Well, my life changed after meeting Sarapage, founder of Baby Girl Products. I saw a presentation she gave on the dangers of chemicals in our homes. I had always thought that using 7th Generation or Method Products would help keep my family safe and was worth the extra money. Unfortunately, it is just the companies clever marketing and the governments lack of mandates that coerce everyone into thinking these "green" products are both safe and effective.
Once again, I was at it, researching everything I could find from the EPA to the American Cancer Society to the Centers for Disease Control. Sure enough Sarapage was right, check out her site and you will be flabbergasted.
Here is a sneak peek:
* Toxic chemicals in househould cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air.
* There has been a 26% increase in cancer over the last two decades.
* Cancer is the number one cause of death in children.
* One in every 400 Americans can expect to get cancer before the age of 1.
* Scientists believe that 80-90% of cancer is due to environmental causes.
From that point on I started using lots of vinegar, essential oils and only toxin free products to clean my home with. It really is so easy to get started.
Give it a try~ here are a few of my favorites "recipes".
1. Oven cleaners are one of the most toxic products you can buy, containing lye and ammonia. The fumes affect your respiratory system and the air within your home. However, a simple solution of 2 T baking soda dissolved in 16 ounces water will do the trick. Spray the inside of a cool oven and it will clean itself the next time you turn it on.
2. Floor cleaners often contain ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). Ammonium chloride is also found in contact explosives...nice. This compound can irritate skin, eyes and breathing passages and cause skin cancer. The EPA lists ammonia as a toxic chemical so I have no idea why they allow it on our household cleaning products. So, instead just fill a squirt bottle with vinegar and add 5 -7 drops of lavender or tea tree oil (thanks for the tip Kristie). It works like a charm and is inexpensive!
3. Just thinking about bleach makes my eyes water. But did you know that you can simply spray an area with vinegar and then spray it with hydrogen peroxide to disinfect? (Don't mix the ingredients in one bottle, keep them separate and spray away.) In fact, studies done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute found that the pairing of the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella or E. coli bacteria. This spray combination is more effective at killing this bacteria than chlorine bleach or commercially available kitchen cleaner. Use it on countertops, meat, toys, just about anything. Clean away.
The best part about all of this is Luke can be my cleaning partner in crime with no worries!
thanks for posting this jess. i feel like my life is in a whirlwind the last month. i feel so much healthier since i have started using vinegar for all of our cleaning. i like the idea of combining it with hydrogen peroxide. i better go buy a few more spray bottles :)
ReplyDelete