Keep Out Of The Reach Of Children

"Keep out of the reach of children"; a warning sign on the side of cleaners we use in our homes. Those warning are to tell us that there are dangerous chemicals in those bottles yet we spray them on every surface in our home. We clean the counter where we prepare our food, we spray the table where we eat, we clean the stove with those products, we clean the bathtub where our skin is most exposed, we clean the carpet with them, and the list goes on.

Dr. Gideon Koren is a pediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. "How can we, as one of the most advanced countries in the world allow these (chemicals) to enter our household with small children, without the appropriate testing to see that it’s safe?" Young children are especially vulnerable; Dr. Koren says young children are especially vulnerable, partly because of exposure. Everything goes in their mouths and they virtually live on the floor. And young kids are more sensitive because they are still developing the basic body systems: the brain, internal organs, respiratory and immune systems are not fully developed until adolescence (article).


Did you know?:

• Over 150 chemicals found in the home are connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders [Source: Consumer Protection Agency (CPA)]
• 50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality [Source: 1989 State of Massachusetts Study]
• Women who work in the home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home [Source: 17- year EPA study]
•  In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women).  The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women's longer exposure times to household chemicals [Source: Center for Disease Control]
• 3 groups of people are primarily affected by indoor chemical concentrations because they spend more time indoors and their immune systems are weaker:
• Infants and toddlers
• Elderly
• Chronically ill  [Source: 1988 EPA, 5-year study]

So why do we continue to expose ourselves and our children to dangerous cleaning products?  The simple answer is a lack of education on the subject and the need to better understand the ingredients in cleaners.  

Today will be our first in a series that details what's in your cleaning products and what those chemicals can do to you and your health.  

Common household cleaner COMET;  Its "active ingredient" list (1.2%) -

1. Sodium
2. Dichloroisoyanuric Acid (must read)
• Health implications
3. Dihydrate

The other 98.8% is "other ingredients".  The only clues about the other ingredients in the product are disclaimers on the label that mention that the surfactants in the product are biodegradable and that it contains no phosphate.

Why use products with items you cannot pronounce when you can find organic, green certified, environmentally friend, people friendly products.  We use several of them at Dream2clean and they can be found under the tabs at the top of the page.  

Have questions please ask;

Author:  Larry Rickman, 

April 11th, 2010