Brought to you by Paradise Medical — your community health, wellness and aesthetic resource in Maui

Why this matters for Maui

Even in paradise, what we bring into our homes matters. Between laundry rooms, kitchen sinks, air-conditioning and closed spaces in condos or homes along Maui’s shores, everyday cleaning and air-freshening products may expose us to hidden chemicals that affect our respiratory health, hormones, nutrition and even gene expression (epigenetics). At Paradise Medical, we aim to empower you with knowledge so your living space supports your wellness, not undermines it.

Problematic brands & products: what to watch

Below are some specific brands/products that have been flagged by the EWG or other watchdogs for containing higher-risk chemicals. This doesn’t necessarily mean every product from that brand is dangerous — but it signals caution.

• Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner: flagged for containing 2-butoxyethanol (a solvent absorbed through the skin) despite “non-toxic” marketing. (EWG)
• Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner: found to contain methoxydiglycol (DEGME), at levels up to 15× what the EU allows. (EWG)
• Tarn?X Tarnish Remover: up to ~7% thiourea – a chemical classified as a carcinogen in some jurisdictions. (EWG)
• Air Wick / Glade air-freshener plug-ins: flagged for releasing dozens of VOCs and hidden fragrance chemicals. (Medical Daily)
• Laundry detergents: Brands such as Tide, Gain, and others have received “F” ratings from the EWG in certain formulations. (TipHero)

Bottom line: Don’t assume a popular brand = safe. Marketing, fragrance claims and “green” labeling can hide less safe ingredients. It’s always best to check specific product formulations.

Safer cleaning product resources

The EWG offers a very valuable guide:

• Their “Guide to Healthy Cleaning” lets you check cleaning and laundry products by brand, category and hazard score. (EWG)
• They also provide the criteria for what gets the “EWG VERIFIED®” mark for cleaning products. (EWG)
• Link directly: EWG’s Cleaning Products Page (click through to laundry, all-purpose, etc) (EWG)

For our Maui community: when you’re shopping locally or online, use the EWG tool to filter for cleaner laundry/cleaning products, or look for the “EWG VERIFIED®” mark.

DIY All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Here’s a simple, cost-effective homemade cleaner you can use for counters, surfaces, sinks, etc — free of many of the hidden chemicals in commercial sprays.
Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) filtered or distilled water
• ½ cup (120 ml) distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Castile soap (unscented or mild scent)
• 10-15 drops of an essential oil (optional) — e.g., tea tree oil, lavender, lemon (ensure you’re not sensitive to it)
• A clean spray bottle (preferably glass or BPA-free plastic)

Instructions

1. Combine water + vinegar in spray bottle.
2. Add Castile soap and essential oil drops.
3. Gently swirl (don’t shake vigorously if glass bottle) to mix.
4. Label clearly (e.g., “All-Purpose Cleaner”).
5. Use on kitchen counters, bathroom vanities, sealed surfaces. Avoid use on natural stone without testing (vinegar acid may harm some stone surfaces).

Usage & tips

• Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth.
• For tougher grime, let sit for 30-60 seconds then wipe.
• Store out of direct sun; vinegar has smell initially but dissipates.
• If you dislike the light vinegar scent, use more essential oil but keep under ~15 drops per bottle.
• Note: This is not a disinfectant. If you require virucidal/disinfectant cleaning (e.g., during illness), you’ll need EPA-registered disinfectants. But for everyday cleaning to reduce chemical burden, this DIY is very good.

Why this matters for hormones & epigenetics

As we discussed earlier, many of these household chemicals are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) — they may mimic or interfere with hormones in our body. (svmcommercialclean.com)

Epigenetics is about how our gene expression (which genes are “on/off”) can be influenced by environmental exposures — chemicals in our home included. These changes can affect metabolism, hormone balance, inflammation, and even how our body responds to nutrition. For example:

• Some cleaning-product exposures release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can trigger respiratory/inflammatory stress, which in turn can influence hormonal and epigenetic pathways. (Health)
• The EWG flagged cleaning products that contain nonylphenol ethoxylate, a chemical linked to hormone disruption in animals. (CBS News)

In other words: the sprays and scents we breathe and put on our surfaces don’t just “smell bad” — they can subtly impact our body’s hormone systems and may influence how our genes express over time. When we reduce exposure, we reduce that hidden burden — supporting better health, wellness and aesthetics (which is part of our mission at Paradise Medical).

Summary & next steps

• There are many hidden?hazard cleaning/laundry products out there; some major brands have been flagged by the EWG.
• Use the EWG’s “Guide to Healthy Cleaning” to check product safety (see link above).
• Consider making or using simpler, homemade cleaners like the recipe above to reduce chemical burden.
• As we move into Part 2, we’ll dive deeper into how these exposures specifically affect hormonal health, thyroid/adrenal/sex hormones, and nutrient absorption.

(This content was in-part created using AI technology)