While working on any renovation and building projects, we bound to get our hands dirty. Most of the time, a regular hand wash is just not strong enough to clean our hands and we head to hardware stores to get some serious hand cleaners or scrubs.

Cleaning products that work on grease, grime and dirt tend to be very harsh on the hands. Most industrial cleaners contain ingredients that can be skin sensitising, hazardous to our health and/or the environment.

If your hands are exposed to a degreasing surfactant or solvent frequently, the cleaning chemicals may strip your skin of its natural oil and damage the barrier of your skin. As a result, your skin may become very dry and could eventually develop sensitive skin conditions such as eczema or dermatitis.

If you are concern about the toxicity and to the hands or the environment, look out for the warning GHS pictograms below on the product’s labels or safety data sheet.

For dry and sensitive hands, it would be recommended to use products that are dermatologically tested without fragrance.

In recent years, there is also an awareness raised with using products containing synthetic exfoliant or microbeads that are environment hazards. If washed down the drain after use, they can end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. These tiny plastics persist in the environment and have a damaging effect on marine life, the environment and human health. This is due to their composition, ability to adsorb toxins and potential to transfer up the marine food chain.

Visit De-Solv-It at the Sydney Home Show to learn more about their high quality cleaning products.

Submitted by: Laurel Torbet

Company: Vardon Industries Pty Ltd.