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Question from JC

Hi Debra,

Thanks for all your efforts to keep everyone safe and healthy!

I was wondering about using the Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray (lavendar scent) on my son’s mattress where he was sick recently.

His skin would not come into contact with it directly and it dries quickly, but I wanted to double check with someone more knowledgeable regarding its safety!

Thanks again!

Debra’s Answer

Here are the ingredients for this product from the Seventh Generation website

ACTIVE INGREDIENT:
Thymol (present as a component of Thyme Oil): 0.05%.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

  • Water
  • sodium lauryl sulfate
  • copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone)
  • citric acid
  • sodium citrate
  • essential oils fragrance††

Compressed air (propellant).

  • Coriandrum sativum (coriander) fruit oil
  • cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) oil
  • eucalyptus globulus leaf oil
  • lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil
  • lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil
  • mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil
  • pelargonium graveolens (geranium) extract
  • pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil
  • vanilla planifolia flower extract
  • vanillin

†† Linalool is a component of this fragrance

OK so first, let’s note that the active ingredient is Thyme Oil. That’s what is doing the disinfecting. Just search on “thyme oil” and you’ll find many articles on it’s effectiveness as a disinfectant. So you could simply buy thyme oil and spray it on his bed and it would be like using the herb in food, but stronger. And there are other essential oils that could be used for disinfecting as well.

But back to the product you want to use.

I don’t see any ingredients that are particularly toxic here, they are just unnecessary to do the disinfecting.

I’m not sure about how they have worded the fragrance ingredients. There seems to be an “essential oil fragrance” that contain Linalool along with other essential oils. And then they list some other essential oils. So I’m not really sure about all this fragrance. And linalool might cause skin rashes but…

I don’t have a toxic reason to tell you not to use this product,

My only reasoning is simpler is always better.

Here’s another interesting post I came across while researching this:
KITCHEN STEWARDSHIP: EPA Says Natural Disinfectant as Effective as Bleach

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