Guide to Safer Cleaners and Disinfectants
Excerpted from The Household Detective: Protecting Your Children
from Toxins at Home, by Jan Williams Children's
Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) (book is available
here
with membership)
Dangerous Products in the Home
People have learned to keep their houses clean in order to ward
off disease and infection. To help us do this, we have created a
wide variety of cleaning products and disinfectants. The problem
is that our zeal to be clean has gone too far. Today, the cleaner
is frequently more dangerous than the things we are trying to clean
up. Many common household products contain alcohol, ammonia, bleach,
formaldehyde, and lye. These substances can cause nausea, vomiting,
inflammation and burning of the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory
system, and are linked with neurological, liver and kidney damage,
blindness, asthma, and cancer.
Fortunately, we can achieve a level of cleanliness, which is both
hygienic for children as well as esthetically pleasing for adults
without using hazardous household cleaners and disinfectants. You
can either make your own household cleaners and disinfectants from
a variety of common, less toxic household ingredients, or you can
purchase less toxic commercial brands in stores. In addition to
making your child's environment safer, most of these less toxic
alternatives will also save you money. And, if your child likes
mixing and making things, you can combine housecleaning with a supervised
play activity for your child.
Did You Know?
The average American home has 3-10 gallons of hazardous materials.
In 1993, 1.8 million human poisonings were reported to the poison
control centers in the U.S. Ninety-two percent of the incidences
took place in the home and 60% of the cases involved children under
the age of five.
What You Can Do
First, remember what you're trying to do — make your home hygienic
and safe for your children. This means effectively cleaning up food
from counters and getting dirt off of your floors. We're not trying
to eradicate the Ebola virus. So, when choosing a cleaning or disinfecting
product, ask yourself, is my child going to be at greater risk from
some unknown germ or from a chemical known to harm people?
Cleaning Alternatives
Homemade Remedies and Cleaners
Air Freshener. To absorb
odors, place bowls of vinegar, or baking soda around the house.
Be sure to keep them out of the reach of children and pets! To make
the air more fragrant, use essential oils or boiled herbs. To make
boiled herbs, simply choose any herb or spice the smell of which
you enjoy and boil it in water for a few minutes until the heat
causes it to release its odor. Let it cool a little and put it out
in a bowl. You can also add salt to discourage the growth of fungus.
Drain Cleaner. Use hair
and food traps to keep the drain from getting clogged. If it does
become clogged, try the following recipe. First, pour about 1/2
cup of baking soda down the sink. Then add at least a cup of vinegar.
It will start to fizz. Put the cover over the drain. Finish up by
rinsing the drain with a mixture of boiling water and salt. You
might have to repeat the whole procedure more than once.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Sprinkle
baking soda around the inside of the toilet bowl and then clean
with a toilet brush. Also try letting white vinegar sit for a few
minutes in the bowl before cleaning with the toilet brush.
Oven Cleaner. Make a paste
of baking soda and water. First wipe away any residual grease. Then
scratch off burnt spots with a scouring brush or steel wool. Finally,
apply the paste and scrub.
Laundry Detergents. By
adding baking soda, you can reduce the amount of commercial detergent
you use substantially. If you're using liquid detergent, add about
1/2 cup of baking soda at the beginning of the wash. If you're using
powdered detergent, add 1/2 cup of baking soda during the rinse
cycle. Baking soda softens the water, thus increasing the potency
of your detergent. When buying your commercial detergent, it is
better to use a biodegradable, less toxic, phosphate free brand.
Window Cleaner. Put 3
tbs. vinegar per 1 qt. water in a spray bottle.
Automatic Dishwashing Detergent. As you pile your dishes
up in the sink, sprinkle them with baking soda. Then, later on when
you put them in the dishwasher you can use a lot less commercial
detergent. It's the some basic idea as with the laundry detergent.
Carpet Cleaner. To absorb
big spills, spread cornmeal all over the spill. Wait about 15 minutes,
then vacuum it up. For stains, put 1/4 cup biodegradable liquid
soap with 1/3 cup water into a blender to make a foam. Put the foam
on the stain and rub. Finish up with a splash of vinegar.
Kitchen Cleanser. Just
use baking soda on non-scratch surfaces, and a vinegar and water
mixture on other surfaces.
Tub and Tile Cleaner.
Mix 1 and 2/3 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup liquid soap, 1/2 cup water,
and finally, 2 tbs. vinegar (if you add the vinegar too early it
will react with the baking soda). Then apply, wipe, and scrub.
Shoe Polish. Use a little
olive oil.
Disinfectant. Make a solution
of 3 tbs. liquid soap, 2 cups water, and 20-30 drops of tea tree
oil, which is a natural disinfectant.
Metal Polish
Brass and Copper. Cut
a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and rub the lemon on whatever
needs to be polished. Buff with a cloth to remove excess lemon juice.
Silver. Put a sheet of
aluminum foil into a plastic or glass bowl. Sprinkle the foil with
salt and baking soda, then fill the bowl with warm water. Just soak
your silver in the bowl and the tarnish will migrate to the aluminum
foil. Finally, dry and buff your silver.
Fabric Softener. Add 2
cups white vinegar and a few drops of an essential oil to your rinse
cycle. WARNING! Vinegar can cause colors to fade a little.
Fragrance. If you are
not chemically sensitive or allergic, essential plant oils can be
a pleasing addition to homemade cleaners. A few drops of these fragrant
oils can enhance our perception of cleanliness.
Commercial Cleaners and Disinfectants
If you don't feel like making your own cleaners, there are a number
of less toxic alternatives, which can be found at organic and natural
grocery stores, co-ops, and many larger conventional stores as well.
Reading the label is always a good way to familiarize yourself with
the substances in a product.
Organic and biodegradable products are generally the safest. Natural
products tend to be the next safest, with conventional cleaners
and disinfectants being the least safe.
WARNING: Storage of Cleaners and Disinfectants
Whatever you choose to do, whether it be making your own cleaners
or purchasing them in stores, remember that many products can be
harmful to children and pets if ingested, even baking soda and vinegar.
So, remember to keep all cleaners and disinfectants safely out of
the reach of children.
|
Use the information provided on this site as an educational resource for determining your options and making your own informed choices. It is not intended as medical advice or to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific illness.