Product category

Cleaning & Laundry

What you clean with ends up in your air and on your fabrics. Fragrance and a few reactive ingredients are the main things to weigh.

What this covers

All-purpose cleaner, disinfecting wipes, bathroom cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, fragrance beads, and dryer sheets.

Start here

Switch to fragrance-free, dye-free laundry detergent — one of the highest-value swaps in the house.

Laundry Detergent

High-value swap

MODERATE priority — and high-value, because residue stays on clothes, towels, bedding, and sleepwear you're in contact with all day and night.

What to check: "Fragrance/parfum" first — this is one of the best fragrance-free swaps in the home. Then dyes and MI/MCI preservatives if skin is sensitive.

First swap

Switch to fragrance-free, dye-free laundry detergent — one of the highest-value swaps in the house.

Fabric Softener, Dryer Sheets & Scent Beads

Moderate

These exist to deposit fragrance and coating onto fabric and make it persist — the opposite of what Micro Detox wants — and the dryer aerosolises it.

What to check: The simplest move is to skip them. If softening matters, wool dryer balls do the job without fragrance, quats, or scent residue.

First swap

Replace dryer sheets and scent beads with wool dryer balls.

Disinfecting Wipes & Sprays

Moderate

The clearest "clean first, disinfect only when needed" case — routine disinfecting adds quat exposure with little everyday benefit.

What to check: Whether you actually need to disinfect (illness, raw-meat areas) vs just clean. If disinfecting, ventilate and consider safer actives (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol).

First swap

Stop using disinfecting wipes for everyday cleaning — plain cleaning is enough unless someone's sick.

Air Fresheners, Plug-Ins & Room Sprays

Moderate

MODERATE priority — and one of the clearest "just remove it" items. These add continuous fragrance and VOCs to indoor air for no functional benefit.

What to check: There's no version to optimise — the product is fragrance dispersed into air you breathe. The move is to remove them and fix odour at the source plus ventilate.

First swap

Unplug the plug-ins and bin the room sprays; open a window and deal with the odour source instead.

All-Purpose / Surface Cleaner

Lower–moderate

LOW–MODERATE priority. Everyday cleaning rarely needs disinfectant strength; fragrance and spray-VOCs are the realistic concerns.

What to check: "Fragrance/parfum," and whether it's actually a disinfectant (quats) when plain cleaning would do. Spray onto a cloth, not into the air.

First swap

Use a fragrance-free simple cleaner (or soap and water) for routine wiping; spray the cloth, not the air.

Bathroom & Toilet Cleaners

Lower–moderate

LOW–MODERATE priority. Stronger formulas (bleach, acids, quats) in a small, often poorly-ventilated room — plus a real mixing-safety rule.

What to check: Ventilate hard, spray onto surfaces not into air, and NEVER mix products. Choose fragrance-free, and reserve heavy disinfectants for when they're needed.

First swap

Use one cleaner at a time with the fan on — and never mix bleach with vinegar or other cleaners.

Scented Candles

Lower–moderate

LOW–MODERATE priority. Two overlapping points — added fragrance, and fine particulates/soot from any open-flame combustion indoors. Not "poison," but worth moderating.

What to check: Fragrance and how/where you burn. Trim wicks, burn in ventilated rooms, and don't burn constantly — especially around asthma or small children.

First swap

Burn scented candles less often and only in a ventilated room — or switch to fragrance-free/flame-free options.

Glass / Window Cleaner

Lower priority

Mostly a VOC-and-fragrance inhalation item; easy to make low- exposure with ventilation and fragrance-free choice.

What to check: "Fragrance/parfum" and strong solvent/ammonia smell. Ventilate and spray onto the cloth.

First swap

Clean glass with a microfibre cloth and water (or a fragrance-free cleaner), with a window open.

Dish Soap

Lower priority

Rinse-off and brief skin contact; fragrance and preservative allergens are the only everyday issues, mostly for hand skin.

What to check: "Fragrance/parfum," dyes, and MI/MCI if your hands get dry or irritated.

First swap

Switch to fragrance-free dish soap if your hands get dry or irritated.

Dishwasher Detergent & Pods

Lower priority

Largely rinsed away by the machine; fragrance and the pod film are minor points. No skin contact in normal use.

What to check: "Fragrance/parfum" and dyes; otherwise low concern. Keep pods away from children (a poisoning hazard by ingestion, not a chemical-exposure one).

First swap

Choose a fragrance-free dishwasher detergent; store pods out of children's reach.

Kitchen Sponges & Dishcloths

Lower priority

A small microplastic-shedding item; the main note is to skip "antibacterial"-treated sponges (added biocide, little benefit) and to replace/sanitise often.

What to check: "Antibacterial/antimicrobial" treatment (skip it) and material — plastic sponges shed microplastics; cellulose/wood-pulp, loofah, or washable cloths shed less.

First swap

Switch to washable dishcloths or cellulose sponges, and skip "antibacterial" ones.

Scented Bin Liners, Trash Bags & Scented Paper Products

Lower priority

LOW priority and easy. Added fragrance on bin liners, scented tissues, and "odour-blocking" bags is unnecessary indoor fragrance — choose unscented.

What to check: "Scented/odour-blocking" on bags and paper products — just pick unscented and deal with odour at the source (empty bins, ventilate).

First swap

Buy unscented bin liners and tissues; manage smells by emptying bins, not masking.

Materials to know

The everyday materials behind these products — and how they behave with heat and wear.

Plastic Wool

Labels you will see

What the claims on these products actually mean, with an honest verdict for each.

Antibacterial Dye Free Fragrance Free Free & Clear / Sensitive Natural / Naturally Derived Scented Unscented

Related chemicals

Plain-language guides to the ingredient groups that come up in this category.

Formaldehyde Fragrance Compounds Microplastics Phthalates Quats SLS / SLES Synthetic Dyes Triclosan / Triclocarban VOCs

Important Disclaimer

Micro Detox is an educational exposure reduction guide. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any condition. If you are pregnant, trying to conceive, or managing symptoms, speak with a qualified health professional.

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