Household cleaners often contain ingredients like benzene, formaldehyde, chlorine, phenol, ammonia, butane, lye, naptha and heavy artificial fragrances. Long-term exposure to these individual chemicals has shown a link to cancer, reproductive disorders, liver, kidney, heart and nervous symptom damage, lung irritation, allergies, and asthma but no studies have been done on their cumulative impact. (There have been many cases, however, of accidental death resulting from harmful vapors caused by mixing different household cleaners).

Many cleaners are distributed via aerosol sprayers, which create tiny particles that are easily ingested and linger in the air for several hours after use. Perhaps you have someone else clean your home so you aren’t concerned about the affects on your own health, but household cleaning products off-gas harmful chemicals even when they are not being used (which is why you can smell them in the cleaning aisle at the store—even with the caps on). The EPA has therefore concluded that household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air pollution.

Absorption. The absorption of chemical toxins through the skin is a rarely considered but nevertheless important factor in health. The skin is the body’s largest organ and anything that gets on the skin is absorbed into the body.

There is simply no reason that personal care products, cosmetics and perfume need to contain formaldehyde, pthalates, lead and petroleum distillates, but many do.

Now that you know household chemicals put you at risk, what should you do? Here are a few simple things you can do at home to cut down on the toxic load on your body:

• Switch to an organic dry cleaning service. Most metropolitan areas now have dry cleaners that use safe chemicals in their cleaning process. The place I go tells me that the cleaning agents they use are safe enough for fish to survive in the water that has been treated with them. I do know that since I switched there’s no longer a terrible smell when I remove the plastic wrapping. If you can’t find an organic dry cleaner in your area, quit using the cleaners, or at least take the plastic of off your clothes and let them off-gas in the garage for a few days before you bring them inside.

• Avoid chemical pesticides on your lawn and in your home. Pesticides are extremely toxic—think about their purpose. They are designed to destroy life. You don’t want most of them in your yard or house. In my home we rely upon a pest-control company that uses effective plant-based pesticides that are totally safe for humans and pets. We also use an organic lawn care service—no worries about the kids getting sick from playing in the grass at our house. Finally, in spite of the near hysteria about west nile virus, we don’t use DEET containing bug repellant in our home (we choose essential oils and naturally based products instead).

• Invest in high quality air and water purifiers. Look for air purifiers that actually purify (rather than “filter”) using a combination of technologies to address volatile organic compounds, viruses, bacteria, fungi and other irritants. Choose water purifiers that not only remove impurities but also enliven the water with vital minerals.

• Switch to non-toxic household and personal care products. This step is the simplest and most economical and yet it probably has the largest impact on your overall health. But once you’ve decided to make the switch, how do you know which products to choose? Product labels can be confusing—so can product advertising. You don’t need to be a chemist or understand every ingredient label to find safe products (in fact, cleaning products rarely list specific ingredients for proprietary reasons). One easy way to choose safe cleaning products is to avoid aerosol sprayers and child-proof caps.

Personal care products are a little trickier. For instance, formaldehyde is the most common toxic chemical found in personal care products and it’s not listed as formaldehyde (instead, it’s listed as one of about 15 other chemicals which commonly break down into formaldehyde in the body). Additionally, while ingredient names may look very similar, the first few letters or numbers at the beginning or ending of an ingredient can be the difference between a perfectly safe substance and a risky one. Moreover, because companies know that consumers are looking for natural products, many will throw in one or two natural ingredients without changing any of the other substances--and then call the product “natural.” When choosing personal care products, look for established companies with a long-term commitment to the environment and consumer safety, as well as a reputation for partnering with respected scientists who can evaluate the latest studies impacting consumer health.

We know we can help you save money and time while shopping from home for better, safer products.  Better health for you and the earth can be as simple as switching stores!

We look forward to connecting with you!  Kimberly Schneider 314-283-5681  kschneider7750@yahoo.com & Mary Lou Schneider 636-227-9911 marylouises@charter.net.