A groundbreaking 20-year study has revealed that for women, cleaning with chemical-based products can be as harmful to the lungs as smoking a pack of cigarettes every day for 20 years. Behind the fresh scent and shiny surfaces, these cleaners may be quietly damaging your health — one spray at a time. The research highlights how common cleaning habits, especially those involving chemical sprays, are linked to long-term respiratory decline — reminding us that what we breathe matters just as much as what we clean.

As the warmer months arrive and the air fills with the fresh scents of spring, many of us feel the urge to refresh our homes with a deep clean. Spring cleaning is a tradition that clears away the dust and clutter of winter, but the products you choose to use during this seasonal ritual matter more than you may realise.

You may have already come across a hydrosol before; they are most commonly used in natural skincare, cosmetic and aromatherapy products, extracted from plants like lavender, rose and chamomile.

Wander down the “green” aisle and you’ll see shelves filled with hopeful promises of gentler living. Yet, when we pause and read the fine print, we sometimes discover a mix of unfamiliar chemical names mingling with the botanicals. It’s a gentle reminder that the words eco and natural don’t always tell the full story—and that mindful label-reading is still one of the kindest things we can do for ourselves and the planet.