KONTREI, PAARL - While household cleaning giants are taken to court in New York over lack of toxicity transparency, locally Zomerlust Gastehuis have had enough and are now only using non-toxic leaning products in the guest house.

Some of the biggest and most well-known names in household cleaning products in the US are facing a lawsuit for refusing to comply with state regulations requiring them to disclose which chemicals they are using in their products, as well as the associated health risks.

The first-of-its-kind lawsuit - as reported by commondreams.org - is brought by environmental and health groups at a time of growing international pressure for toxics chemical reform.

“The bottom line is that hazardous ingredients that have not been tested for long-term health impacts, like asthma or even birth defects, are being used in some cleaning products,” says Erin Switalski - executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth - as quoted by Commondreams.org.

According to the website, “…studies show links between chemicals in common household cleaners and respiratory irritation, asthma, and allergies. Occupational exposures to some ethylene glycol ethers, often used as solvents in cleaning products, are associated with red blood cell damage, reproductive system damage, and birth defects. Some solvents in cleaning products are also toxic to the nervous system.”

According to Niël du Toit of Zomerlust Gastehuis, the guest house recently started experimenting with various alternatives to the mainstream cleaning products in an attempt to avoid possible side effects on their cleaning staff, such as skin discoloring, sinus problems and coughing.

After trying out various dilutions of vinegar and water, Zomerlust has now settled on Amway household cleaning products which produce no side effects and still work effectively.

Click here to find out more about Zomerlust Gastehuis!