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The Home Chemical Almanac

What's actually in the bottles under your sink, and what the words on the label mean

Correct as of November 2026. Rules change. This edition is checked against each regulator's lists as they stood in November 2026.

How to use this almanac

You don't read it cover to cover. Find the word on your label, turn to its chapter, and read the one-page cheat sheet first. Want more? Each chemical has the same seven lines, always in the same order:

  1. The worst fact: the most concerning true thing we found.
  2. Why brands use it
  3. Take care if: who should be careful.
  4. Comes from: what it's made from.
  5. Myth check: a common claim, and whether it's true.
  6. Contaminants: anything unwanted it can carry. "Nil" means we found none.
  7. Fair to say: the context, because the worst fact on its own isn't the whole truth.

Every fact comes from a regulator, a government safety body, a published study or a standard chemistry reference. They're listed at the end of each chapter.

What the badges mean

A badge is only given when an official list says so. No opinions, no scores.

Badge Means Based on
☠ Poison schedule (Australia). Listed in Australia's Poisons Standard, and at least one household product has been found above the strength that triggers the listing. Low-strength products are exempt; the chapter gives the numbers. TGA Poisons Standard
⚠ Officially classed skin allergen. Classed as a skin sensitiser (can cause an allergic skin reaction). Safe Work Australia or EU classification
🛢 Made from a hazardous chemical. Its main commercial route, as stated in a chemistry reference, uses a chemical Australia classes as causing, or suspected of causing, cancer, genetic damage, or harm to fertility or an unborn child. It doesn't mean that chemical is in the product. Crude oil and natural gas as general starting points don't count; only a named chemical in the recipe does. Safe Work Australia classification
💧 Contaminant risk. Can carry or form an unwanted by-product. Usually low or nil in a well-made product, but you can't see it on the label. The chemical's "contaminants" line

What Australian labels must show

Australian cleaning products don't have to list all their ingredients. Only a scheduled poison must be named on the label, with its strength, and a disinfectant must name its active ingredients.

The chapters

  1. Chapter 1: Anionic surfactants
    If the label says "anionic surfactants"
  2. Chapter 2: Other surfactants
    If the label says "non-ionic", "cationic" or "amphoteric surfactants", or "soap"
  3. Chapter 3: Builders and water softeners
    If the label says "builders", "water softeners", "sequestrants" or "phosphate-free"
  4. Chapter 4: Bleaches and brighteners
    If the label says "bleach", "oxygen bleach" or "optical brighteners"
  5. Chapter 5: Enzymes
    If the label says "enzymes", "bio" or "stain-removing enzymes"
  6. Chapter 6: Preservatives
    If the label says "preservatives"
  7. Chapter 7: Disinfectants and antibacterials
    If the label says "disinfectant", "antibacterial" or "hospital grade"
  8. Chapter 8: Fragrance
    If the label says "fragrance" or "parfum"
  9. Chapter 9: Solvents and hydrocarbons
    If the label says "solvent", "hydrocarbons" or "propellant"
  10. Chapter 10: Acids and alkalis
    If the label says "pH adjuster", "alkali", "acid" or "descaler"
  11. Chapter 11: The supporting cast
    If the label says "polymer", "thickener", "colour", "opacifier", "antifoam" or "stabiliser"

Find a chemical

Questions to ask a brand

You're allowed to ask. A good brand will answer. Copy these into an email or a DM:

  1. "What preservative do you use, and at what percentage?" If they say "preservative" or "proprietary", ask again.
  2. "What exactly is in your 'fragrance'?" Australian law lets them use one word for the whole blend.
  3. "Which surfactants are in it?" "Anionic surfactants" or "plant-based cleaners" isn't an answer.
  4. "Is your SLES or other '-eth-' ingredient tested for 1,4-dioxane, and what's the limit?"
  5. "Does it contain MIT, BIT or CMIT/MIT?" Ask by name if you or your kids have eczema.
  6. "Does any ingredient release formaldehyde?" For example DMDM hydantoin or bronopol.
  7. "Where does your 'plant-based' ingredient come from, and what else is it reacted with?"
  8. "Can I see the safety data sheet (SDS)?" Many brands publish them. It lists hazardous ingredients and what to do if something goes wrong.

If someone swallows a product or gets it in their eyes

Poisons Information Centre: 13 11 26 (anywhere in Australia, 24 hours a day). Call even if there are no symptoms, and have the bottle with you.

In a medical emergency: call 000 and ask for an ambulance.