Think about the cleaning products you might be using: dishwashing liquid, tablets and rinse aid, window sprays and surface cleaners, toilet gels and shower cleaners, kitchen cleaning pastes and oven cleaners, washing powders, fabric softener and stain removers - these products fill laundry, kitchen and bathroom cupboards all around Australia.

If I asked you what was inside these products, what ingredients companies were using to fulfil their promises of sparkling glass and stain-free clothing, would you know where to look or how to find out? You might be lucky to find some information on the back of the product, you might be lucky to find some information online, you might be lucky to get an informative response by contacting the company, or you might find out that you are not legally entitled to know.

The law does not require companies to disclose or publicly list cleaning ingredients used (although some do, and I take my hat off to them for their efforts to be transparent). Food and cosmetic products require complete ingredient listings on labels, but cleaning... nope!

This has to change. Why? These products more often than not make direct contact with our skin, eyes, nasal passages and airways. They sit on our surfaces and circulate through the air. We're entitled to know what we're spraying, applying and using around our homes, workplaces and classrooms. We're entitled to know what is being washed down our drains and into our gardens, septic systems and seas. Let's get full transparency so that we can make informed decisions when shopping.