Do Clean Homes Make Us Sick?

by Lisa Gledhill

Home should be our safe haven, but sometimes a home that is too clean is actually detrimental to our health.

Much scientific evidence has pointed to household chemicals as contributing factors to poor health that could possibly result in allergies, asthma, autism and ADD/ADHD.

Some even suggest these factors are responsible for dramatic increases in childhood cancers and birth defects.

This type of information leads us to believe that toxins stay in our systems for far longer than we think.

Homes today are so energy efficient that out-gassing of chemicals from cleaning supplies, even when they are not in use, have nowhere to go and build up inside the home.

In fact, according to the EPA, most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous and toxic chemicals that are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors.

There are great concerns that recent reports indicate that indoor air pollutions is one of the nation’s most important environmental health problems.

Small children, in particular, are at a high risk for exposure because they play on the floors, put toys in their mouths and touch everything in their path, breathing, ingesting and absorbing the lingering chemical residues that we used in our efforts to protect them from harmful bacteria and hidden impurities.

Current labeling laws do not require manufacturers to list all ingredients in household cleaning products. What we do not know actually can hurt us!

Did you know that the ingredients list on one particular window cleaner (that most of us have in our homes right now) contains ammonia and 2-butoxy ethanol?

These hidden ingredients have been linked to reproductive disorders, kidney damage, liver damage, bone marrow damage and tumors! Clean windows shouldn’t come with such a high price tag to pay with our health!

With chronic childhood illnesses and fatal diseases linked to toxic household cleaners on the rise, green cleaning is essential.

Many well-intentioned consumers will be misled into purchasing products that claim to be green.

There is a lot of gray when it comes to green, so look for products that are 100% non-toxic and are readily biodegradable. Look for products that strike the balance between what is “safe” for the environment and “safe” for you.

Some products claiming to be green also include Sodium Laurelth Sulfate. While SLS is a natural byproduct, it has been linked to being an endocrine disruptor i.e., cancer causing.

Another “safe” product ingredient is cocoa butter, again it’s found in nature and is safe for human use. Yet, the processing of this additive can cause harm to our waterways. The fat soluble in cocoa butter attracts bad bacteria and is not readily biodegradable.

Become an educated consumer. Look for safe green alternatives in stores and shop online sites that nurture with nature.

Please join our mission to free the world of toxic chemicals, one household at a time. Cleaning green in our own homes will have a positive impact on our family’s health and the world around us.

Lisa Gledhill resides in Eastham, MA. She is a wowgreen Independent Distributor.

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