Steps to a healthier home-Part 2, You can clean your house without wrecking your body!

About 8 years ago, I started researching chemical exposure.  I found many different methods of environmental exposure.  One that disturbed me was the exposure to many toxic and harmful chemicals through the products I was using to make my home clean and safe for my children.  I couldn't believe the disinfecting sprays I was layering on my kitchen counters could have a harmful affect.  I couldn't believe the product I used to clean my baby's highchair could cause lung problems.  It was almost more than I could handle.  (You can read in the following link about some of the most dangerous cleaners and their side-effects.  Some of them include; skin and lung burns, exposure to highly toxic chlorine gas, increased allergy-sensitivity, hormone disruptions and some that are neurotoxins.)

 http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_279.cfm

I know that is a scary article but there is truth in there.  It took a health scare for me to make me get serious about my research and about the things I was allowing in my home.  I began looking at more natural alternatives to my toxic cleaning supplies.  What I found was that there is really NO REASON to stick with toxic cleaning supplies.  In addition to the many homemade recipes I found, there is an entire industry devoted to natural and non-toxic cleaning products.  So if you are not into making your own, you can buy something that works for you!

   Wonderful list of natural cleaning supplies to have on hand.

This has a great list of toxic products and some natural products that you can buy to replace them.

In our home we started with some simple replacements.  I threw out my daily spray bottle full of chemicals and replaced it with good old vinegar and water.  I have been doing this for years and really love it.  Now, if you have a greasy mess or a stubborn stuck-on stain, you may have to let the spray sit or use some elbow-grease.  But I find that it works great for a daily cleaner.  I have used all sorts of proportions, but prefer a half and half mixture for my kitchen and bathroom.

I also replaced a toxic ammonia cleaner for my floors with vinegar.  It does the job and never leaves streaks or residue.  It is a very clean cleaner! I also use vinegar for a number of other things.  (It is a fabric softener and weed killer also! :)  

Some people worry about the smell.  Does my house smell like a pickle?  Only for a few minutes until the spray dries and then it just smells fresh.  No chemical fragrance here.  Just clean! 

Some people worry that it's not killing germs.  There is research to show that a vinegar solution is not a complete antibacterial or a germ killer in the way of bleach.  However, a 5% vinegar that is not diluted will be strong enough to kill germs, even on the toilet.  I am not an antibacterial girl.  I believe that you can be "too clean."  In fact, there have been studies to show that there are good germs out there and wiping them all out is actually harmful to our bodies.  So what nature can clean, I want it to clean!  What I need a chemical to get rid of, I may just let stick around. 

Useful vinegar tips

The next easy switch for me was my dusting spray.  I found a recipe for an easy-to-make spray that works great!  It uses Murphy's Oil Soap and water. 

 I put about an inch of the Murphy's in a spray bottle and fill the rest with warm water.  Before each use, I give it a gentle shake to mix and get to dusting.  It is great because it really cleans and conditions the wood too.  You just want to make sure that you don't saturate the wood or leave the spray to sit for very long.  It is water-based so it would cause damage if you left it on too long.  As a bonus, it smells great!

There are a few things that I am still having trouble getting rid of.  Comet has been in our house forever.  I really only use it in the toilet bowl.  I have felt guilty about the powder left hanging in the air every time I use it.  So, that is my next step.  Get rid of the Comet!

One other cleaning supply still has me in it's grasp.  Do you remember the foamy spray that your school janitor used to clean everything?  It is the best window and stainless cleaner ever!

I know, I know.  But it's so fun to spray!  It makes my kids want to clean the windows.  This one, I may keep.  Or, maybe I will try an alternative.  It won't be near as much fun to use.

Bottom line, like everything else, do the best you can.  Try to replace just one item.  Or throw out the air-freshener.  Or take the steps to find a replacement for every cleaner in your arsenal.  Do your research and make the choices that will stick! 

