Beware Of Toxic Household Cleaners
http://heartshealthyliving.smartlivingnews.com/subscribe.html
Category: Healthy Home - Cleaners
Written by Kristen Holt- Editor for SmartLivingNews.com
BEWARE OF TOXIC HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS
Special ***-Cancer Awareness Edition
The products we use to clean and disinfect our homes greatly contribute to the air quality and long-term health of our bodies. Unfortunately, many of us are unaware that there are products used that are being found to contain harmful chemicals toxic to us. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if you buy major brands of household cleaners you have introduced hazardous toxins into your home. These hazardous toxins have created the air inside our homes to be 3 to 70 times more polluted than the air outside our homes. Another startling EPA discovery is that toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outside air. The typical home contains 63 products which contain hazardous chemicals. Doctors and scientists are increasingly concluding that there is some correlation between the chemicals used in our homes with increased chronic illnesses including various cancers.
So what is the connection with *** cancer in particular? While there are many factors that contribute to a woman’s likelihood of getting *** cancer, potential external causes of this life-threatening disease include household chemical use. And with the rise of women staying and/or working from home, the exposure of themselves and their children to toxic elements are concerning. Author Nancy Sokol wrote a book called, Poisoning Our Children, and in it she cites a fifteen year study showing that women who worked at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs outside the home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was largely due to daily exposure to hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products. While it is still being researched, scientists are finding that countries with healthier environmental conditions and less indoor pollutants have less occurrences of *** cancer.
It is very important to look at the chemicals we use in our homes and, when possible, to replace products containing harmful ingredients with natural and plant-based cleaners. I have included some healthy tips that may assist you in looking for and replacing toxic household ingredients. You can also review previous SmartLivingNews articles with healthy alternatives to various household disinfectants and cleaners. We can affect the climate we live in protect ourselves, our mothers and out daughters from the external risks of *** cancer.
What To Look For
Become an avid reader of labels on the household cleaners you purchase and look for ingredients that appear caustic or toxic.
Products containing known toxins and carcinogens include:
Ammonia
Chlorine bleach
note: NEVER mix bleach with acids such as vinegar, ammonia, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners or chlorinated scouring powder as it can produce deadly chloramines gas.
Some detergents containing ammonia, cationic detergents, cresol, lye, and phenol.
Pine oil
Some air fresheners contain formaldehyde (cancer-causing carcinogen) and phenol
Mold & mildew cleaners containing sodium hypochlorite and/or formaldehyde
“All-purpose” cleaners
Healthy “replacement” cleaners/ingredients include:
baking soda
borax
white vinegar
liquid castile soap (olive oil and sodium hydroxide)
lemon juice
Healthy Tips
Read the labels on household cleaners and pay special attention to the warnings.
Avoid strongly scented cleaners as they often contain many chemicals contributing to indoor pollution and respiratory problems in people.
For porcelain shower/tubs and fixtures: sprinkle baking soda on the area and let sit for a few minutes before rubbing with a wet rag containing castile soap. Rinse well.
For windows/glass: combine ¼ cup white vinegar with water in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray windows and wipe thoroughly with newspaper or lint-free cloth.
Baking soda can also work very well as an oven and toilet bowl cleaner.
Try using liquid castile soap as an overall cleaner of tile, linoleum and small wood stains.
As a drain cleaner try the following: pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain and then add ½ cup of white vinegar. The drain will begin to bubble and fizz. Wait a few minutes and then pour a pitcher of boiling water down the drain to unclog it.
Vinegar and salt combine to create an excellent copper cleaner.
Combine lemon juice and vegetable oil to clean unvarnished surfaces.
Avoid any household products containing formaldehyde, ammonia, phenol, sodium hypochlorite and chlorine bleach.
Resources
http://www.maripoisoncenter.com/ctr/9701bleach.html
http://www.unsafehome.com/a_z/
http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/alternatives/
http://www.metrokc.gov/dnr/kidsweb/alternatives.htm