Are Your Laundry & Cleaning Soaps Safe?

Greetings!

Did you know that more people get sick or die from poisoning of common household products? These are products we use every day... on our clothes, our furniture and even the dishes we eat off of! Because we can never fully rinse these chemicals off, we tend to breathe them or taste them.

Because we are unable to feel, see, smell, or taste many household toxins at first contact, it is important to be aware of the most common household toxins and to proactively take measures to prevent or reduce our exposure to them.

The most common household toxins are as follows:

1. Triclosan:
Most commonly found in: many liquid soaps and in some deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, kitchenware, and children's toys.

2. Phthalates:

Linked to: endocrine, reproductive, and developmental problems.

Most commonly found in: vinyl flooring, plastic food packaging, plastic bags, plastic clothing, detergents, children's toys, shower curtains, and personal care products like soap, shampoo, nail polish, and hair spray.

3. Bisphenol A:
Linked to: endocrine problems.

Most commonly found in: food and drink containers, baby bottles, teethers, toys, metal food cans, and dental sealants used to prevent cavities.

4. Carbon monoxide:
Linked to: cardiovascular and nervous system failure.

Most commonly produced by: leaking furnaces and chimneys, gas stoves, wood stoves and fireplaces, back-drafting from gas water heaters, and auto exhaust from an attached garage or nearby traffic.

5. Perfluorinated chemicals:

Linked to: many different types of cancer and developmental problems in children.

Most commonly found in: teflon-coated cookware, microwave popcorn bags, and stain-guarded clothing, furniture, and carpets.

6. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs):

Linked to: reproductive, respiratory, neurological, and developmental problems. Also linked to different types of cancer.

Most commonly found in: air fresheners, hair spray, perfumes, cleaning products, paints, carpets, and furniture made out of pressed wood.

7. Radon:

Linked to: lung cancer.

Most commonly found in: confined spaces, the most common of which are poorly ventilated basements that have cracked walls and/or floors.

8. Lead:

Linked to: cancer, neurological dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems, and developmental problems in children.

Most commonly found in: lead plumbing pipes found in older homes, lead-based paint, crystal tableware, and some varieties of imported mini-blinds.

9. Pesticides and herbicides:

Most commonly found in: non-organic food supply, non-organic farming regions, and non-organic landscaped areas that are well maintained.

Although we are all at risk of experiencing health problems due to exposure to the household toxins listed above, particularly worrisome are the effects that these toxins may have on babies growing in their mothers' wombs.

A study conducted in 2004 by the Environmental Working Group found that umbilical cord blood from 10 newborns contained chemicals used in consumer products, pesticides, and by-products from gasoline, garbage, and the burning of coal.

Still, within the context of living emotionally balanced lives, we can significantly lower our risk of developing many different types of chronic disease by doing our best to avoid the most common sources of the toxins listed in this article.

Please check out the plant-derived cleaning products that Healthy Environments promotes. They work great!

Deborah Mumm,
The Allergy Queen
Plant based Cleaning Products

Create your own Natural Cleaning Products--It's Easy!

Greetings....

Even though I offer some wonderful safe cleaning products on my website, www.healthy-environments.com,
I found a great little video that shows you how to make your own cleaners with other household ingredients. I think you'll enjoy it.
Watch it to the end for some great cleaning tips using VODKA! Pretty fun...

Here's the video>>> Natural Cleaners

If you have any safe cleaners that you create yourself and you think they work pretty well, please email me so I can share it with my readers.

Thanks.
Have a Healthy Day!

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen

Healthy Environments

If a Hurricane was headed towards your home, what would you do?

Living in the midwest we are used to not always having predictable weather. However, we have never had to face a hurricane here. As Hurricane Ike approaches Texas I can't help but think how it must feel to in the hurricane's path and see this message that the National Weather Service issued yesterday....
"Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one- or two-story homes may face certain death. Many residences of average construction directly on the coast will be destroyed," it said.

That is pretty scary! What would you do? Would you stay in your home and try to ride it out? Or would you take what you could and leave?

I look around my home and know I love the 'stuff' in my home...it is the place our family gathers in. However, I don't think I'd risk my life or my family's lives for 'stuff'. It'd be really hard and I pray I never have to make that choice.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people effected by Hurricane Ike. I am sure we'll be reading about this for days to come.

I am sure the people there are concerned about their homes surviving the storm, but the rest of us still have to clean, do laundry, etc., in order to keep our homes and family healthy. Have you seen the awesome cleaning products offered by Air Doctors? It is so strong...kills bacteria, viruses, molds and more for up to a week after contact & it is completely non-toxic. They came and cleaned our carpeting...which really needed it. It looks great!

P.S....Until 10/15/08 if you place an order for the cleaning product or the laundry product I will send you a FREE hand sanitizer (valued at 5.95). I love the hand sanitizer since it kills bacteria but does not use alcohol...which can be drying, not to mention, toxic.

Hurry over to Air Doctors to see their great cleaning products.

Let's keep our Texan friends in our thoughts as they handle Hurricane Ike!

Debbie Mumm, The Allergy Queen www.healthy-environments.com/safe-cleaners.asp

House Cleaning in the Winter

House cleaning in my home is never done! My air is always clean...since we own an Air Purifier for the entire home. With 5 kids, husband and one old dog (who dislikes going outside in the winter so finds the kitchen floor to be a great place to pee...sigh!) I seem to never catch up with cleaning.

I did discover recently that Solay Wellness products were a great fit for my health-minded home. Completely natural...the active ingredient is Himalyan Salts (which kill bacteria). They are odorless also. We really enjoy the Salt lamps for bedrooms to keep them sanitized clean for sleeping great!

So head on over to Solay Wellness and see their great products. Click on the title to this article to get there quickly.

Have a healthy Day....

Debbie Mumm
The Allergy Queen