Why Clean Green?

Did you know that an EPA study concludes that indoor air carries a higher risk for exposure to toxic chemicals than outdoor air?  Americans spend 90% of their time indoors and exposure to pollution can be up to 100 times greater inside than out.  The EPA also found that half of all illnesses occurring in the US can be attributed to the contamination of indoor air.

Products purchased everyday add harmful chemicals to the air and surfaces in your home.  With our tightly sealed houses we contend daily with not only common allergens like mold, dander and pollen but also with fragrances and pollutants that drift from household goods.  Cleaners leave harmful residue on counters, floors, bedding, and clothing.

A number of studies have linked indoor chemicals to allergies, asthma, cancer, birth defects, autism and learning disabilities in children.  The most harmful chemicals that are found in common, well-known cleaning products include:

Ammonia—known to cause asthma.  Ammonia is found in glass cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, disinfectants, floor cleaners, furniture polishes, and metal polishes and is often used as a drain cleaner, kitchen cleanser, oven cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner.

Chlorine—causes lung and skin irritation, lethal if ingested.  Chlorine is also a highly corrosive substance, capable of damaging skin, eyes, and other membranes. Chlorine was listed as a hazardous air pollutant in the 1990 Clean Air Act, and exposure to chlorine in the workplace is regulated by federal standards.  Chlorine is most commonly used in automatic dishwashing detergents, chlorine bleach, chlorinated disinfectant cleaners, mildew removers, and toilet bowl cleaners.

Isopropanol or isopropyl alcohol—when swallowed, even an ounce can be fatal to a small child.  They depress the central nervous system and are linked to sinus and throat cancers.  Isopropanol is found in all purpose cleaners and degreasers.

Monoethanolamine– linked to respiratory irritation and asthma.

Glycol ethers—cause nerve damage.

Alkylphenol—hormone disruptors that act like estrogen in the body and have cause breast cancer cells to multiply in test tubes.

Phthalates—hormone disruptors linked to obesity and hypothyroidism.  Studies have found that baby boys of mothers with high phthalate levels had problems with reproductive development.  Phthalates are used in synthetic fragrances like air fresheners.

Triclosan—may linger on cleaned surfaces, allowing resistant bacteria to grow and forms the carcinogen chloroform when exposed to chlorinated water.  Triclosan is a disinfectant used in antibacterial cleaners.

Formaldehyde—Carcinogen in humans.  Formaldehyde is found in disinfectants, furniture polishes, detergents, and water softeners.

Many more toxic, harmful chemicals make up household cleaning products.  The National Institutes of Health and Library of Medicine Household Products Database (http://www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm.) provides information on almost any brand of cleaning product. It lists exactly what is in a specific product, and states the health effects. You can also search for information by chemical ingredient, and discover what brand products contain which harmful chemicals and toxins.

 

And these are just the chemicals we know about.  Government trade secret laws protect cleaning product manufactures from having to list all the ingredients or their concentration on the label.  Many times, even hazardous ingredients are not listed.

Many household cleaning products, like furniture polish, oven cleaners, drain cleaners, and even air fresheners are considered hazardous waste.  This means they include chemicals that have been proven to be toxic to fish, wildlife, plants and also humans.  These chemicals harm the environment when they end up in landfills and in wastewater treatments plants.

Clean homes do not have to be associated with dangerous or hazardous products. There are completely safe products that are available and are just as effective.  They protect your health, preserve natural resources, minimize our impact on the ecosystem, and even save oil, as most conventional cleaners are made with petroleum products.  Your home should be a haven, and by cleaning green, you can ensure that it is a safe, healthy place for your entire family.