The dangers of Common Household cleaners!

Do you use common household cleaners?

The reason I turned to natural cleaning products.

In march of this year I was introduced to a great company, that only sells safe products. At first I just tryed a few. I was so happy with the results of the products I quickly started to converting my home over to green products.

I started to research chemicals found in common cleaning products, and personal care products. What I found alarmed me. People just don't realize all the dangerous toxins that are in our everyday household necessities. 

One of the most alarming one was the number one selling baby shampoo and lotion out on the market is one of the most toxic. Despite labels carry such reassuring claims a "extra gentle" and "safe for Baby's delicate skin" dozens of top-selling children's bath care products contain amounts of toxins 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde. They are far from safe and gentle, both substances are classified by the Environment Protection Agency as "reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans."

After finding all this information I decided from that day on, I promised my self that I would never use anything but green products in my home.  Not only am I protecting my family's health. I am also helping the environment. It is a win win situation.

Recent studies have revealed that most households/offices contain over 63 hazardous products that together contain hundreds of chemicals. These chemicals have the potential to greatly harm or even kill your children, your pets and you, should they accidentally not be used with the utmost caution.

  

Two Documented cases of children exposed to common household products.

When little Jennifer Smith of Salt Lake City, UT was but a year old she crawled over to the dishwasher while her mother was unloading the dishes. She put her small finger in the detergent dispensing cup and ate a finger full of wet but un-dissolved commercial dish detergent. In minutes her face was red and blistered, the inside of her mouth and tongue were burned white. Luckily she was rushed to a nearby hospital emergency room for quick medical attention. She recovered in a few days.

 Another documented case was a 20 month old boy who had to be fed through tubes for five months and suffered through many operations. Again, the culprit was dishwasher detergent.

This is only two of thousands of cases reflecting children ingesting and being exposed to, what most consider common household products, terrible life threatening consequences.

It is estimated that the U.S. Poison Control Center has nearly 1.5 million reported cases of accidental ingestion of poisons every year. Sadly most of these cases were under 12 years of age.

News reports on the links between common cleaners and your health

An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency article about indoor air pollution.

Study warns of cleaning product risks

Study warns of cleaning product risks

Risks when using cleaning products while pregnant.

BBC news report Exposure to cleaning products while in the womb could be linked to persistent wheezing in young children, University of Bristol research suggests.

Clean houses 'may trigger asthma'

A BBC news report on Parents striving to keep a spotless house may unwittingly be triggering asthma in their children

Have you ever wondered what the strong odor in the cleaners isle of your supermarket is?

Ingestion is only one of three major ways that these products enter the body. Inhalation is even for more dangerous because when breathed in these harmful chemicals go directly into the blood stream and can quickly affect the lungs, heart, brain liver and kidneys.

By the way, that strong smell in your supermarket cleaner isle is caused by what industry experts describe as "out gassing". Out gassing is the vapors escaping from the "sealed" containers on the supermarkets shelves. Which obviously are extremely harmful to your health.

Have you ever been literally driven out of your bathroom shower while using one of the most popular tile cleaners? These types of cleaners must contain strong chemicals in order to do the job. The job may get done but you are at risk from the strong vapors that are generated. By the time you have exited the bathroom the chemical vapors have entered your blood stream and are wrecking havoc with your health.

Chemicals that Harm 

Products that contain these ingredients. Best to stay well away.

Petrochemicals:
These are petroleum based products that leave dangerous residues. These products may be derived from oil, coal, or natural gas and used to make plastics, pesticides, health care products, and cleaners. These chemicals have been linked to cancers, neurological illnesses, and environmental devastation. Dry cleaning chemicals, such as perchloroethylene, are part of this group. These chemicals are commonly listed as ethylene, propylene, benzene, benzol, annulene, phenyl hydride, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoethanolamine, and xylene.

Tetrachloroethylene:
also called perchloroethylene, used as a dry cleaning solvent and degreaser, cause skin rashes, headaches, and dizziness Amyl acetate: a synthetic grease cutter, is a neurotoxin implicated in central nervous system depression, found in conventional furniture polishes

Naphthalene:
a member of the carcinogenic benzene family derived from coal tar or made synthetically, known to bioaccumulate in marine organisms, causes allergic skin reactions and cataracts, alters kidney function and is extremely toxic to children, found in conventional deodorizers, carpet cleaners, toilet deodorizers

Methylene chloride:
also called dichloromethane, is a volatile, colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor, used in various industrial processes including paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing, paint remover manufacturing, and metal cleaning and degreasing, beware of inhalation and skin exposure. OSHA considers methylene chloride to be a potential occupational carcinogen.

Ammonia:
EPA's Community Right-to-Know list.The FDA also regulates the amount of ammonium compounds in food. Ammonia is found in conventional window cleaners.

Chlorine:
The bleaching agent in household bleach such as Clorox. Though it will get whites whiter, this chemical is extremely irritating to the lungs, skin, and mucus membranes. It was used as a powerful poison in World War I. Chlorine is the household chemical most frequently involved in household poisonings. Chlorine also ranks first in causing industrial injuries and deaths resulting from large industrial accidents. The residues left behind, known as organochlorides, have been linked to many cancers including breast cancer. Studies have also shown a link between chlorine exposure from pools and the development of asthma in young children.

Aerosol Sprays:
Once contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) until prohibited because of effects on the ozone layer. The most common replacements are mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons, typically propane, n-butane and isobutane, all flammable petrochemicals.

Visual News report 

Watch this news report. This is more evidence that typical household cleaners are affecting 

 our health.

Consumer beware! 

Why isn't the consumer informed and protected from the potentially dangerous chemicals contained in cleaning and personal care products?

The government has very limited power to regulate and require proper testing.
Products that kill 50% of lab animals can still get designated as "non-toxic".
Of 17,000 household chemicals only about 5,100, or approximately 30%, have been adequately tested and less than 10% have been tested on the nervous system.
No law requires manufactures to list the exact ingredients on the package label.

Keep your family safe with green natural products!

 To you health!

Jen McLennan