This post is about safer cleaning products for MCAS. Many cleaning products on the market contain fragrances, bleaches, and chemicals that are irritating for people with MCAS.
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Table of Contents
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS experience often significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.
MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.
Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.
What are safer cleaning products for MCAS?
Bleach is not allowed in my house. Chlorine bleach, or sodium hydroxide, is irritating to the eyes, mouth, nose, and skin. It can burn human tissue and is also very reactive. Accidentally mixing bleach with other cleaning agents can create toxic chemicals that can permanently damage lungs and tissues and even cause death.
It is often suggested to use bleach to kill mold spores and to clean up mold in the home. This is an especially bad idea because bleach only kills mold on the surface, and may actually promote the growth of mold by providing moisture for the mold to grow. But worse still, when certain molds are treated with bleach they release mycotoxins which can have neurotoxic effects on the human body.
Fortunately, there are tons of non-toxic cleaners on the market. But many of them still contain fragrances and essential oils that can cause MCAS patients to react.
Do you know your typical symptom progression?
Knowing your symptom progression in a flare is the key to developing your own rescue plan. In this post, I discuss symptom progressions and ways you can figure out your own symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom flares you can put together a rescue plan to address those symptoms.
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Use these safer cleaning products for MCAS
So, what are safer alternatives? My top three cleaners are baking soda, vinegar, and liquid castile soap.
- In my household, we use diluted liquid castile soap for handwashing. I like a ratio of about 1 part castile soap to five parts filtered water. Buy your own hand soap pumps for each sink in your house.
- Baking soda has many uses, and is a great alternative to scrubbing powders. You can mix it with a little dish soap or water to make it easier to apply to the surface you are scrubbing. After scrubbing, simply rinse it and you are done. It can also clean stoves, carpets, showers, tile, drains, and boost your laundry powder.
- Diluted vinegar makes a wonderful floor and window cleaner, all-purpose cleaning spray, toilet bowl cleaner, and disinfectant. Mix household vinegar with an equal amount of water. Be careful on stone or tile because some can be damaged by vinegar.
- I use this fragrance-free dish soap. I’ve tried a number of them on the market, and this one does a good job on the dishes while being mild on your hands while being fragrance-free.
- For pet odors or body fluids on carpeting or fabric, I like to use this product. It’s completely odorless and non-toxic.
- I use Trader Joe’s fruit and veggie wash to remove pesticide residues.
- For toilets, I use this product. This is also a great fragrance-free toilet bowl cleaner.
- For the sink, vanity, tub surround, kitchen countertops, and stovetop, I use this product.
- I use this unscented bleach-free dishwasher powder.
- I alternate using this floor cleaner when I’m in a hurry with using a diluted vinegar/water solution when I have a little more time to clean
- Charlie’s is my favorite laundry powder. It’s unscented and powerful! It also removes residues from other laundry products that contribute to the build-up of odor and gunk in your washer.
- If you are looking for a great bamboo toilet roll, this one is awesome!
- I also like these bamboo paper towels, facial tissues, bamboo bandaids, and wipes. Bamboo grows quickly and can be sustainably harvested saving boreal forests from being decimated.
- When I am staying somewhere away from home, camping, or I just want to quickly disinfect a surface I love these wipes! They do both have an essential oil smell, but I don’t seem to react if I just use them once in a while. If I have a big surface to clean I wear nitrile gloves.
- For cleaning up suspected mold or in any situation where a disinfectant is called for I use Benefect. It is essential oil based, so if you have sensitivities to essential oils you can wear a respirator and vent out the area afterward. Benefect is totally non-toxic – I just recommend taking precautions if you know you react to essential oils.
What are your safer cleaning products for MCAS?
I’d love to hear your comments below!
