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Using Cleaning Products Is Like Smoking A Pack Of Cigarettes A Day

We have always used the same brands of cleaning products since the day we were born. You probably used for the same reason that all of us use them, and it isn’t because of their clever ad campaigns. We purchase these products simply out of habit as our parents bought them because their parents did as well. A long time ago these cleaning products were the only thing we had so no one ever thought to questions what might be in them and how could they be affecting our bodies.

Well someone finally took the time to see just how harmful ingredients like ammonia and bleach can really be and it turns out that the two key ingredients for making mustard gas are dangerous for you no matter what amount of the chemicals are used. The study followed over 6,200 people for 20 years and specifically studied the effects of cleaning products on both the deterioration of lung capacity and the obstruction it causes to your airways.

So how bad can it be? It turns out that cleaning your home once a week with these products is the equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for an entire week. The damage doesn’t stop there though as others that are living in the house experience side-effects, just not as bad as the “first-hand” cleaner. Women tended to be more affected than men were and it appears that those that used the products periodically was more damaging than someone who worked with them on a regular basis. The speculation on this is that cleaning professionals are away of the dangers of cleaners and often wear protective masks.

The scariest part about this is that the evidence appears to be concrete. Normally studies like this can be shaken off due to a short period of research time or a lack of subjects being tested, but over 6000 people for the course of 20 years is a lot of evidence to ignore. In fact, major networks and publishers from CNN to The New York Times have acknowledged the article and it is published in the most credible of sources. To learn more, check out the actual study at http://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/resources/women-cleaners-lung-function.pdf

So how do we combat this? We still have to clean our homes, but obviously we don’t want to continue poisoning our families and ourselves! There are natural ways to clean that are anti-bacterial and anti-microbial, so don’t give up hope. From Tea-tree oil to vinegar, switching to a natural cleaner can make your home safe from the germs without constantly burning out the aioli in your lungs!

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The Facts About Disinfectant Cleaners

Everyone uses disinfectant cleaners in the home. But have you checked the ingredients? First, you can’t
pronounce them. Then, you have few clues as to what most of them are. If you are at all concerned
about the health and safety of your family, you need to pay attention.
Cleaning products contain chemicals that cause asthma, lung inflammation, asthma-like symptoms and
other respiratory problems. They also contain endocrine disrupting chemicals. Plus, many of the
ingredients in cleaning products evaporate easily, polluting your indoor air.
Most of the time, however, you don't really know the specific chemicals in your cleaners. That's because
manufacturers aren't required to list the ingredients on the labels. Sometimes they'll list vague
categories like surfactants and fragrance that could be any of hundreds of different chemicals.
Most of what is known about the chemicals in cleaning products comes from researchers. For example,
a 2014 study found 132 chemicals in the 105 cleaning products that were tested. The main groups of
chemicals that were identified in the cleaners included fragrance, glycol ethers, surfactants and
disinfectants.
Each of these chemical groups exposes you to toxins when you inhale them while you’re cleaning your
home and for hours afterwards. They can also enter your body through your skin.  Is this crazy or what? Here are a few, but not all, of the chemicals to look out for:

Ammonia

Vapors may irritate the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. People with asthma may be particularly sensitive to
the effects of breathing ammonia. Ammonia may also cause kidney and liver damage. If ammonia is
mixed with products containing chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), highly poisonous chloramine gas
is formed.
Coal tar dyes

Derived from petrochemicals and may be contaminated with trace amounts of heavy metals like arsenic,
cadmium and lead. There is concern that synthetic dyes may cause cancer and that heavy metals can
harm the nervous system and cause other adverse health effects. They are completely unnecessary to
the cleaning function of the product.

Phosphates

Function as a fertilizer in water. High concentrations of phosphates in bodies of water can promote
harmful algal blooms and increase weed growth. New regulations took effect in 2010 that limit
phosphorus concentration in household cleaning products to 0.5 per cent — a big improvement.

