The joy of everyday cleaning
Most people probably don't feel that enthusiastic about cleaning and give little thought to it when they do - but did you actually know that the cleaning products you use can make you sick?
A friend of mine recently told me that her husband's allergy disappeared after they switched to an eco-friendly washing-up liquid. And if even Breast Cancer UK is advocating environmental friendly cleaning solutions then we should probably don't take it as face-value when we are told that our cleaning products are already regulated enough and all safe to use.
As stated in the Guardian, New research in the US also found that "Household dust harbours a cocktail of toxic chemicals that have been linked to an increased risk of a range of health hazards, from cancer to problems with fertility".
This is not an article advocating chemical-free cleaning (as this doesn't exist, as absolutely everything is made of chemicals) but of avoiding products with harmful artificial chemical compounds and products that are heavily fragranced as these can not just be harmful to us but also the the environment. Synthetic fragrances often contain toxins that cause central nervous system damage. So follow these tips for a healthy you and a healthy environment:
1) Always check the label and avoid any products with any of these toxic signs:
2) Avoid products with these ingredients (find out here why):
1. Phthalates
2. Perchloroethylene or “PERC”
3. Triclosan
4. Quarternary Ammonium Compounds, or “QUATS”
5. 2-Butoxyethanol
6. Ammonia
7. Chlorine
8. Sodium Hydroxide
3) Use fragrance-free products or those that contain natural fragrances, such as essential oils, as some synthetic
fragrances are highly toxic.
4) Don't use chlorine bleach, instead opt for environmental alternatives as described in the "Ideas & recipe" area and buy
only unbleached products, which are labelled "Processed Chlorine Free" (PCF).
5) Head to the "Ideas & recipe" area and make your own cleaning products - it's easy and cheap.
6) Get the e-cloth range and remove 99% of all bacteria simply using water.
7) Or get cleaning products from these companies: Greenscents, Libbys V-concentrate (vegan cleaning products),
Bentley Organic, Bio-D (full range of cleaning products, hypoallergenic), Faith in Nature (also offering skin care
products), Ecozone, Ecoleaf, or Ecover (widely available in most supermarkets and healthfood shops).
8) Or make your own cleaning products, you probably have most of the ingredients alerady at home. For more information
head to the section "Ideas & recipes".
