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We did it cold turkey. We just stopped buying all the "brand" name
cleaners. It was a bit strange. It was many years ago when we had a
housekeeper. Talk about a deer caught in the headlights!
She
resisted hard. She even went out and bought some products herself but
we made it clear that this was our new reality. Slowly we all learned
how to use safer brands and regular household items we had on hand to
clean.
Turns out that smell we have been taught is "clean" is
actually toxic. We have to retrain our sniffer once we stop using
chemical cleaners. Standard cleaning products are linked to
infertility, asthma, and cancer. These strong chemicals can be
especially dangerous to our children. According to a 1991 study, we use
more than 25 gallons of toxic products per year in our homes. Indoor
air pollution is often much worse than the pollution outdoors; this is
due in large part to the cleaning products and air fresheners, but also
is due to burning scented candles and off-gassing of new items in our
home. These smells are harmful to us, our children, and our environment.
To
make your home truly clean and healthy, make changes slowly. For many
of us, changing brands and the way we clean (as well as the choice we
make in our personal care items) is the last thing to change. It's hard
to do it differently than the way our mother did it. But I encourage
you to join me and many others in making this change. Do it for your
health, the health of your family, and to tread lighter on the planet.
Start with the worst offender, Chlorine.
Chlorine Bleach
(Sodium Hypochlorite) is one of the most widely used toxins for
cleaning. Chlorine can react with other chemicals, like ammonia, to
damage lungs and the fumes are possible carcinogens. Once Chlorine gets
into our environment, it forms cancer-causing compounds. Studies show a
link between dioxins and cancer as well as reproductive problems,
endocrine disruption, and a weakened immune system. It is listed as a
"hazardous pollutant" according to the Clean Air Act and is on EPA's
Right To Know List.
Chlorine is used in clothing, paper
products, swimming pools, laundry products, scouring pads, in our
drinking/bathing water, and of course in cleaning products. It is
readily absorbed through the skin and is toxic when inhaled. In fact,
it was used full strength as a weapon to destroy the lungs of soldiers
in WWI. Detergents and Chlorine are the leading cause of childhood
poisonings. Cleaning products are responsible for nearly 10%t of all
toxic exposures according to U.S. Poison Control Centers, and nearly
two-thirds involve children under six years of age who swallow or spill
cleaners on themselves.
Avoid personal and cleaning products that contain:
- Ammonia
- APEs - Alkylphenol Ethoxylates
- Chlorine Bleach
- DEA, MEA, TEA
- Fragrance*
- Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate - SLES or SLS Sodium Laureth Sulfate
*When
the ingredients generally list "fragrance," it is highly likely that
they are hiding phthalates. Phthlates are known hormone disrupters
leading to issues in fertility; they have been linked to birth defects.
Plasticizers in plastic products also contain phthalates. Fragrance
from pure, natural, essential plant oils are fully biodegrade and are
non-toxic.
But this is a very short list and
unbeknownst to us consumers, not all ingredients are listed on labels
because they are considered "trade secrets." This is common in perfumes
and personal care products. But watching for these key chemicals is a
start.
Then there are terms that make us feel warm and fuzzy so
we buy them thinking they are safer but buyer beware, the following
terms are unregulated or don't necessarily mean much of anything:
- "biodegradable" (unless it gives a clear time frame)
- "eco-friendly"
- "nontoxic"
- "natural"
- "no CFCs" - no Chlorofluorocarbons**
- "non-toxic"
- "organic"
**Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), Hydrochloro-Flourocarbons (HCFCs), and Halons deplete the ozone
layer and allow UV radiation to get to earth (potential skin cancer).
They are also a cardiovascular toxin. They have therefore been BANNED since 1978.
So a note of "no CFCs" on the label of an aerosol is completely
misleading and meaningless. Nowadays aerosols use Isobutane Propane and
Butane and though they don't destroy the ozone layer, the latest
studies indicate that they are toxic to the heart and central nervous
system. Aerosols are inherently dangerous because the very nature of
pushing tiny droplets into the air means that the contents can be
easily inhaled and absorbed quickly into our bloodstream. As a rule,
avoid aerosols.
There are now plenty of safer cleaning
brands including: CitraSolv, Ecover, Oxo-brite, Ecos/Earth Friendly,
Seventh Generation, and now even Chlorox has Green Works. All of these
work just as well as the standard commercial brand but are safer for
people and planet. Begin by replacing your standard brands as they run
out with better brands
