Best Non-Toxic Floor Finish in 2025


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Welpr Approved cleaning products are always free from:
- Harsh disinfectants and irritants: bleach, ammonia, sulfates, and quats
- Endocrine disruptors and preservatives: phthalates, parabens, BHA/BHT, triclosan
- Unnecessary additives: optical brighteners, artificial dyes, and synthetic fragrance (unless certified safe)
- Undisclosed or hidden ingredients
Common Harmful Chemicals in Floor Finish
Chemical Name
Why it’s harmful
Benzene is a colorless, highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell. It is used in a variety of products, including motor fuels, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and detergents. It's also present in substances such as crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke, and is one of the top 20 most produced chemicals in the U.S. However, benzene is also known to be a human carcinogen, with both acute and chronic exposure causing numerous health concerns, including drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, and irritation in the short-term and blood disorders, reproductive effects, anemia, and an increased risk of leukemia in the long-term. Various measures have been taken to limit benzene exposure, including the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration setting standards for occupational exposure and the European Union reducing the maximum allowed benzene content in gasoline from 5% to 1% by volume in 2000.
Ammonium hydroxide is a corrosive substance that can cause injury to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. High concentrations, either through inhalation or prolonged exposure, can lead to significant respiratory issues, including inflammation, pneumonia, and pulmonary edema. It is used in various industries such as fertilizers, dyes, explosives, plastics, and cleansing agents, among others. Due to its intense pungency and potential to cause extreme irritation and even life-threatening conditions, precautions such as wearing protective clothing and immediate cleansing of affected areas are recommended. It should be stored away from combustibles and heavy metals, in well-ventilated areas and in specified containers. Disposal guidelines also need to be referred from environmental regulatory agencies due to the hazardous nature of the substance.
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Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas with a pungent smell that's naturally produced in small quantities in human bodies and is also known as methanal amongst other names. It's used in the production of various items such as fertilizers, paper, plywood, and urea-formaldehyde resins as well as in some foods and household products like antiseptics, medicines, and cosmetics. Exposure to formaldehyde, which can occur through breathing contaminated indoor air, tobacco smoke, or ambient urban air can lead to respiratory symptoms, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat and has been linked to lung and nasopharyngeal cancer as well as leukemia. The EPA considers formaldehyde a probable human carcinogen (Group B1) and inhaling it can cause bronchospasm and pulmonary edema. Commercially, it's sold as formalin in solutions of 37%, 44%, or 50% and long-term exposure can cause first-degree burns, skin sensitization, squamous cell nasal cancer, and chronic pulmonary obstruction.
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Nitrobenzene is a yellow, oily liquid with an almond-like odor that is primarily used in the manufacturing of aniline. It also finds applications in the production of lubricants, dyes, drugs, pesticides, and synthetic rubber. Although it does not fully dissolve in water, it can evaporate into the air. Prolonged exposure to nitrobenzene, either through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact can lead to a range of health issues, such as methemoglobinemia (a blood disorder), along with symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and at higher concentrations, disturbed vision and coma. While its effect on human fertility and its potential as a carcinogenic are unclassified, animal studies have indicated inhaling nitrobenzene can reduce fertility.
Phenol is a manufactured chemical and natural substance that is primarily used in the production of phenolic resins, nylon, and other synthetic fibers. It is also used in slimicides and various medicinal preparations. Exposure to phenol may occur from certain medicinal products and it can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, and toxicity when ingested. It can also lead to various health problems such as weight loss, vertigo, kidney damage, and other serious health conditions. It is highly corrosive, flammable, moderately soluble in water, and has a sweet, tar-like odor; it should be handled with protective clothing and stored in well-ventilated areas to avoid toxic exposure.
Exposure to high concentrations of morpholine can cause prominent liver damage in animals. Additionally, occupational exposure to this substance can result in skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, but no long-term health effects have been reported. Morpholine is also regarded as corrosive to skin and can induce pulmonary edema.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is primarily used to create salts that aid in the processing of producing fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers. It also acts as a surfactant in firefighting foams, an intermediate in creating fluoroacrylic esters, and a crucial aspect in manufacturing Teflon and similar chemicals. However, exposure to PFOA can lead to adverse health effects, including alterations in thyroid hormone levels, lower fertility, an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels, a possible link to ADHD, smaller abdominal circumference and birth length in infants, an increased risk of common cold and gastroenteritis in children, and potentially prostate cancer mortality. Studies on animals have indicated possible liver and brain dysfunction, carcinogenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Ecotoxicity studies found alterations in genes linked to lipid metabolism, hormone action, immune responses, and mitochondrial functions in rare minnows exposed to PFOA.
Perfluoroalkyls are synthetic chemicals known for their ability to resist oil, grease, and water, primarily used in surface protection products and fire-fighting foams. The two most abundant perfluoroalkyls are perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Studies have observed liver enlargement and elevated cholesterol in animals given high doses, and the presence of PFOS in various populations has raised environmental and health concerns, leading to the phase-out of some PFOS-based chemicals. Tests have shown a range of health effects in animals, including eye irritation, liver changes, teratogenic effects, and more, with no evidence of mutagenicity. However, no substantial link has been found between PFAS concentrations and increased cardiometabolic risk measures in human studies, and there are no known health effects from exposure when used as intended.
Acetone is a colorless, flammable liquid that dissolves in water and has a distinct smell and taste. It is also known as dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, and beta-ketopropane. This manufactured chemical, which is used to create plastic, fibers, drugs, and other chemicals, can also be found in the environment in plants, trees, volcanic gases, forest fires, vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, and landfill sites, with industrial processes contributing more to its presence than natural ones. Acetone can be harmful if absorbed through the skin or inhaled, potentially causing irritation to the skin and respiratory tract, as well as adverse effects on the central nervous system (CNS), liver, and kidneys. The allowable exposure limit is set based on its potential to cause eye and upper respiratory irritation and CNS impairment.
Benzene is a colorless, sweet-smelling, highly flammable liquid that evaporates quickly into the air and slightly dissolves in water. It's a byproduct of both natural processes and human activities, used extensively in the U.S production of other chemicals for plastics, resins, nylon, rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Present in crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke, benzene is also released into the air from burning coal, oil, gasoline stations, and vehicle exhaust. Short-term exposure may cause drowsiness, dizziness, and irritation, while long-term exposure leads to blood disorders, reproductive effects, and even leukemia. Benzene has been classified by EPA as a known human carcinogen, and regulations apply to various industry sectors with potentially high exposure risks.
Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether, when administered orally or through the skin in doses exceeding 800-1000 mg/kg/day, can cause central nervous system depression and changes to the liver and kidneys in animals. However, it doesn't exhibit significant developmental toxicity at these levels. The chemical is not expected to have adverse effects unless workers are exposed to its heated liquid mists. It is an eye irritant and provokes harm to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, red blood cells, and reproductive system in animal feeding studies. Despite these potential harms, it is poorly absorbed through the skin.





