Question from JC
Hi Debra,
Thanks for all your efforts to keep everyone safe and healthy!
I was wondering about using the Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray (lavendar scent) on my son’s mattress where he was sick recently.
His skin would not come into contact with it directly and it dries quickly, but I wanted to double check with someone more knowledgeable regarding its safety!
Thanks again!
Debra’s Answer
Here are the ingredients for this product from the Seventh Generation website
ACTIVE INGREDIENT:
Thymol (present as a component of Thyme Oil): 0.05%.
OTHER INGREDIENTS:
- Water
- sodium lauryl sulfate
- copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone)
- citric acid
- sodium citrate
- essential oils fragrance††
Compressed air (propellant).
- Coriandrum sativum (coriander) fruit oil
- cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) oil
- eucalyptus globulus leaf oil
- lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil
- lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil
- mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil
- pelargonium graveolens (geranium) extract
- pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil
- vanilla planifolia flower extract
- vanillin
†† Linalool is a component of this fragrance
OK so first, let’s note that the active ingredient is Thyme Oil. That’s what is doing the disinfecting. Just search on “thyme oil” and you’ll find many articles on it’s effectiveness as a disinfectant. So you could simply buy thyme oil and spray it on his bed and it would be like using the herb in food, but stronger. And there are other essential oils that could be used for disinfecting as well.
But back to the product you want to use.
I don’t see any ingredients that are particularly toxic here, they are just unnecessary to do the disinfecting.
I’m not sure about how they have worded the fragrance ingredients. There seems to be an “essential oil fragrance” that contain Linalool along with other essential oils. And then they list some other essential oils. So I’m not really sure about all this fragrance. And linalool might cause skin rashes but…
I don’t have a toxic reason to tell you not to use this product,
My only reasoning is simpler is always better.
Here’s another interesting post I came across while researching this:
KITCHEN STEWARDSHIP: EPA Says Natural Disinfectant as Effective as Bleach
“Essential oil fragrance” is a new term that I encountered recently. Apparently, it can only be based on “natural sources/plants” and is not synthetic. I still prefer essential oils to any other form and was always told that the word “fragrance” in an ingredient list always meant synthetic. Of course, many essential companies have EO blends in a carrier oil but they are not fragrances.
I agree with you that “fragrance” in this usage is being clarified by “essential oil” so I would expect the fragrance to be natural and not synthetic.
I promoted this product before I had used it as I don’t buy this kind of product.
A family member bought it, used it, and I suffered severe respiratory problems for 16 hours. I reported it to Seventh Generation.
I hope you don’t mind if i add my two cents worth here.
May I suggest no disinfecting sprays on your son’s bed unless your son was deathly ill. The chemicals and essential oil do remain on the on the bed and in the air. Scents attach themselves to people and items like clothing, purses, etc… For some people like me and others following Debra’s site, scents and chemicals are very harmful.
If you can, move you son’s bed to the window for sunlight. Sunshine is a natural disinfectant. Also after you have removed all the bedding, sheets, pillows, covers and encasements, open the windows and air his room out & the rest of the house as well. Do this for about 30 to an hour everyday day for few days. Wash all the bedding in hot with soap. To disinfect, wash again with a cup of vinegar in whatever temperature of water you want. I always like to have the windows open when i wash with vinegar. You may have to do a second rinse if the vinegar smells strong on your clothing. Wash your son’s cloths, towels, hand towels & everyone else’s cloths in a vinegar rinse if you are concerned with the germs in your home. While the windows are opened you can use pure alcohol wipes on the light switches, door knobs, & anything that your hands touch like cell phones, remotes etc…. , do not use lysol or bleach wipes, they leave a residue behind that needs to be removed & are just terrible chemicals to be exposed to.
This should take care of any germs hanging around your home and family but the most important thing to do to keep your family from illness is washing your hands, eating healthy foods, appropriate sunshine and exercise.
Happy Healthy Living!
Just be careful of any Seventh generation products. I developed an allergy to MCI (Methylchloroisothiazolinone) which is a contact allergy using seventh generation products. They use it alot in their products. It made me itch and develop bumps and lose skin. It took doctors a year to figure the allergy and another 6 months to recover from it. Unfortunately more and more companies are using this chemical even tho tons of people are having reactions to it because it is a cheap filler in their products .