Choosing to eat organic food is a massive step to improving your health and the health of your family. So is choosing organic products for your body that are free from toxic chemicals and synthetic additives. The next step to a healthier and happier life is making sure that the household products in your home are free from toxic ingredients.




Laura DeMatteis gives food for thought in this video about the potentially deadly products you might use in your home.

Laura asserts that, of the 100,000 chemicals registered for use in the US, less than 7% have been tested for toxicity. None of them have been tested for the effects of long term, chronic exposure.

These chemicals are used on a daily basis in many homes. They are the key ingredients of most conventional household products – detergents including floor cleaners, dishwasher powders, surface cleansers, bleaches, toilet cleaners, home deodorisers, air fresheners and so on. Chemicals that are sprayed in the air, and mopped and wiped over all surfaces in your home including floors, tiles, windows, bathrooms and kitchens.

Many ingredients in household cleaning products are toxic, mutagenic (they can cause damage at cellular level in the body), cancer-causing (carcinogenic), some of them are neurotoxins (damage the brain) and can cause respiratory problems as well as behavioural changes in children.

Regulations on the use of these chemicals in household products are few and far between. Labelling is not required (in the US) and there is limited pre-market testing.

In the UK you will sometimes find a warning sign. This is the red box with a black cross, and it means dangerous.

Regular exposure to these toxic chemicals causes damage to humans and pets. Using these products means that the ingredients ultimately end up in the water table. When you use bleach in your loo, it all gets flushed down into the water system, as do any other detergents. Same with what you use in your dishwasher or washing machine, or when you rinse out your cleaning cloths. Aquatic life is severely damaged by this.

Air fresheners are made from synthetic fragrances derived from the petro-chemical industries. Watch the video to see how the frequency of headaches in women and ear infections in children increase in homes where air fresheners are used.

The good news is that there are an increasing number of household cleaning products on the market that do not use dangerous ingredients. Ecover is a leading brand for example. Alternatively there are much more traditional cleaners such as vinegar, salt and bicarbonate of soda that do a fantastic cleaning job, are 100% safe and significantly cheaper than conventional cleaning products.

Filed under: Organic Lifestyle

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