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A Greener Home, A Cleaner Home
Your home cleaning and personal care products may be working harder than you think. And not in a good way.
By Krista Carlson
It is well known that household cleaners are generally toxic and not to be ingested. Typically each product bears the customary warnings: Harmful if swallowed, rinse eyes immediately, call a physician, drink a glassful of water, if breathing problems develop remove to fresh air.
But is that enough? Actually, no. More than 150 chemicals found in the average home are linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization that uses public information to protect public health and the environment. These troubles aren't indicated by fast-onset vomiting or other immediately visible effects, and yet the damage can be quite severe.
Today, ingesting dishwasher soap is one of the leading causes of toddler deaths in the U.S. Yet, millions of people, adults and children alike, are being subjected to long-term and sometimes irreversible effects of both cleaning products and a number of products we assume safe because they're used on our skin each day.
Children are significantly more susceptible due to their developing organs and nervous and immune systems. "Over the past thirty years, chronic diseases of environmental origin have become epidemic in American children," according to Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP,
Co-Director of the Children Environmental Health Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Among the chemicals and elements present in these products are monoethanolamine (MEA) and ammonium quaternary compounds, which are linked to asthma; glycol ethers and alkyl phenol ethoxylates, which are linked to birth defects and fertility problems; and phthalates, which are often found in fragrance and have been associated with adverse effects on the genital development of baby boys. For a detailed report on the safety of cleaning products, go to www.womenandtheenvironment.org and check out their report card on cleaning companies.
While the FDA has banned a mere handful of chemicals, the European Union has more than 1,100 on its' list of unacceptable ingredients in care and cleaning products. Almost 90% of the 10,500 ingredients commonly used in beauty and body care products were never evaluated for safety, according to EWG. We are at the whim of a "buyer beware" system, in which Americans get to be human guinea pigs. Excited to be a test subject? Not me.
Fortunately, many cleaning products can be replaced with safer and more eco-friendly alternatives.
"Consume less" is Jennifer Taggert's top eco-tip. Taggert writes TheSmartMama blog at www.thesmartmama.com, about being a green mom. On howyoueco.com, Taggert shares: "It really is that simple. We don't really need 20 different cleaners to clean our homes. Our grandmothers certainly didn't. At a tenth of the price and with significantly less plastic since you can re-use the bottles."
With just a few basic ingredients, most cleaners can be replaced. Baking Soda, borax, washing soda, vinegar, lemon juice and castile soap made from vegetable oils can get many jobs done just as well as common chemical-ridden cleaners. Here are a few handy recipes from Ecocycle:
Household Cleaner:
1 tsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
1 tsp. borax
Squeeze of lemon
1 qt. warm water
Moist salt or baking soda can be used with a scouring pad for surfaces that need to be scoured.
Window Cleaner:
2 tsp. vinegar
1 qt. warm water
Rub dry with newspaper to avoid streaking.
Disinfectant:
¼ c. borax
1⁄2 gal. hot water
You can find more recipes for cleaning drains, ovens, toilets, ceramic, rugs, furniture, laundry, silver, chrome, mildew and more at www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm
When it comes to body care products, it's equally important to be informed about the products you use. Anti-bacterial soaps, for example, may contain pesticides that can be absorbed through skin and remain in your body for years.
Even though a label may say "gentle" or "natural," it may not be safe at all. Ingredients to avoid are: DMDM hydantoin and Imid-azolinyl urea can be toxic; fragrance and dyes can cause allergies, cancer and nervous system damage; parabens can have hormone effects, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate can cause skin damage and are toxic; triclosan and triclocarbon are associated with thyroid problems and environmental concerns; and triethanolamine is toxic and can cause allergies. You can look up your products on Cosmetics-Database.com.
When greening your cleaning, stick to the basics. First of all, don't stress. Read labels, buy only what you need, wash your hands often and store anything toxic where kids can't get to them and use safer products whenever possible. Most importantly, make decisions in your home with the health of your family in mind.