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Friends and relatives have described the victim as a woman whose life was defined by her service to others, making the irony of her death during a household chore even more difficult to bear. The outpouring of grief in the community has been accompanied by a pervasive sense of anxiety, as families across the area begin to re-examine their own cleaning habits. The disbelief that an “everyday task” could result in such a “catastrophic outcome” is a common sentiment in the neighborhood vigils being held this week. It is a stark reminder that the tools we use to maintain the hygiene and order of our lives are, at their core, concentrated chemical compounds that require respect and extreme caution.
