Keeping the environment clean and comfortable is something that must be done to maintain health. In a clean environment, you can avoid various sources of disease. In general, women feel more uncomfortable in a dirty environment than men, thus women tend to clean up more than men. However, recent studies have shown that a woman who daily clean-ups, whether at home or at work, may experience decreased lung function and airway obstruction in the long run.

Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway analysed data from 6,235 participants in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey who had been enrolled for more than 20 years. The study showed that the Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) declined 3.6-3.9 ml/year faster in women who cleaned every day compared to women not engaged in cleaning overtime.  FEV1 is the amount of air a person can forcibly exhale in one second, which is the main indicator of lung function.

In addition, the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) in women who cleaned regularly overtime also declined by 4.3-7.1 ml/year faster than women who did not clean. FVC is the total amount of air a person can forcibly exhale after taking the deepest breath possible.  A decrease in FEV1 and FVC may indicate an impairment of lung function.

Cleaning products usually contain small particles of chemicals that can be inhaled by humans and enter the respiratory system. The accelerating decline of FEV1 and FVC over time in women engaged in cleaning works may be attributable to the irritation that most cleaning chemicals cause on the mucous membranes lining the respiratory tract. Therefore, the researchers encourage cleaning product manufacturers to develop and produce more human-friendly cleaning products.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from evergreenyourhome.com

Source(s):

• Women who clean at home or work face increased lung function decline (2018)
  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180216084912.htm, 21 February 2018.
• Svanes, Bertelsen, R. J., Lygre, S.H. et al (2018). Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, doi: 10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC