ARTICLE: Purify your home without POISON

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Purify your home without POISON

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Cleaning products are among the most hazardous products you have in your

home, but they needn't be. Thanks to greater consumer awareness and demand,

you now can choose from a variety of natural and nontoxic cleaning products,

or you can make your own cleaners from a few simple ingredients that you

probably already have in your kitchen.

Just as any one-time indulgence, such as a glass of wine, a rich dessert or a

Cuban cigar, is not likely to make you fatally ill, one ordinary exposure to

chemicals in cleaning products probably won't harm you, either. But, just as

heavy drinking or smoking every day for years is likely to result in disease,

so, too, will cleaning house every day with toxic substances.

Chronic toxicity is the result of repeated exposures to small amounts of a

chemical over a long period of time. The effects of these toxins on otherwise

healthy people show up after years of use: cancer, birth defects and genetic

changes.

One study conducted over a 15-year period, and reported in the 1991 book

Poisoning Our Children by Sokol Green, found that women who worked at

home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away

from home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was due to daily

exposure to the hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household cleaning

products.

The problem is that once toxic substances enter our bodies, they tend to stay

inside our bodies, particularly in our fat tissue. A survey conducted in the

late 1980s by the National Public Health Service, a department of the

Environmental Protection Agency, showed that the chemical

1,4-Dichlorobenzene, frequently used in household air fresheners, was found

in the body fat of 100% of the people tested.

In 1987, the EPA undertook an ambitious program to identify and prioritize

environmental problems. The idea was that, with limited resources, the agency

should be focusing on those pollutants that pose the greatest risk to

society. The results of the program led the EPA to revamp its focus to

emphasize indoor pollutants. Among the top hazards identified were exposures

to cleaning products. The worst offenders are listed in the Top 20 Toxic

Ingredients chart on page 92.

Warning! Danger!

Many common ingredients in household cleaning products are so immediately

toxic that cleaners are the only household products regulated by the Consumer

Product Safety Commission. Perhaps more disturbing is the fact that cleaning

products can be harmful after repeated normal use, even when you follow the

instructions exactly, yet manufacturers are not required by law to state this

danger on the label.

Although the 1960 Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act requires cleaning

products to carry prominent warnings with the words danger, poison, warning

(very serious) or caution (less serious), the only dangers the labeling law

covers are those involving the immediate ingestion of a product. Dangers from

inhalation and skin absorption, the most common methods of exposure while one

is cleaning house, are not mentioned, nor are the long-term effects of

exposure.

Further, since manufacturers of these hazardous products are not required to

list exact ingredients on labels, you can't look at a label and be sure, for

instance, that a mold and mildew cleaner doesn't contain pentachlorophenol, a

substance documented as potentially lethal to humans. And in addition to the

hazard of individual chemicals, there's another problem.

We still don't know the impact of possible cumulative reactions that can

occur when these chemicals are combined in consumer products, or combined

within your body, such as when the inhaled substances from cleaning products

combine with the pesticides you ate in your lunch and the chlorine in the

glass of water you drank after working out.

Therefore, the best choice is always a product that does not require a

warning label at all, or is marked nontoxic.

Beyond toxic cleaning agents, artificial color and fragrance are also

commonly found in cleaning products. They, too, can have adverse health

effects, particularly to those who are sensitive. While you will not usually

find these additives listed on the label either, you can clearly identify

color and scent simply by looking at and smelling the product.

No laws exist that regulate the type of dye that may be used to color

cleaning products. Many of the colors that can be used in foods, drugs and

cosmetic products (FD & C colors) are known to be carcinogenic.

The word fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000

ingredients. Most or all of them are made from petrochemicals. Symptoms from

fragrances reported to the FDA have included headaches, dizziness, skin

irritation, violent coughing and vomiting. Clinical observation by medical

doctors has also shown that exposure to fragrances can affect the central

nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to

cope and other behavioral changes.

Safe cleaning products

The good news is that there are many cleaning products available now that are

completely safe. Natural food stores now have departments featuring a wide

variety of cleaning products made with natural ingredients. More and more

supermarkets are now carrying the natural brands, so look for them there as

well. These products will often list their ingredients.

There are a number of new cleaning formulas that, while not made from

natural, renewable ingredients, are less harmful than standard cleaning

products. Brands labeled nontoxic can generally be relied on to be relatively

safe to use. Most stores that sell cleaning products now sell some of these.