          

Steps to a healthier home-Part 1 Take a pass on petroleum.

I am starting with this one because I just needed to start somewhere.  I know there are so many complications and scary things in our lives that none of us are looking for new ones.  This post is not intended to scare, but to educate.  My prayer is that, as with any information I post, you would take it in and let it tumble around in your head.  As it tumbles, pray about the specific things that God would have you do to address this part of your life.  It may be nothing or it may be a huge change!  Only you know what will work for you and your family.

In the title of this blog I say to take a pass on petroleum.  Seems easy right?  When you think petroleum you might think Vaseline or gasoline.  How many of you think of Ziploc baggies or baby bottles?  The sad fact is that, along with Vaseline, many of our beauty and skin products are produced with petroleum of some form.  And, along with gasoline, most all of the plastic products that we use everyday are produced with petroleum. 

So what, you say?  What's the big deal, right?  We have been using these things forever and it hasn't hurt us!  Unfortunately, that is a lie.  The government and the consumer market have been happy to propagate those lies in order to keep the peace and keep the money flowing.  After all, most of us won't make a change in our habits unless there is some shocking evidence to support that change.  I have some basic facts about the dangers of petroleum products and plastics.  They are not headline news but they are worthy of a second look.  There are many great articles out there so I will not try to reproduce my own.  Check out these links to get a better understanding of the dangers such as: links to breast cancer, endocrine issues, infertility, male hormonal issues, and pregnancy complications or miscarriage. 

 (The info on BPA is particularly scary: "Scientists have linked very low doses of bisphenol A exposure to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems."  These are all of the top helath issues in America right now!)

       

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51115.asp

http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-health.html

http://www.ehhi.org/reports/plastics/

http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/plastichealtheffects.html

http://healthychild.org/5steps/5_steps_5/

Now that you are informed, are you ready to cry and move into a dirt hole?  Yeah, I feel that way sometimes too.  So what can we do?  There were some great ideas in a few of the articles, but making so many changes at once can be overwhelming.  I will show you where we (my family and I) are in regard to petroleum products.

Our first step was an easy one.  NO PETROLEUM JELLY!  There are so many other choices when looking at skin care.  For the basic Vaseline we now use coconut oil or olive oil.  Finding non-petroleum skin products is a bit more challenging but we have worked our way into that one by looking at ingredients and trying to choose the best product that we can afford long-term. 

Next, we started shifting from plastic food storage to glass or metal.  This one is by far the easiest.  It can take some getting used to because, well, glass breaks.  We are much more careful now.  We have used Pyrex storage containers but my biggest help in this step has been canning jars.  We use them for everything!

The pantry

The fridge.

They are great for storage and are so nice for heating up leftovers.  (We try to NEVER heat plastic or store hot things in them.)  You can use them in a million different ways.  There is some concern over the lids having BPA.  I use them but am careful not to let the food touch the plastic part of the lid or to heat the food with the lid on.  For the most part, I feel safe about it.  If you are really concerned you can look into Tattler Lids.

Another thing we have done to reduce our exposure to plastics is to throw away the plastic cups!  We bought cheap sturdy glass cups that have been great for our family.  (Sorry but throw-away water bottles are one of the worst plastics for leaching BPA so find some good stainless steel bottles and fill 'em up at home!)

 We also steep our tea bags to make iced tea in our french press and have recently bought a glass tea pitcher to replace our plastic one!  Whew! 

We are a long way from being plastic-free but we are making our way there.  We still have cabinets that look like this...

This is dubbed the "plastic cabinet."

As with everything else that I post about, I want to encourage you, not harm you.  So take it one step at a time.  This is a journey and every step we take moves us closer to better health for us and our families.  Do your research and figure out what you can do that will stick.  Realize that there are lots of things that we can't change, like our dependence on gasoline and plastic.  So don't fret about those things.  Concentrate on making choices for your own little space in the world!  Your healthier family will thank you.