is no universal instruction for this type of cleaning - doctors recommend proceeding from well-being and working in the most comfortable position for no more than half an hour, after which take a 15-minute break.

The successful course of pregnancy and childbirth is the merit of progesterone. The same hormone weakens the natural immune barrier, makes ligaments and joints more mobile. Along with the growth of the abdomen, the center of gravity shifts - this creates an additional load on the back. nine0003

Is it possible to wash windows during pregnancy

Clean windows not only please the eye, but also provide the necessary insolation. Windows should be washed as they get dirty. On the first floors, dust settles on the glass faster. The same applies to houses adjacent to highways and industrial zones.