Why Green Up Your Clean Up?
Written by Teresa Rader
Toxic chemicals, air pollution and childhood poisonings. This list sounds like the description of a toxic dump, but, in fact, it could apply to your home! Conventional cleaning product companies have led us to believe that their products help us provide a safe, clean home for our families. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In fact, many conventional cleaning products can cause problems for our health and that of the environment.
So what makes the products we use every day so harmful? Our favorite cleaning products often contain hazardous chemicals. Few of us have probably ever taken the time to read the warning labels. However, if we do, we will find that many labels warn against skin contact and inhalation. Does this mean that we shouldn’t breathe when cleaning or wear a hazmat suit? This may seem a bit extreme, especially since all of these chemicals have been tested for home use, right? Wrong! In fact, in the last thirty years, only twenty percent of chemicals registered with the EPA have been tested for toxicity. In other words, the effects of most these chemicals is unknown before we bring them into our homes.
There are several chemicals found in common household cleaners that can be detrimental to our health. For example, when cleaning the bathroom, washing dishes and laundry, you are most likely exposing yourself to sodium hydroxide, which can irritate the respiratory tract and damage the eyes, skin, mouth and throat. With prolonged exposure, liver and kidney damage can also occur. Unfortunately, the list continues. The air freshener and toilet bowl cleaners that are supposed to make your home smell better can damage your skin. Hydrochloric acid found in these products is harmful to health when fumes are inhaled and could be fatal if swallowed. Butyl cellosolve is another major offender. Also known as butyl glycol, Dowanol, Bane-Clene and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE), it is found in a wide variety of household cleaning agents, including disinfectant wipes, floor polish, glass cleaners, oven cleaners, degreasers, spot removers, air fresheners, and carpet cleaners. Butyl cellosolve is on the list of California’s toxic substances because it has been shown to irritate mucous membranes and cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Interestingly, respiratory problems associated with hazardous chemical exposure are more common in women than men. This makes sense when you consider who does most of the cleaning. And you thought I was kidding about that hazmat suit!
Now more than ever people are spending most of their time indoors. With all of these toxins in our homes, it may be no coincidence that our children are getting sick. In fact, the EPA reports that air pollution is five times higher inside than outside! Think about your child’s class or maybe even your own family. Does it seem like asthma is more common these days? In fact, asthma rates for children under 5 have increased nearly 160% from 1980 to 1994. One in every thirteen school age children has asthma. Chronic exposure to toxic chemicals, including those in our homes, are undoubtedly contributing to this epidemic. Acute exposure to household chemicals can also be a major problem. Ninety percent of poison exposures happen at home, mostly from chlorine bleach. Perhaps Dr. Herbert Needleman of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said it best, “We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children’s children are the experimental subjects.”
It is indeed a good idea to get harmful chemicals outside of your home, but be careful how you dispose of them. Human health is not the only thing we compromise when we “clean.” The health of the environment is at risk too. Many of these chemicals are actually considered toxic waste, and the average home produces twenty pounds per year. Fortunately, Huntingdon County has a toxic waste collection every year. Contact Lou Ann Shontz for details at 643-8192.
Before you decide never to clean again, there is a simple solution. Thankfully there are alternatives, known as “green cleaners”, made from natural, biodegradable nontoxic ingredients. And, yes, they do work. Green cleaners have come a long way from simple baking soda and have been proven to be as or more effective than their toxic counterparts. You can find healthy alternatives for everything from cleaning the oven to washing the car or the family dog. Some even come with a money back guarantee.
So get rid of those harmful perfumes and dyes. Clean does not smell like tropical breeze or mountain spring. Clean has no scent. Imagine the freedom of cleaning your oven without holding your breath or risking the health of your family. Also by switching to natural, green cleaners, you are eliminating harmful chemicals from getting into the water and soil we all need.
The planet and your wallet will thank you. Most natural cleaners are super concentrated, which means less packaging, thereby saving resources and landfill space. In addition, they last longer, which saves you money. That’s a kind of green everyone can appreciate!
To recap, switching to natural cleaning products not only results in a clean home, it also saves our health, the planet and money. To learn more, please join me at the Natural Connection Wellness Center, 313 Fourth Street in Huntingdon, on April 24th at 7:00 PM for more information about natural cleaning products or see the Home Care section of my website at http://www.shaklee.net/teresarader.
This year think about cleaning your home without toxic chemicals. The choice is simple and the benefits will pay off- not only for your home and your family but for the environment as well.
The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association makes no medical claims or recommendations. Check with your doctor about your specific health care needs.