Very effective cleaning can also be done with a few simple ingredients that

you probably already have around your kitchen: baking soda, salt, lemon juice

and distilled white vinegar. These, along with liquid soap and a non-chlorine

scouring powder, such as Bon Ami, will clean just about everything in your

home. The comprehensive do-it-yourself natural cleaning guide to have on hand

is Clean & Green, which gives around 500 formulas for making your own

cleaning products.

You can also create your own nontoxic cleaning supply by using the following

suggestions.

A guide to do-it-yourself nontoxic cleaning

Air freshener

Find the source of the odor and remove it. Odors are often produced by molds

and bacteria. Empty the garbage frequently, keep things clean and dispose of

rotting vegetables.

Open the windows. Ventilation will dilute and remove any odor.

Make your own air freshener. Baking soda and the natural mineral zeolite will

absorb odors without adding fragrance to the air. You can also add a few

drops of any essential oil to a pump spray bottle of water to add your

favorite scent to the air.

Natural commercial air fresheners are available in the form of herbal

potpourris, sachets, essential oils and sprays.

All-purpose cleaners

Make your own by mixing one teaspoon liquid soap into one quart warm or hot

water. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar will help cut grease.

Basin, tub and tile cleaners

Baking soda works great, or use Bon Ami scouring powder.

Bleach

Bleach is used to whiten fabrics, but often it isn't necessary. Fabrics

become dull and dingy from soap scum and mineral deposits that build up,

particularly in hard water. Use a water softener to prevent buildup. Water

softeners work by adding salt to the water, which exchanges the hard calcium

and magnesium ions in water for soft sodium ions, so any salt will do, sodium

bicarbonate (baking soda) is fine. Just add enough so that the water feels

slippery.

There are a few environmentally friendly brands of bleach that are basically

hydrogen peroxide, which is used as a bleach in the textile industry.

Experiment with different concentrations to find the level of whitening you

need. The bleach I have found to work best is Oxyclean, which is made from

mineral-based nontoxic oxygen bleach. Start with a little at first, you can

bleach something more, but once it's bleached, you can't undo it!

Dishwashing liquid

Use a plain, liquid soap, such as Dr. Bronner's. Look for products specially

formulated for dishwashing that are soap-based. Ecover is another line of

safe products.

Disinfectants

Plain vinegar is the simplest and most natural disinfectant. Numerous studies

show that a straight 5% solution of vinegar, such as what is sold in the

supermarket, kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold and 80% of viruses. Vinegar

producers, however, can't claim on their packaging that vinegar is a

disinfectant without registering it as a pesticide with the EPA. In December

2000, the CBS news show 48 Hours featured homemaking expert Heloise reporting

on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that verified the disinfectant

properties of vinegar.

Drain cleaner

Preventing clogged drains is easier than unclogging them. Use a drain

strainer to trap food particles or hair strands. Don't pour grease down the

drain. Dispose of it in the garbage or in a grease can instead.

If you do need to unclog a drain, start with an old-fashioned plunger. If the

clog is farther down the pipe, you can use a device that creates water

pressure with water from your garden hose to push the clog through. As a last

resort, use a mechanical snake or call a professional. Mechanical devices are

sold in hardware and home-improvement stores.

Biological enzyme products remove the soap, hair, grease and other organic

materials that coat the entire length of pipe and cause slow drains. These,

too, are generally available in hardware stores.

Hydrogen peroxide may also open clogged drains that have defied other

methods. Pour one-quarter cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide down the drain. Wait a

few minutes, then plunge. Repeat a second time if needed.

Furniture and floor polish

Use a soft cloth to apply mayonnaise or a mixture of olive oil and lemon

juice or vinegar to furniture. Polish until absorbed.

Glass cleaner

Make your own by mixing vinegar and water in equal amounts. Apply with a soft

cloth or pump spray bottle. Wiping the mixture off with an old newspaper will

really make glass shine.

Laundry soap (my note: www.planetinc.com works great..can buy in health food

stores)

Use a natural laundry soap, rather than a synthetic detergent. Soapworks

makes a good soap-based product that is specially formulated for washing

machines (available at many supermarkets or www.soapworks.com). You can also

use any plain powder or liquid soap, or grate bar soap.

One problem with soap is that it can leave a residual scum on fabrics when

used in hard water. Using a water softener such as baking soda can eliminate

this problem.

Detergents were developed to clean synthetic fibers, and are unnecessary for

natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk and wool.

