Investigate the chemicals under your own kitchen sink, and
prepare a short report on what you find...
I live in a house with 6 other people and we collectively
decided that it was important to us to have a home that was as toxic free as
possible. We purchase non-toxic cleaning products. We look for cleaners that
don't contain chlorine, alchohols, triclosan, triclocarbon, lye, glycol ethers,
or ammonia. We also try not to purchase products that contain petroleum,
phosphates, solvents or VOC’s.
Thus our house uses vinegar, bleach, baking soda and a few
products that are non-toxic. We also use a windex knock off called Sparkel and
there is no way that its purple color is not toxic!
While advertizes say that these products work as well as
there toxic counterparts, I cant quite ever get the shower scum scrubbed off.
However, it is worth it to me to lessen the amount of toxins that we have in
our home, not support companies that expose workers to toxins and lessen our
impact on the environment.
Bad Guy Cleaning Products and some Alternatives:
Chlorine Bleach
Chlorine bleach is one of the oldest cleaners. It's also one
of the harshest. Chlorine bleach kills germs on contact, and isn't much
friendlier to your skin, if accidentally splashed. Manufacturers include
chlorine bleach in a wide variety of cleaning products as well as some laundry
and dishwasher detergents.
Bleach is also renowned for its mold-killing ability, but
it's not the only way to kill mold and mildew. Hydrogen peroxide or vinegar
also works to kill mold.
Because it's used so frequently, chlorine bleach is the most
common cleaner that kids accidentally swallow. And chlorine poses another
special danger: when mixed with ammonia -- another common ingredient of
cleaning products -- and acidic cleaners, such as toilet bowl cleaners, the
mixture releases poisonous gasses. Since it's hard to know what's in every
product, it's best to simply not mix cleaning products at all. While it's safe
to pour old cleaning products down the drain, don't pour more than one at a
time.
Non-toxic Solutions
Use a hydrogen-peroxide-based bleach in your laundry instead
of chlorine bleach. Hydrogen peroxide kills mold and mildew, sanitizes counters
and cutting boards, and removes stains from counters.
For household cleaning, opt for chlorine-free products to
eliminate the risks. Specifically look for "chlorine-free" on the
label. Use one product at a time, and rinse surfaces thoroughly.
A simple tip: Keep an old toothbrush to scrub counter and
those hard-to-clean tile corners.
Ammonia: Avoiding Hazardous Fumes
Want a clue to ammonia's hazardous properties? Consider its
well-known harsh smell. Undiluted ammonia is highly irritating to the eyes and
respiratory system. Because it does everything from cutting through grease to
cleaning windows, ammonia is found in a wide range of conventional cleaning
products. There are other ways to clean that are just as effective.
Review the issues raised in the article ‘Mediterranean
diet 'better than low-fat diet' for cardiovascular risk’
The ‘Mediterranean diet ' is arguably better that the
typical American low fat diet because though the low fat diet may lower
cholesterol, it does not produce better outcomes with regard to cardiovascular
death or heart attacks. Instead, the Mediterranean diet discourages saturated
fat, but encourages monosaturated fats, lowering cholesterol and producing
better health outcomes.
It is really a shame that many Americans have bought into
the low fat diet fad. I am shocked by how afraid people are of fat. Often, for
fear of getting fat, many people will opt for the low fat option not realizing
that generally that means that the food has been denatured and pumped full of
sugar. A couple of years ago I started
incorporating way more oils into my diet and steering clear of anything labeled
low fat- because of this my skin, joints and brain function is notably better!
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