Why does a pharmacist run a website about household cleaners?
Because of the questions people ask at the pharmacy counter.
Over seven years of practice as a Master Pharmacist — compounding drugs, formulating cosmetics, and working with industrial-grade chemistry every day I noticed a pattern. Clients would come in not with prescriptions, but with products. A bottle of floor cleaner. A tub of laundry pods. A can of air freshener. And always the same question:
“Is this safe? My baby just started crawling.”
“My dog got into this. Should I be worried?”
“I used this every day for years. Could it be affecting my health?”
These are not simple questions. The answers depend on ingredients, concentrations, exposure routes, and who is being exposed. The label rarely tells you what you actually need to know. And most of what you find online is either too vague to be useful or written by people with no chemistry background at all.
That gap is why SafeOrToxic exists.
Who is behind this site
My name is Dimitar Atanasov. I hold a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree and have worked for over seven years in a compounding pharmacy, where I formulate medications, topical preparations, cosmetics, and cleaning products from raw chemical ingredients.
That background matters. When I evaluate whether a product is safe or toxic, I am not reading a summary — I am reading the chemistry. I understand how surfactants interact with biological membranes, what volatile organic compounds do to indoor air quality, how ingredient concentrations change risk profiles, and why a product that is safe for an adult may be genuinely dangerous for an infant or a pet.
Every article on this site is written and reviewed through that lens.
What we cover
SafeOrToxic focuses on the chemistry of everyday household life:
- Cleaning products — bleach, ammonia, disinfectants, multi-surface sprays, bathroom cleaners
- Laundry products — detergents, pods, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, stain removers
- Indoor air quality — air fresheners, candles, VOC-emitting products, ventilation risks
- Baby and child safety — which products pose elevated risk for infants and young children
- Pet safety — which common household chemicals are toxic to dogs, cats, and other animals
- Ingredient deep dives — what specific compounds like SLS, formaldehyde releasers, phthalates, and quaternary ammonium compounds actually do
How we write
Every article follows the same standard:
Plain verdict first. You get a clear answer at the top — safe, toxic under certain conditions, or it depends — before we explain the science.
Evidence-based content. We cite peer-reviewed research, toxicological databases, and regulatory sources. No speculation, no fearmongering.
Pharmacy review on every article. Each piece is reviewed for chemical accuracy before publication. The review date is displayed on every page.
Practical guidance. We do not just tell you what is dangerous. We tell you how to reduce risk and what safer alternatives exist.
A note on what this site is not
SafeOrToxic is an educational resource. It is not a substitute for medical advice, emergency services, or a poison control consultation. If you or someone in your household has been exposed to a toxic substance and is experiencing symptoms, contact your local poison control center or emergency services immediately.
For non-emergency questions about product safety, you are in the right place.
Contact
Have a product you want reviewed? A question about a specific ingredient? A correction to suggest?
Contact us here → dimitar.georgiev.atanasov@gmail.com
SafeOrToxic is written and pharmacy-reviewed by Dimitar Atanasov, MPharm. Master Pharmacist | 7+ years compounding experience | Medication Safety Educator.