BabyGanics and formaldehyde?

[santoki]

Has anyone been following this? In its Guide to Healthy Cleaning, the EWG gave BabyGanics cleaning products grades of Ds and Fs for containing HHT, which EWG says releases formaldehyde during product use. I read the full press release on EWG today, but the link is no longer opening on my computer for some reason. Here's an article with a synopsis:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2012/10/hazardous-substances-in-all-natural-cleaning-products.html

I don't know how accurate/alarming the findings actually are, but I still feel sick to my stomach. I have used an arsenal of BabyGanics cleaning products that contain HHT (according to EWG) ever since DD1 was born. I've used them on bottles, sippy cups, dishware, high chairs, toys...every time someone in our house tried to use a non-"safe" cleaner, I would come running with the BabyGanics in hand.

I saw that BabyGanics has tried to refute the EWG findings on their Facebook page, noting that as of October 1st, their products no longer contain HHT (and also defending the use of HHT before, saying that the EPA has approved the use of HHT in products such as dish soap). None of this makes me feel better about the fact that I've been using their cleaning products for the past couple years.

Am I overreacting? I know that formaldehyde occurs naturally, is found in all sorts of other things around the house, and that there are plenty of other chemicals to worry about out there, but I still feel ill thinking that I may have been exposing my kids to even more formaldehyde (when my intention was to use something "safe"). :(

[bostonsmama]

It doesn't take an exhaustive google search to figure out there's formaldehyde in far more products (that we eat and drink, even methanol in fruit juices that gets converted into formaldehyde) than we know. I wouldn't worry about it. The only truly safe cleaners (as far as breathing in their fumes) are vinegar/water and essential oils. No essential oils are safe to consume, though.

If you drink soda or eat meat or plant-based foods (and so do your children), you're getting formaldehyde, and your body is pretty efficient at converting it to formic acid and riding it from our system.