The Common Cleaning Chemical You'll Want To Remove From Your Home & Why

Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or PCE, is a colorless liquid used in household and dry-cleaning products that can enter your home without obvious warning signs. Research published in the Environmental Health Perspective shows that it could pose serious health risks, including everything from nervous system problems and respiratory irritation to severe liver or kidney damage and certain cancers.  

PCE has a sweet smell and is found in some household products, like fabric cleaners, spot removers, stainless steel polishes, water repellents, paint removers, and other solvent-based items. It usually enters water supplies through industrial contamination or leaking storage tanks, but it can also enter indoor air through vapors released from these cleaning products or from items that haven't aired out long enough, such as dry-cleaned clothing.

While PCE use in household products has declined, you'll still find it listed in plenty of items. It's one of the common cleaning product ingredients that are doing more harm than good, but sometimes there won't be anything listed on the container. When ingredients are listed on the product, PCE may be listed under other names, including perchlor, perc, tetra, and perclene. If there's no ingredient list, you can contact your regional poison control center or request the material safety data sheet from the store. PCE is especially concerning because exposure isn't always obvious when it enters your home. It doesn't only happen when using industrial chemicals, and it can linger indoors where people spend lots of time.

Exposure to PCE can occur by breathing in the vapors, drinking contaminated water, or having skin contact with liquids that contain PCE. It enters your home through items brought inside or by getting into your water supply through groundwater contamination. Once it's in the body, it makes its way into the bloodstream, where it is metabolized, or broken down. PCE can affect the liver, kidneys, and nervous system, impacting memory, mood, coordination, and reaction time. Short-term exposure at higher levels can cause dizziness, headaches, unconsciousness, and irritation of the eyes or respiratory tract. Repeated exposure can also lead to it accumulating in body fat.

You can reduce exposure to PCE at home by airing out dry-cleaning clothing outdoors before wearing it or storing it indoors, testing private water sources, improving indoor ventilation, and avoiding long-term storage of products that contain it. If you use any products that have it, make sure to follow the label instructions carefully to avoid adding to the types of air pollution that are in your home. When water contamination is a concern, drink bottled water until finding effective ways to purify your household water and eliminate harmful toxins.