Cleaning products and classes associated with poor respiratory health

Exposure to cleaning products may harm the lungs, mainly through inhalation. Given increased use of multiple cleaning prducts at work and home, understanding the impacts of their interplay, rather than individual exposures, is critical, but had not been investigated to date. We aim to investigate the cross-sectional association between exposure to cleaning products at home and/or in the workplace and respiratory health. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 318 adults from the Melbourne arm of the ECRHS III. Cleaning product exposure was assessed through questionnaires, categorizing participant exposure into seven product groups. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify exposure classes. Adjusted multivariable regression modelled associations between cleaning product classes and respiratory outcomes. We identified four classes of exposure to cleaning products: “Minimal users”, “Light users“, “Moderate users”, “Heavy users”. The most exposed “Heavy user group” characterised people using many different cleaning products on a weekly basis (especially bleach, sprays, polish, solvents, acids). This class was associated with increased risks of current asthma (OR: 3.24, 95%CI 1.19–8.77), and lower post-bronchodilator FEV ₁ (z-score: -0.47) and FVC (-0.46) compared with “Minimal users”.. We found evidence of four distinct cleaning product exposure classes. Frequent use of multiple cleaning products was linked to more asthma and lower lung function, suggesting potential combined effects. These findings highlight the need for cleaning products standards, and asthma care guidelines to mitigate risks associated with cleaning products.