dag van de huishoudhulp gezondheid huishoudhulp IN-Z POWR schoonmaakmiddelen

Domestic Helpers' Day: why POWR is taking part

4 minuten read time

Dag van de Huishoudhulp: waarom POWR meedoet

Author: Ruben van POWR

Every year on 20 June Belgium pauses to think of the people who keep our homes clean day after day. But appreciation alone isn't enough. Because anyone who cleans every day runs a health risk that's hardly talked about. This year POWR is taking part in Domestic Helpers' Day, and here's why.

What is Domestic Helpers' Day?

Domestic Helpers' Day, also known as Cleaners' Day, has existed for more than twenty years. It was founded by Mia Janssens, a cleaner who noticed that other professions were celebrated on their own day, but cleaners were not. She decided to set up a day herself. Her idea caught on and grew into a national event in Belgium.

Every year on 20 June, domestic helpers are thanked for their work by their clients, employers and organisations. It's a moment of appreciation for a profession that visits more than a million households every week.

Why POWR doesn't just walk past this

Showing appreciation is lovely. But there's a bigger problem that gets too little attention: the products domestic helpers work with every day are often harmful to their health.

On 12 February 2026, Radio 2 released striking figures on its programme WinWin:

  • 1 in 3 domestic helpers has skin problems from daily contact with cleaning products.
  • 28% have lung complaints: coughing, tightness of the chest or shortness of breath.
  • Sprays and atomisers are extra dangerous because you breathe fine particles and irritants deep into your lungs.
  • Many products contain endocrine disruptors, bleach and ammonia, substances that can cause allergies, fertility problems and even cancer.

And this isn't just a problem for the domestic helper. Harmful substances don't disappear after cleaning. They stay behind on your worktop, your floor, your clothes and your dishes. Children, pets and everyone in the house come into contact every day with what's left behind.

Did you know?

Conventional cleaning products contain substances that can disrupt the hormonal system. Long-term, regular exposure increases the risk of serious conditions. ACV Voeding en Diensten confirms this based on its own research and is asking the Flemish Parliament for clear rules on which products may or may not be used in the service voucher sector.

Nobody deserves to get ill from cleaning products. Not the domestic helper. Not you. Not your children.

Why POWR works with IN-Z

IN-Z is a sheltered employment company from Genk that deploys 800 people with a physical or mental disability as domestic helpers in more than 5,000 households in Belgium. They didn't want their employees to be exposed every day to products that harm their health.

Their own prevention adviser assessed the POWR products thoroughly and concluded that they score exceptionally well on chemical risk. Even better than products that already meet strict safety requirements today and are commonly used in the sector.

For us, that assessment is more than a quality mark. It confirms what we already knew: cleaning doesn't have to come at the expense of the health of the people who do it.

So what should you use?

POWR makes cleaning products based on two technologies that nature itself has used for millions of years: enzymes and probiotics.

  • Enzymes: small, natural proteins that break down dirt in a very targeted way, molecule by molecule. They act precisely on the dirt and leave your skin and your surfaces alone.
  • Probiotics: good micro-organisms that stay active after cleaning and keep protecting surfaces for up to 7 days after the clean. Not a one-off chemical attack, but a lasting effect.

No corrosive substances. No strong chemical fumes. No microplastics. No harmful residues left behind. Made in Europe.

The POWR Domestic Helper Bundle

To mark Domestic Helpers' Day, we're launching a special bundle with everything you need for a clean home, without the harmful substances.

Complete bundle: €69.30 €39.95 — offer valid until and including 30 June.
Discover the POWR Domestic Helper Bundle →

FAQ

Huishoudhulpen werken dagelijks, vaak bij meerdere klanten, met dezelfde producten. Die herhaling is wat het gevaarlijk maakt. Klassieke schoonmaakmiddelen bevatten irriterende stoffen die huidproblemen en longklachten veroorzaken. Volgens Radio 2 WinWin (februari 2026) heeft 1 op 3 huishoudhulpen huidproblemen en 28% last van longklachten door dagelijks contact met poetsmiddelen.
Hormoonverstoorders zijn chemische stoffen die het hormonale systeem van je lichaam kunnen beïnvloeden. Ze zitten in veel klassieke schoonmaakmiddelen en kunnen bij langdurige blootstelling leiden tot vruchtbaarheidsproblemen, allergieën en andere ernstige aandoeningen. Ze zijn extra gevaarlijk voor zwangere vrouwen en mensen met een kinderwens.
Enzymen zijn kleine, natuurlijke eiwitten die vuil gericht afbreken zonder agressieve chemicaliën. Probiotische schoonmaakmiddelen bevatten goede micro-organismen die na het poetsen actief blijven op het oppervlak en tot 7 dagen blijven werken. Ze reinigen grondig, laten geen schadelijke resten achter en zijn veilig voor huid en luchtwegen.
Kies voor schoonmaakmiddelen zonder bijtende stoffen, sterke chemische dampen, bleekwater of ammoniak. Producten op basis van enzymen en probiotica, zoals POWR, zijn een veilig alternatief: ze reinigen effectief zonder de gezondheidsrisico's van klassieke middelen. De preventieadviseur van IN-Z beoordeelde POWR-producten als uitzonderlijk goed op chemisch risico.
Chemische stoffen uit schoonmaakmiddelen hechten zich aan oppervlakken en verdwijnen niet zomaar na het poetsen. Ze blijven achter op je aanrecht, vloer, kleren en vaat. Iedereen in huis, inclusief kinderen en huisdieren, komt dagelijks in contact met die resten. Dat maakt de keuze voor veilige producten niet alleen belangrijk voor de huishoudhulp, maar voor het hele gezin.

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