Cleaning Products Safe for Pregnancy: What to Avoid and What to Use

Pregnant and wondering what's in your cleaning cabinet? Here's a plain guide to reading labels, what the experts suggest cutting back on, and easy habits like fresh air and gloves, plus a straight answer on what's in ours.

By Joseph Wead, January 22, 2025

Published by Natural House

Pregnancy is a time when most people instinctively start questioning what's in the products they use daily. That instinct is a good one. ACOG, the professional group for ob-gyns, says some cleaning supplies containing chemicals can be swapped for less toxic options, and it suggests cutting back on cleaning products that contain certain solvents.

This guide is practical, not alarmist. You don't need to stop cleaning, and nobody's asking you to wipe down the kitchen in a hazmat suit. A few simple habits go a long way, and your doctor or midwife is the right person for anything specific to you.

Why Cleaning Product Safety Matters During Pregnancy

ACOG encourages ob-gyns to ask about exposures at home, at work and in the community during prenatal care. So if you're wondering about a product, it's a completely normal thing to bring up. Snap a photo of the label and take it to your next visit.

If a cleaner's smell suddenly bothers you, you don't have to push through it. Open windows or doors (the CDC's advice for any cleaning product), step out while it sits, or hand that job to someone else.

Most of the expert advice comes down to everyday habits: read labels, keep the air moving (EPA), and don't use more product than the job needs (California's Air Resources Board).

Specific Ingredients Worth Checking For

1. Glycol Ethers (2-Butoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol Ethers)

Found in: some liquid soaps and household cleaners, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Concern: ATSDR reports that high doses of 2-butoxyethanol caused reproductive problems and minor birth defects in animals, and that it isn't known whether it affects human reproduction. ACOG suggests cutting back on cleaning products that contain certain solvents.

Check labels for: 2-butoxyethanol, 2-methoxyethanol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether

2. Phthalates

Found in: plastics and some personal care products, according to ACOG. Concern: ACOG notes that phthalates in personal care products have been linked to neurodevelopmental conditions and male reproductive problems.

Practical implication: ACOG's tip is to choose products labeled "fragrance-free" rather than scented or "unscented." For the record, many of our cleaners are scented with plant extracts or essential oils, and our Laundry Pods are fragrance-free.

3. Chlorine Bleach and Sodium Hypochlorite

Found in: anything with bleach or sodium hypochlorite on the label. Concern: The CDC's rule is simple: never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Practical implication: If you do use bleach, open windows or doors and wear protective gloves (CDC). For bigger mold jobs the CDC also calls for goggles and an N-95 respirator, so that's a good one to hand off.

4. Ammonia

Found in: many household and industrial cleaners, according to ATSDR. Concern: ATSDR says you may be exposed to higher levels while using cleaners that contain ammonia, and that high levels in the air can irritate your skin, eyes, throat and lungs. If you have asthma, ask your doctor which products make sense for you.

5. Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives (DMDM Hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Quaternium-15)

Found in: the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says formaldehyde is used to make many household products. Concern: NCI notes that the National Toxicology Program names formaldehyde a known human carcinogen. Some ingredients release formaldehyde, and the FDA lists DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium-15 among them, so those names are worth checking for on labels too.

6. Terpenes in Combination with Ozone

Found in: cleaners and air fresheners made with pine or citrus oils. Concern: California's Air Resources Board found that terpene-containing cleaners produced formaldehyde and ultrafine particles in rooms with elevated ozone. Its advice: limit pine and citrus oil products when ozone levels are high, avoid indoor air cleaners that intentionally produce ozone, and ventilate during and for several hours after cleaning. Full disclosure: Moppy, Flushy and Glassy use citrus extracts for scent.

What to Look For on the Label

A Simple Label Checklist

Three things to check, based on the guidance above:

Here's what's in ours, straight from our product pages. Surfy All-Surface Cleaner, Moppy Floor Cleaner, Dish Soap, and Laundry Pods each list their full ingredients, and all four are made without bleach, ammonia or synthetic fragrance. The Laundry Pods are fragrance-free. Surfy, Moppy and Dish Soap are scented with plant extracts or essential oils (Surfy uses lavender and sage, Moppy uses citrus). We don't make pregnancy-specific safety claims about our products, so please run any cleaner, ours included, past your doctor or midwife.

About the probiotics: Surfy, Moppy, Flushy and Trashy contain a probiotic Bacillus blend. Our product pages describe it as laboratory-cultured beneficial bacteria that break down dirt, grease and odor-causing residue.

