Cleaning products to avoid during pregnancy

How do the options compare?

Options are compared on ACOG or MotherToBaby endorsement, size and quality of pregnancy-specific studies, dosing predictability, time-to-effect, and side-effect profile: the same axes an obstetric clinician would use.

• Chlorine bleach and quaternary-ammonium disinfectants, the two most common active ingredients in household cleaners and wipes, have not been shown to increase the risk of birth defects at typical household use. 1
• Ammonia-based cleaners at typical household use are not expected to raise pregnancy risk. The real hazard from strong fumes is losing consciousness, which limits how much oxygen reaches the baby, rather than the ammonia exposure itself. 1
• Whether ammonia crosses the placenta from a pregnant person to a fetus is not established either way, and an animal study found smaller-than-normal offspring only at ammonia doses high enough to also harm the pregnant animal. 2
• Mixing chlorine bleach with an ammonia-containing cleaner releases chloramine gas. In a review of US poison center calls from 2015 through 2022 covering 75,186 chlorine and chloramine exposures, the leading symptoms were coughing or choking (35.7%), throat irritation (19.0%), and difficulty breathing (14.8%), and 85.5% of exposures happened at home. 3
• Glycol-ether solvents, used since the 1960s in some spray cleaners and degreasers, are harder to spot on a label than bleach or ammonia. Some have been restricted in the European Union over reproductive-toxicity concerns, and one cohort study linked higher maternal glycol-ether exposure during pregnancy with lower verbal-comprehension scores in children years later. 4

Which option makes sense?

A comparison can include options that should be avoided or considered only in specific circumstances. Please consult your healthcare provider about the findings and cautions that apply to you.

Disclosure: Pregnancy Smart is a supplement maker. The options compared above sit outside our own product line; this page describes their pregnancy evidence on its own merits.