Toxins in your cleaning products

Many of the ingredients we find in today’s ‘new, improved, cleaner, brighter’ products are made from chemicals that were initially produced for use in warfare.

After the Second World War was over, surplus stocks of these toxins made their way into household cleaning products, personal care items, food, water and synthetic drugs, despite many of these substances never being tested for safety; ensuring the future of this industry and huge profits for the companies that manufacture these chemicals.

No Toxic Information

According to the National Research Council, “no toxic information” is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products. Tests are only done on single chemicals. There is never any testing done on combinations, which we’re exposed to on a daily basis.

There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer since the addition of pesticides into household products.

Pre-war cleaning

To discover whether or not there are effective chemical-free alternatives to these modern products, we need only step back a few decades. Many pre-war household cleaning items were made from food items such as vinegar, borax, lemon juice and beeswax, and we have researched, invented and listed many recipes to cover your entire household cleaning needs.

Reducing health risks

By making our own products, we can avoid many of the risks to our long-term health. We can cut down our risk to degenerative diseases such as cancer, minimize acute discomforts such as headaches and skin irritations; can limit the pollution inside and outside our home. We cut down our risk of poisoning from accidental swallowing, we can save money and reduce waste packaging.

Indoor air pollution is a suspected culprit in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), which will claim about 5,000 US lives this year.

Taking time!

The Western consumer is inundated with advertising claims touting the advantages to speed, convenience and “fresh scent” while ignoring the health and environmental dangers. With a little elbow grease and non-toxic cleaners, you can get your home just as clean as with the toxic cleaners. Some non-toxic products need time to work. You can spray a shower with cleaner, leave it while you do something else, and come back to it later when the cleaner has had the time to do the work for you.

In later weeks I’ll be sharing some great recipes you can make yourself at home.