Have you ever seen a toddler drop food on the floor and immediately put it in their mouth? Presumably, most parents would take the contaminated food away. Unless, of course, they're at home. Often, the handy five-second rule comes into play. Even in homes, there are toxins and chemicals on the floor and surfaces – not just germs and bacteria. The cleaning products used are neglected because they are harmful and toxic. How often do people, not just parents, neglect what's on the surfaces of their home because they've cleaned it? Cleaners loaded with toxic chemicals are used to sanitize or disinfect surfaces. These chemicals then come into contact with products, foods and the human body. Many cleaners also drift through the air and then come into contact with the human body in ways not originally intended. Even “eco-friendly” companies provide cleaners with some type of chemical or filler that could be potentially harmful. Some chemical cleaning companies focus solely on their ability to clean, while others suggest low cost but fail to explain why it's profitable. Our culture is programmed to believe that cleaning methods are safe despite the growing number of alternative and safe cleaning methods. For many consumers, the green market offers intimidating and complicated solutions when in reality they are quite simple. Terms like “green cleaning,” “non-toxic,” and “eco-friendly” can be confusing. All of these terms essentially lead to one idea: products that are less harmful to the environment and consumers. In his article on the effectiveness of green cleaning products, Ed Light describes green cleaning products as "natural materials to replace 'highly toxic' disinfectants...... middle of paper ...... cleanings bathrooms with measurement of volatile organic compounds and ammonia concentrations in the air. This study showed that “workers who perform institutional and domestic cleaning are at increased risk of asthma and other respiratory illnesses” (Bello 1). The general public generally assumes that they can rely on well-known companies. It is assumed that these so-called reliable companies provide safe and effective cleaning products. Schoffro Cook points out that companies, such as Proctor and Gamble, present their products in a way that makes the public believe they are creating a healthy environment. She gives the example that one of their flagship products, Febreze, is marketed to “make the world happy” (Schoffro Cook). Instead, this product that claims to eliminate odors only masks them while spreading dangerous chemicals..