Non Toxic Cleaning Products - The Good And The Bad

Everyone seems to be talking about non toxic cleaning products and how important they are to our homes. Here are some simple tips on how to green up your home by getting rid of toxic cleaners and save money doing it!

What I didn't realize before I made the switch in my home was some of the insane stats around the use of these regular conventional household cleaners. It wasn't until I had a son who suffered from unexplained allergies, not seasonal allergies that I started to look for anything possible problems in my home. I had taken my son to many specialists and none of his allergies matched anything that was tested for.

Even with all the testing and knowledge we have in medicine now they left me with very few options. My son was taking up to 6 doses of medication a day by the time he was 5 years old. The problem was he had been on allergy medicine since 3 months so he was long to the medicines commonly given that are time released so they can be given once a day.

After years of trying different things I happened to watch something about the links of household cleaners and asthma. I started to wonder if the same might be the same for those who suffered from allergies.

I started doing just a little bit of research here is just some of the information I found:

In the most recent EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) studies 90% of our time is spent indoors now. Unfortunately, they have found that that air pollution is up to five times higher inside than outside. People who work inside the home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work outside the home. These EPA studies indicate that an elevated concentration of household chemicals persist in the air. They have found that long-term exposure to chemicals inside our homes may be harmful to us and our families.

It made me wonder if all of these facts are out there and even the EPA is warning us of these dangers why in the world are we using these products in our homes and more importantly it only took common sense to tell me they might be causing problems for my son!!

It seems pretty straight forward as to why nontoxic cleaning products are essential. If a product states on its label that you need rubber gloves and/or a mask to use the product that is a pretty good warning that you might want to steer clear!!

Why are non toxic cleaning products so important?

So I continued my research and I started with researching asthma. Some 20 million Americans have asthma. At this point on average one out of every 13 school-aged children has asthma. The asthma rates in children under age 5 have increased more than 160% from 1980-1994. What does this have to do with "nontoxic cleaning products'? Common household cleaners and appliances give off fumes that can potentially increase the risk of children developing asthma.

Asthma is just one of the many health problems directly affected or caused by common household cleaners. Others include headaches, nausea, chemical pneumonia, chronic lung damage, blood cell damage, bone marrow damage, kidney disease, liver disease, heart conditions and cancer. That's not mentioning all of the poison exposure statistics. It really is alarming when you think about it all!

So now we move onto the next problem with finding the right non toxic cleaning products?

With so many companies claiming to be "green" or "organic" it's hard to know who is telling the truth. The first thing you need to do is be an informed consumer. Go to National Institutes of Health Household Products Database and find out what you have in your home. You can simply enter a product name and find out the information you need. You can do the same with potential products. Please be aware that manufactures do not have to put all of the ingredients inside a product on the label. They can claim these are trade secrets so they are not listed.

Of the chemicals listed on labels consider the most harmful of all of the chemicals.

BUTYL CELLOSOLVE - Can cause irritation and tissue damage from inhalation. A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the acute exposure limit. It is most likely found in: All-purpose cleaners, cleaning wipes, degreasers, floor polish, rug shampoos, toilet bowl cleaners, tub and tile cleaners and window cleaners.

SODIUM HYDROXIDE- Inhalation is immediately irritating to the respiratory tract and contact can cause severe damage to the eyes, skin, mouth, and throat It can also cause liver and kidney damage. It is most likely found in: Dishwashing liquids, laundry products, oven cleaner, scouring cleansers and tub and tile cleaners.

HYDROCHLORIC ACID - Can cause severe damage to skin, can be harmful to health if inhaled and can be fatal if swallowed. It is most likely found in: Odor eliminators and toilet bowl cleaners.

I understand with all this information it can seem really intimidating finding the right non toxic cleaning products. Many people resort to mixing their own cleaners at home and while that does work it can get expensive and some of the commonly used alternatives can be hard on the surfaces in your home such as vinegar. If you would like to learn more about non toxic cleaning products I have put together a webinar with all the things I have learned.

If you would like to find out about my free webinar on non toxic cleaning products just simply visit http://simplygreenclean.com.