Cleaning the house is as bad for women as smoking 20 cigarettes a day, however has no effect on men, a study has found.
The study, led by the University of Bergen, was an assessment of the lungs of 6,235 women and men across 22 centres.
The men and women assessed were asked how often they used cleaning products, and whether they cleaned their own houses or worked as professional cleaners.
It was revealed that women who cleaned at least once a week or worked as professional cleaners, had an “accelerated” drop in lung capacity.
According to the Daily Mail, this was compared to smoking 20 cigarettes a day between 10-20 years.
The research also revealed that no effect was found on men who cleaned either professionally or domestically.
The authors of the study write: “Women cleaning at home or working as occupational cleaners had accelerated decline in lung function, suggesting that exposures related to cleaning activities may constitute a risk to long-term respiratory health.”
The authors also suggested that people should use less of products containing ammonia and bleach, explaining that water and a microfibre cloth can suffice for most cleaning tasks.
