Non-Toxic
Cleaning Tips
Reprinted
with permission from Seventh Generation.
http://www.seventhgen.com/
You
can improve your family's health and make your home a safer place
-- and clean your home at the same time. 
Read
the Labels
Look
for household cleaning products containing non-petroleum-based
surfactants, that are chlorine and phosphate free, that claim
to be non-toxic, and that are bio-degradable. These products clean
as effectively as their petrochemical counterparts, but don't
pollute your home in the process.
 Signal Words for
Toxic Products
|
Signal
Word
|
Category
|
Approximate
Amount Needed to Kill an Average Person
|
Toxic
Effects
|
| DANGER
or POISON
|
Highly
Toxic
|
a
few drops to 1 teaspoon
|
Fatal
if swallowed (inhaled or absorped through the skin)
|
| WARNING
|
Moderately
Toxic
|
1
teaspoon to 1 ounce
|
May
be fatal if swallowed (inhaled or absorped through the skin)
|
|
CAUTION
|
Slightly
Toxic if used improperly
|
more
than 1 ounce
|
Possibly
harmful if swallowed (inhaled or absorped through the skin)
|
|
NON-TOXIC
|
Non-Toxic
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
| All
substances -- even water -- can be toxic if consumed in large
quantities or used improperly. Therefore, non-toxic products
often display a "Caution." |
Open the Windows
Did
You Know? A recent study found that women who work in the home
are 55% more likely to get some form of cancer or chronic respiratory
disease than women who work outside the home. One of the key suspected
reasons: the toxic chemicals used in many traditional cleaning
products. Studies show that the air in most homes is two to five
times more polluted than the air outside. Traditional household
cleaning products may greatly contribute to indoor air pollution.
Circulating fresh air (and asking your children to play outside)
while you clean your home will greatly reduce the effects of air
pollution in the home.
Buy
Only Non-Chlorine Bleached Paper Products
Traditional
paper products, like bath tissue and paper towels, are commonly
bleached with chlorine compounds. Unfortunately, many consumers
don't know that the process of bleaching paper with chlorine compounds
releases dioxins into the environment. Recent research has conclusively
linked dioxins with cancer, reproductive disorders among adults,
deformities and developmental problems in children, and immune
system breakdowns. Look for paper products labeled "non-chlorine
bleached," and you'll be doing your part to cut down on dioxin
pollution.
Don't Buy Products Containing Ammonia and Chlorine
Found
in a host of scouring powders, laundry bleach, dishwasher detergent,
and basin, tub, and tile cleaners, these chemicals are a prime
cause of health problems and atmospheric ozone loss. Ammonia is
also an irritant that affects the skin, eyes and respiratory passages.
The symptoms of ammonia exposure are: burning sensation in the
eyes, nose and throat; pain in the lungs; headache; nausea; coughing
and increased breathing rate. Chlorine is the household chemical
most frequently involved in household poisoning in the U.S. Chlorine
also ranks first in causing industrial injuries and deaths resulting
from large industrial accidents. Chlorine is an acutely toxic
chemical.
Don't
Buy Traditional Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Oven Cleaner, Or Furniture
Polish
Don't
buy traditional toilet bowl cleaner, oven cleaner, or furniture
polish, since they contain the highest amounts of toxic chemicals.
Since these cleaners contain strong acids or alkalies, their toxic
effect is highly acute and local. Their corrosiveness- which can
cause severe damage to skin, eyes, and lungs- is what makes them
work. These products, when in liquid form, may also contain petroleum
distillates, which can acutely affect lung tissue.
|