You don't always need to use soap or detergent to get clothes clean. If you

need to wash clothes to freshen them or remove perspiration or odors, rather

than to remove dirt, a cup of plain baking soda or vinegar per washer load

will do the trick.

Mold and mildew cleaner (my note: use a mask and gloves when dealing with

mold....hydrogen peroxide works and I wouldn't use a hairdryer)

Keep rooms bright, dry and warm. Mold is a living organism that will only

grow in dark, damp, cold places, so if you have a recurrent mold problem,

bring in more light and heat, or fans to circulate the air. A dehumidifier

may be needed to dry the air in very humid rooms.

For major mold problems, put a portable electric heater in the room, and turn

it to the highest setting. Close the door and let the room heat all day or

overnight. The mold will dry up into a powder that brushes right off. For

concentrated areas, use a hair dryer to dry the mold in just a few minutes.

Oven cleaner

You'll never have to clean your oven if you take steps to prevent spills in

the first place. Cook food in proper-sized containers, or put a cookie sheet

on the lower rack to catch spills. If, after your preventive measures, food

still ends up at the bottom of the oven, clean it as soon as the oven has

cooled to prevent it from baking on even more.

Make your own oven cleaner by mixing two tablespoons liquid soap, two

teaspoons borax and warm water. While wearing rubber gloves, sponge the

mixture on the surfaces to be cleaned. Leave the solution on for 20 minutes,

then scrub with steel wool and Bon Ami. Baked-on black spots can be rubbed

with pumice, available in stick form at hardware stores.

Scouring powder

Baking soda makes a great scouring powder. Pour some in a waterproof shaker

and keep it by the sink.

Bon Ami scouring powders are the safest commercial scouring powders because

they use an oxygen bleach (hydrogen peroxide) instead of chlorine. They are

available in supermarkets and hardware stores.

Spot remover (my note: Oxiclean works for this as well)

Spots are easiest to remove the moment they occur. Get in the habit of

treating spills when they happen, before they become stains, and they will be

easier to remove.

Club soda is the best natural spot remover. As soon as the spill occurs,

simply douse it with club soda. While the spot may not completely come out at

first, it should when the fabric is washed in the laundry.

The bottom line

While nontoxic cleaning is the healthiest option, it's up to you to decide

whether you want to risk using a particular product with known hazards. Its

toxicity to you depends on a number of factors, including the quantity and

strength of the substance, the method of exposure, how often you use it and

your individual sensitivity.

When handling toxic cleaners, it's always better to use a small amount,

dilute it or use it only occasionally and in a manner in which exposure is

safer, such as by wearing appropriate protective gear (gloves, goggles and a

respiratory mask). But whatever your choice, make it an informed one. See our

resource section for books, organizations and websites that provide accurate

information. Don't let manufacturers hide behind empty labels. Your own

health and the health of the planet may depend on it.

Resources

Organizations

Green Seal

www.greenseal.org

202-588-8400

Product-certification organization with standards for safer cleaning

solutions and lists of certified products.

Washington Toxics Coalition

www.watoxics.org

206-632-1545

Excellent literature on cleaning-product dangers and recommendations for

specific safer products. See in particular the organization's report,

Troubling Bubbles, about the dangers of alkyl phenol ethoxylate surfactants.

Books

Home Safe Home: Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Everyday Toxics and

Harmful Household Products

by Debra Lynn Dadd

Tarcher/Putnam, 1997

Includes a 29-page chapter on cleaning products, health effects and safer

alternatives, as well as information on other toxic exposures in the home.

Clean and Green: The Complete Guide to Nontoxic and Environmentally Safe

Housecleaning

by Annie Berthold-Bond

Ceres Press, 1990

485 Ways to Clean, Disinfect, Deodorize focuses on do-it-yourself formulas

for cleaning just about everything.

Where to find material

safety data sheets www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html

A full-service site listing more than 85 free Internet sources of MSDS

sheets, along with background information.

Contact

Debra Lynn Dadd is an environmental advocate and author of several books

including Home Safe Home. She can be reached at www.dld123.com

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The Top 20 Toxic Ingredients in Cleaning Products

To be a successful toxics sleuth, you'll need to be familiar with a product's

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). This information is designed to provide

workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or

working with that substance. Manufacturers are required by law to provide an

MSDS to anyone who requests it. They are also required by law to list any

hazardous substances that may be in the product on the MSDS.

There are more than 85 free Internet sites where you can get product-specific

MSDS's online (see Resources). Look for the Hazards Identification section.

