Cleaning products only damage women's lungs, apparently

[FionnulaTheCooler]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/common-weekly-chore-could-damage-36248843

Came across this article on Facebook. What a load of sexist shite, why is it assumed that women are the only ones who use cleaning products?

I think because the particular study cited was on women only.

and come on, let’s be honest, men aren’t into cleaning the way women are. We can all do the ‘not all men’ and actually yes I know a lot of men that do as much if not more than women but I now believe they are unicorns. Men only clean when absolutely necessary if even that, women have it hard wired that x chores must be done daily and weekly

It does mention that men were not affected in the same way, but that the number of professional male cleaners was significantly smaller and the way they interact with the cleaning products wasn't comparable.

.... or is it then men's lungs are BIGGER and STRONGER than women's small fragile pink weak ones 😂💪💪💪

Wow, a sex aggregated study on women.

How many male cleaners do you know?
I’m guessing this study (can’t be bothered reading it) was specifically on women. Studies very often are on a specific group. It allows researchers to keep variables very tightly controlled.
Im also guessing that men’s lungs are stronger.

It’s probably because young women are having increasing rates of lung cancer and also do most of the housework.

Hard wired into women, eh? 😅
ffs, on a feminist board.
I know quite a few women who are certainly not "hard wired" for cleaning 😅

secretrocker

well everyone I know gives out that their weekends are all about cleaning/ they’ve cleaning to do etc etc. I work on a checkout and inevitably I’ll ask if people have plans for the weekend and pretty much all will be all about catching up and cleaning. I honestly think women are hardwired to get things under some semblance of control- nothing to do with feminism for me, just how I see it

I hate cleaning the shower because the sprays I use (especially the mould spray) really kicks off my asthma. After another load of coughing and wheezing at the weekend, I’ve just sent for a mask to wear. I’m sure I’ll look ridiculous but who cares

"The research also revealed no evidence that men who undertook cleaning duties, whether domestically or professionally, suffered greater deterioration in FEV1 or FVC compared to men who didn't clean'.

The research paper itself, linked to in the newspaper article, discusses possible reasons for sex differences:

"There was no apparent accelerated decline in lung function in men, but it seems likely that the exposures in men who work as cleaners may be different from those in women. Also, the low number of male occupational cleaners (n = 57) gave little power to discover accelerated decline in lung function as compared with men not cleaning. Our entrance questions might possibly not have picked up male industrial cleaners. Furthermore, it is possible that occupational groups with other, but equally or more, harmful exposures, such as industrial cleaners and other industrial workers, were included in the reference category, thereby leading to an underestimation of the excess loss in lung function due to cleaning activities. Finally, the greater impact seen in women (both cleaning at home and occupational cleaners) could be mediated by a different susceptibility according to sex, as is reported for other mixed chemical exposures, such as tobacco smoke, and other occupational exposures, such as wood dust, where studies have indicated that less exposure in women is needed to develop illness."

Whatever the explanation, the journalist would seem to have faithfully reported the study's findings rather than introduced sexist assumptions.

In fairness the source article that the Daily Record has pulled this from does say that Finally, the greater impact seen in women (both cleaning at home and occupational cleaners) could be mediated by a different susceptibility according to sex, as is reported for other mixed chemical exposures, such as tobacco smoke, and other occupational exposures, such as wood dust, where studies have indicated that less exposure in women is needed to develop illness

So there does appear to be a message that cleaning products are more of a threat to women than men. Perhaps this explains the focus of the article. It's really badly written though. Just stitches together technical stuff about FEV1 to FVC ratio etc from the academic paper without doing anything to parse it for a general reader. Easy copy.

Why not "hard wired into women" rather than men when there is research indicating that women are "hard wired" to be more disgusted by potential sources of food contamination than men are, possibly for self and species preservation because it is women who get pregnant?

Not so different anymore? Women's and men's disgust sensitivity becomes similar with increasing age
15 May 2025

Highlights
• Young women report higher levels of disgust (& related variables) than young men.
• Differences regarding disgust are smaller/nonexistent among older men and women.
• Disgust sensitivity of men increases over time.

Abstract
Previous research provides ample evidence that women experience more disgust than men. The most prominent explanation for these effects is that women are more careful and sensitive about their health due to the possibility of harming potential offspring. Given that the probability for women to give birth is decreasing after a certain age (i.e., menopause), we assume that differences between men and women might be smaller or even faded away over time. To test this hypothesis, we revisited several data sets (in total N = 28′059) containing information about sex, age, and variables related to disgust. The predicted pattern was found for food disgust sensitivity, food neophobia, health-wise worries about food, and contamination fear. In all presented studies, the scores of younger women were higher compared to those of younger males, but after a certain age, sex differences were less pronounced or even non-existent. We discuss how considering the factor age together with individuals sex helps us to gain more insight in the dynamics of disgust and vulnerability.

3.3. Conclusion
The present research provides evidence that women of childbearing age experience higher levels of disgust sensitivity and of other related variables than men. Moreover, the data shows that the differences between men and women diminish or even vanish in older age groups. In previous research, the increased female sensitivity was often explained by pointing to the likelihood of a potential pregnancy 14]. Our research contributes new indirect support for this reasoning by providing evidence that sex differences fade away with age (as the likelihood of pregnancy declines).

Full paper - no pay wall:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003193842500085X

IMHO an over-reliance on social constructionism in feminism, and concomitant horror of any interpretation that might be construed as "biological essentialism", can lead us to underplay the significance of biological differences between the sexes.

In this instance, if all women of child-bearing age were provided with sufficient money to pay high wages to male cleaners then maybe a different pattern would emerge. However, if "disgust sensitivity" sex difference is real then could monetary reward ever result in males as a group becoming "hard wired that x chores must be done daily and weekly"?

I rather wish that I was MORE "hard wired that x chores must be done daily and weekly" as it would be far less disruptive than relying on periodic house-cleaning blitzes. That said, I am definitely conscious that it is my "disgust sensitivity" that hard-wires me to keep everything to do with food storage, food preparation and eating hygienic and bathroom and toilets clean 100% of the time with no lapses.

Other people, men and women, might be more or less "hard wired" and there will be individual differences in ability to express any "hard wiring" in action. However, if there appear to be sex-based differences then ideological acceptance that these must be due solely to societal pressures or influences can blind us to other possibilities.

Maybe there are differences between societies or periods of history that suggest "disgust sensitivity" differences and how these manifest are culturally bound rather than "hard wired"? However, the paper linked provides a plausible explanation that they are instincts linked to the possibility of pregnancy and child rearing.

It makes me wonder if the "disgust sensitivity" of women of child-bearing age but with little or no chance of becoming pregnant is more similar to other women the same age or to post-menopausal women? Either possibility would be open to interpretation, it just struck me that they are a distinct cohort buried in the "child bearing age" data.

ps. I forgot this essential information!

I think it’s a great study; men can now do all the cleaning as clearly their lungs cope much better, and us delicate souls can have more time mums netting…I mean what’s not to like?!!

Swap out to vinegar in a spray bottle.

It changes the PH and disolves limescale too🤷‍♀️

Tryingatleast, I tell strangers I'm cleaning even if I'm not, as its none of their business.