Room-by-Room Guide to Cleaning While Pregnant

Kitchen

Good basics: Dish soap and warm water, plus vinegar and baking soda, which ACOG lists among potentially safer options Read the label on: surface sprays with bleach, scented degreasers, and oven cleaners with lye or ammonia From our line: Natural House Dish Soap for washing up, Surfy for countertops and surfaces

Bathroom

Bathrooms are small and often short on fresh air, so ventilation matters most in here. Look for: clear ingredient lists, and products made without bleach or ammonia Never mix: bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser (CDC) From our line: Natural House Flushy Toilet Bowl Cleaner is made without bleach, ammonia or synthetic fragrance, and its packets list baking soda, citric acid, a probiotic Bacillus blend, a plant-based surfactant, citrus and mint extracts and a mineral-based colorant. Glassy Glass Cleaner contains no ammonia. Use Surfy for all surfaces. Key habit: Always ventilate the bathroom. Open the window or run the fan while you clean and for a good while after (California's Air Resources Board suggests several hours), whatever product you use.

Floors

Look for: plant-based floor cleaners with a full ingredient list, or plain steam Read the label on: floor waxes and polishes, checking for the glycol ethers and formaldehyde releasers above From our line: Moppy Floor Cleaner is made for floors, comes in foaming water-soluble packets, and is made to leave no dulling residue. Its ingredient list: soda ash, baking soda, corn sugar, a probiotic Bacillus blend, a plant-based surfactant, natural enzymes and citrus extract.

Laundry

Look for: fragrance-free detergent and fabric softener (ACOG's fragrance-free tip applies here too) Read the label on: scented fabric softeners and detergents From our line: Natural House Laundry Pods are fragrance-free and dye-free, with a plant-based formula that works in HE and top-loading washers.

Produce Washing

The FDA's food safety advice for moms-to-be is simple: rinse raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating or preparing them, and don't use soap, detergents or bleach solutions on produce.

Trimester-by-Trimester Considerations

First Trimester (Weeks 1-12) The CDC notes that the baby's organs are forming during the first 3 months, so this is a natural time to talk with your doctor or midwife about what you use at home. If a product's smell bothers you, open a window or hand that job off. And lean on the simple stuff: a cloth, warm water and a little dish soap go a long way.

Second Trimester (Weeks 13-27) A good stretch to settle into a routine you're comfortable with: a short list of products whose labels you've read, fragrance-free where you can, and fresh air every time.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28-40) Bending and scrubbing get harder, so this is a great time to hand off the heavy jobs, like mold cleanup, oven cleaning or anything with bleach, to a partner or family member.

Ventilation Is Non-Negotiable

Whatever products you use, fresh air helps. The EPA advises increasing ventilation when using products that give off VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and following the label, and the CDC says to open windows or doors when using any cleaning products. California's Air Resources Board adds two more: keep ventilating for several hours after cleaning, and don't use more product than the job needs.

That goes for plant-based products too, ours included.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to clean the bathroom while pregnant? Your doctor or midwife is the right person to answer that for you. The general advice is the same for everyone: open a window or run the fan, read the label, and never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser (CDC). If you want bleach-free options, Flushy and Surfy are both made without bleach.

Can cleaning products cause miscarriage? That's an important one to ask your ob-gyn directly. ACOG encourages ob-gyns to ask about exposures at home and at work during prenatal care, so it's a normal thing to bring up. Snap photos of the labels you use and take them to your next visit.

Is vinegar safe to use for cleaning during pregnancy? ACOG lists cleaning with vinegar and baking soda among potentially safer options. Open a window while you use it, and skip it on natural stone like marble, since the acid can etch the surface. A 1:1 mix with water works for most everyday cleaning.

Can I use bleach to clean the bathroom when pregnant? If you can, hand bleach jobs to someone else. If you do use it, follow the label, open windows or doors, wear protective gloves, and never mix it with ammonia or any other cleanser (CDC). For laundry stains, our Oxy Boost pods are an oxygen-based stain remover with one ingredient, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, used along with your detergent.

What's in Natural House products? Every product page lists the full ingredients. The products in this guide are made without bleach, ammonia or synthetic fragrance, and many of our cleaners use plant-based surfactants, a probiotic Bacillus blend, natural enzymes and plant extracts for scent. We don't make pregnancy-specific safety claims, so the best move is to show the ingredient list to your doctor or midwife.

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Cleaning while pregnant mostly comes down to three habits: read the label, choose fragrance-free where you can, and keep the air moving. You don't need to stop cleaning. You just want products that are honest about what's in them, and a doctor or midwife you can ask about the rest.

Explore the full Natural House product range. Every product page lists its full ingredients, so you can see exactly what's in each bottle before it comes home.