Cleaning products from decades ago were a different breed. Many were made with strong chemicals that could cut through grease, remove stubborn stains, kill pests, or strip away years of grime. If a product smelled harsh enough to make your eyes water, that was often taken as a sign that it was doing its job.

We know a lot more now about the health and environmental risks tied to some of those ingredients. Concerns about skin exposure, breathing chemical fumes, poisoning, and water pollution have changed the way household cleaners are made and sold.

Some products that were once common around the house would look downright alarming on a store shelf today. Others contained chemicals that are now heavily restricted or no longer used in ordinary household products.

Here are 15 cleaning products and cleaning practices from the past that would raise plenty of questions today.

Bleach and Vinegar Mixes

Mixing bleach and vinegar was never a good idea, but people did use the combination in an attempt to tackle tough stains and grime.

The problem is that mixing bleach with vinegar can release chlorine gas, which can seriously irritate the eyes and lungs. High levels of exposure can be life-threatening.

It isn’t a commercial cleaning product, but it’s an old cleaning practice worth mentioning because homemade cleaning recipes weren’t always as harmless as people assumed. Today, we know that mixing household cleaners can be dangerous, especially when bleach is involved.

Laundry Detergents Heavy in Phosphate

Laundry detergents once relied heavily on phosphates to help remove dirt and keep clothes looking clean. The problem wasn’t just what happened inside the washing machine.

When phosphates entered waterways, they could contribute to excessive algae growth. Those algae blooms can reduce oxygen levels in the water and harm fish and other aquatic life.

Phosphate restrictions eventually changed laundry detergents, and many modern formulas use different ingredients to get clothes clean without sending as much phosphate into the environment.

Naphthalene Mothballs

Mothballs were a common way to protect stored clothing from moths and other pests. Some older versions contained naphthalene, a chemical that can be harmful when people are exposed to too much of it.

Exposure can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and irritation. Swallowing mothballs can be especially dangerous.

Mothballs containing naphthalene aren’t something you’d want sitting around where children or pets could get to them. Modern pest-control products use other ingredients, and today’s labels come with much clearer warnings about proper use and storage.

Window Cleaners With Ethylene Glycol

Window cleaners have changed quite a bit over the years. Some older formulas contained ethylene glycol, a chemical better known as one of the main ingredients in many types of antifreeze.

Ethylene glycol is highly toxic if swallowed and can cause severe poisoning. That’s a particularly serious concern in a home with young children or pets.

Today, household glass cleaners are available without relying on this highly toxic ingredient.

Lead-Based Polishes

It sounds strange now, but lead was once used in some polishing products. Lead compounds could help give certain surfaces a smooth, shiny finish, but the health risks were far too serious to ignore.

Lead exposure is especially concerning for children. According to the WHO, lead poisoning can affect brain development and cognitive function, among other health problems.

Lead has no place in an ordinary household cleaning routine today, and products containing it face strict restrictions.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners With Chlorine

Older toilet cleaners could be extremely strong, with chlorine-based formulas made to blast away stains and leave porcelain looking bright.

The downside was the fumes. Strong chlorine fumes can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory system, especially in a small bathroom with poor ventilation.

People were once much more accustomed to strong chemical smells from household cleaners. Today, there are plenty of products that can clean a toilet without filling the bathroom with such harsh fumes.

Ammonia-Based Glass Cleaners

That sharp ammonia smell was once practically synonymous with glass cleaner. Ammonia is good at cutting through grease and grime, which made it a popular ingredient in older window and glass-cleaning products.

The fumes can be a problem, though. The New York State Department of Health warns that breathing high concentrations of ammonia can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.

Ammonia cleaners are still available today, but they’re handled with more caution and clearer warnings than many people remember from decades ago. Good ventilation and keeping cleaners away from children and pets are still important.

Carbon Tetrachloride Spot Removers

Getting a stubborn stain out of clothing once meant reaching for some pretty serious chemicals. Carbon tetrachloride was used in older spot removers and dry-cleaning products because it could dissolve grease and other stains.

The problem was its toxicity. Exposure can damage the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.

A chemical that can cause that kind of harm has no business being used casually around the home. Carbon tetrachloride is now heavily restricted, and it certainly isn’t the kind of stain remover you’d find in an ordinary household cleaning aisle today.

Furniture Polish Based on Formaldehyde

Yes, formaldehyde was once used in some household products, including certain furniture finishes and polishes.

Formaldehyde is now recognized as a known human carcinogen. The American Cancer Society notes that long-term exposure has been linked to certain cancers.

Modern furniture doesn’t need formaldehyde-based polish to get a clean, glossy finish. For anyone looking for a more traditional option, there’s also this recipe for How to Make Beeswax Wood Furniture Polish.

Hexachlorophene Antibacterial Soap

Hexachlorophene was once used as an antibacterial ingredient in soaps and other personal-care products. It was later found to pose serious health risks when absorbed through the skin, particularly with repeated or high-level exposure.

The chemical became especially concerning because it could affect the nervous system. Once those risks became better known, its use was greatly restricted.

It’s a good example of how something can be marketed as a helpful household ingredient before researchers learn more about its long-term risks.

DDT Sprays

DDT was once treated like a miracle insecticide. It was sprayed around homes and used to kill insects that carried disease or damaged crops.

The trouble was that DDT didn’t simply disappear after it did its job. It could remain in the environment for a long time and build up in wildlife.

Concerns about its effects on birds, animals, ecosystems, and human health eventually led to widespread restrictions and bans. DDT is now prohibited for most uses in many countries.

It’s hard to look at those old household pest-control practices now without realizing just how different attitudes toward chemical exposure were back then.

Lye-Based Oven Cleaners

Cleaning a filthy oven used to mean reaching for some seriously caustic products. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, was used in some oven cleaners because it can break down baked-on grease.

It also can cause severe chemical burns if it gets on your skin or in your eyes.

Older oven-cleaning routines could involve gloves, ventilation, and plenty of caution just to get through the job. Today’s oven cleaners still need to be handled carefully, but there are also milder options for people who don’t want to use such harsh chemicals.

Ajax Scouring Powder

Ajax scouring powder was a familiar sight under kitchen and bathroom sinks. The abrasive powder could make short work of grime on sinks, tubs, and other hard surfaces.

The issue was the dust and the abrasive ingredients. Anyone who has accidentally breathed in a cloud of cleaning powder knows how unpleasant that can be.

Older cleaning routines didn’t always put as much emphasis on avoiding inhalation or protecting your skin. Today, product labels give clearer directions about ventilation, gloves, and other precautions.

Methylene Chloride Paint Strippers

Methylene chloride was once a common ingredient in paint strippers. It worked quickly, which made it popular for removing old paint and finishes.

The fumes were another matter. Exposure can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and other health effects. Higher or prolonged exposure can be much more serious.

Methylene chloride paint strippers are now subject to major restrictions, and safer alternatives are available for many home projects.

Phenol Disinfectants

Phenol was once used in disinfectants and other strong cleaning products, including products associated with hospitals and institutional cleaning.

Phenol is toxic and can be harmful if it gets on the skin, is swallowed, or is inhaled. High exposure can affect the nervous system and other parts of the body.

Modern disinfectants use a variety of other ingredients, depending on what they are meant to kill and where they’re being used. The days of treating extremely harsh chemicals as the default household cleaner are largely behind us.