 

Phthalates

They are found in many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, even toilet
paper. Because of proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents. Phthalates
are known endocrine disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had
correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health.
This is not a complete list, so beware. One great way to avoid chemicals and other toxic substances in
your home is to use a clean, green, non-toxic cleaner. One such is a product called Sol-U- Guard, a
disinfectant made by an American green manufacturing company. This product has citric acid and
thyme oil as active ingredients, which are both safe and pure.

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Beware – Your Home May be Dangerous to Your Health

For years we have been buying the same household cleaners from the same big-name brands. They are literally a part of our lives.

But, did you know that these familiar names are not selling products with our best interests in mind? Yes, sadly, it’s true. Now this is not to disparage the effectiveness of these products in cleaning and producing results, but – and that’s a big BUT, these same effective cleaning products are not always safe for people. Some of them contain downright dangerous toxic chemicals to which no one, not even our pets, should be exposed.

According to Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., “Many common household chemicals are dangerous. They may be reasonably safe when used as directed, yet contain toxic chemicals or degrade over time into a more dangerous chemical.” It’s enough when we must confront known harmful chemicals, but to find that they can degrade into even more dangerous forms is downright scary.

 

Let’s look at some examples…

Ammonia – Ammonia is a common ingredient we have all used. It is especially common in glass cleaners and wipes. It is a volatile compound that can irritate the respiratory system and mucous membranes if inhaled and it can cause a chemical burn if it is spilled on skin. Ammonia will react with chlorinated products (e.g., bleach) to produce deadly chloramine gas. Yet, this has been a home standard for years.

Laundry Detergent – Laundry detergents contain a variety of chemicals, such as alcohol ethoxylate, alkyl ethoxy sulfate, amine oxide, ethanol and hydrogen peroxide. Few know what these are and what they mean to our health. Ingestion of cationic agents may cause nausea, vomiting, convulsion, and coma. Non-ionic detergents are irritants. Also, many people experience chemical sensitivity to dyes and perfumes present in some detergents.

These are just two of the many product types we use on a regular basis.

It’s time to read the fine-print – check all labels for ingredients and warnings. Better yet, select products that are known to be safe, i.e. non-toxic, green, bio-degradable. Your family will appreciate it and Mother Earth will too.

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Ammonia-D Danger & Damage: 7 Side-Effects You Should Know

With our current ability to communicate quickly and openly online, there’s no longer any excuses to remain ignorant on all of these Ammonia-D side-effects.

“Ammonia-D” is actually Proctor & Gamble’s version of this public poison, which they put in Windex. What’s the “D” in “Ammonia-D” stand for?

Danger? Death? Dishonesty? Who knows? One thing is certain: the general public is still largely in the dark about Ammonia-D.

Imagine you’re an uncaring, greedy, big chemical company and one of your best-sellers suddenly stopped being ordered by all your big commercial buyers because of OSHA & EPA regulations. You would try to downplay the danger, maybe rename the poison, and recoup some of those losses by selling to an already-busy, over-worked, unsuspecting public.

Long-term exposure tests are still being conducted, but there’s a lot of studies on ammonia already published. I’ve gone ahead and sifted through pages and pages of reports for you.

In no particular order, here’s a quick rundown of 7 major side-effects of Ammonia-D.

  1. Contact can cause skin irritation (like dermatitis), and, with repeated exposure, possibly lead to severe skin damage
  2. Contact can severely burn your eyes, including potential eye damage.
  3. Inhaling Ammonia-D can irritate the nose and throat.
  4. Inhaling Ammonia-D can irritate the lungs.
  5. Higher exposures can severely damage the lungs, causing a build-up of fluid (also known as a pulmonary edema), a medical emergency
  6. Repeated exposure can also cause an asthma-like allergy and permanent airway damage.
  7. Contact with liquid ammonia can cause frostbite(!)

Does this sound like a substance you would want near your pets, friends and family?  Of course not! We wouldn’t wish these Ammonia-D side-effects onto our worst enemies.  And we’re bringing this poison into our homes, spraying it and allowing it to work its way through our air vents, while our children are sleeping.

There’s no longer any reason to keep our head in the sand. Take a stand with me, please, and avoid using these horrible products—at all costs.  Myrna, Green Clean Life Champion!