A new research has found that regular exposure to cleaning products could significantly affect lungs function.
The study, conducted by a team from Norway's University of Bergen and spearheaded by Prof Cecile Svanes, was published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Adults in the study were followed for more than 20 years.
The study of up to 6,000 people found women to be more badly affected than men.
Their lung function was measured by looking at how much air people could forcibly breath out and the amount declined more over the years in women who cleaned.
The team looked at data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.
They said cleaning chemicals were "unnecessary" and microfiber cloths and water were "enough for most purposes".
UK experts said people should keep their homes well ventilated and use liquid cleaners instead of sprays.
"We feared that such chemicals, by steadily causing a little damage to the airways day after day, year after year, might accelerate the rate of lung function decline that occurs with age," Svanes said.
The experts suggest the chemicals in cleaning products irritate the mucous membranes that line the airways of the lungs, causing long-term damage.
Previous studies have looked at the short-term effect of cleaning chemicals on asthma, but this work looked at the longer term.
No difference was seen between men who cleaned and those who did not.
The researchers said that could partly be explained by there being far fewer men working as cleaners, but also suggested women might be more susceptible to the chemicals' effects.
Sarah MacFadyen, from the British Lung Foundation said: "Breathing in any kind of air pollution can have an impact on our health, especially for those living with a lung condition.
"This study further confirms that air pollution can come from a range of sources, including from paints, adhesives and cleaning products we use indoors.
Oistein Svanes, who also worked on the study, said: "The take-home message is that in the long run cleaning chemicals very likely cause rather substantial damage to your lungs.