If any of the Top 20 chemicals are on the list, do not use the product.

For more information on health effects of any chemical you find on an MSDS,

you can go to www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/, and enter the CAS

(Chemical Abstracts Service) Registry Number. This is an identifier that

defines a unique substance, regardless of its name. The CAS number is given

right after the name of the chemical in the Hazards Identification section.

If you want to know the health effects of ingredients that are not on the

MSDS, and you don't have the CAS number, you can go to the same site, and

enter the name of the ingredient.

(The chart of products on page 94 shows various categories of cleansers, the

toxic elements they contain and possible adverse health effects.)

acrylonitrile

Suspected human carcinogen; can also cause breathing difficulties, vomiting,

diarrhea, nausea, weakness, headache and fatigue.

alkyl phenol ethoxylate (APE) surfactants (nonionic)

A large group of chemicals that are endocrine disruptors and have potential

links in humans to tumors, cancers and deformities.

aerosol propellants

Can cause heart problems, birth defects, lung cancer, headaches, nausea,

dizziness, shortness of breath, eye and throat irritation, skin rashes,

burns, lung inflammation and liver damage.

ammonia (including ammonium chloride, quaternary compounds, benzalkonium

chloride, etc.)

Can cause irritation of eyes and respiratory tract, conjunctivitis,

laryngitis, tracheitis, pulmonary edema, pneumonitis and skin burn.

benzene

A carcinogen that can also cause drunk-like behavior, light-headedness,

disorientation, fatigue and loss of appetite.

chlorine (including chlorine dioxide and sodium hypochlorite)

Can cause pain and inflammation of the mouth, throat and stomach, erosion of

mucous membranes, vomiting, circulatory collapse, confusion, delirium, coma,

severe respiratory-tract irritation, pulmonary edema and skin eruptions. Has

been linked to high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, heart disease and

gastrointestinal cancer.

detergent

Responsible for more household poisonings than any other substance; exposure

causes skin problems, flu-like and asthmatic conditions, severe eye damage

and severe upper digestive tract damage if ingested.

ethanol

Can cause central nervous system depression, anesthesia, feelings of

exhilaration, excessive talkativeness, impaired motor coordination, double

vision, vertigo, flushed face, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, stupor, coma,

dilated pupils, shock, hypothermia and possibly death.

formaldehyde

Suspected carcinogen; has been related to birth defects and genetic changes

in bacteriological studies. Symptoms from inhalation of vapors include cough,

swelling of the throat, watery eyes, respiratory problems, throat irritation,

headaches, rashes, tiredness, excessive thirst, nausea, nosebleeds, insomnia,

disorientation and asthma.

kerosene

Can cause intoxication, ringing in the ears, burning sensation in chest,

headaches, nausea, weakness, non-coordination, restlessness, confusion and

disorientation, convulsions, coma, burning in the mouth, vomiting and

diarrhea, drowsiness, rapid breathing, racing heart rate, fever and death.

naphthalene

Suspected human carcinogen; can cause skin irritation, headache, confusion,

nausea and vomiting, excessive sweating and urinary irritation. Exposure to

sufficient quantity can lead to death.

nitrobenzene

Can cause bluish skin, shallow breathing, vomiting and death.

pentachlorophenol

Carcinogen; can also cause central nervous system depression,

light-headedness, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, tremor, loss of appetite,

disorientation and liver damage.

perchloroethylene

Inhaling fumes can cause cancer, liver damage, depression of the central

nervous system, light-headedness, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, loss of

appetite and disorientation.

petroleum distillates

A group of chemicals of varying toxicity that are made by distilling

petroleum; they are suspected to be toxic to the kidneys, nervous system,

respiratory system and skin.

phenol

Suspected human carcinogen; causes skin eruptions and peeling, swelling,

pimples, hives, burning, gangrene, numbness, vomiting, circulatory collapse,

paralysis, convulsions, cold sweats, coma and death.

sodium hydroxide (lye)

An extremely corrosive material that can eat right through skin; even a

single dry crystal that falls on wet skin can cause damage. The exception is

when lye is combined with fat in the making of soap. The chemical reaction

neutralizes the sodium hydroxide, making the resulting soap safe to use.

sodium lauryl sulfate

Linked to harming children's eyes; contributes to hair loss and combines with

DEA, MEA and TEA (often found in the same product) to form nitrosamines, a

carcinogen.

trichloroethylene

Suspected human carcinogen; also causes genetic mutations. Symptoms of

exposure include gastrointestinal upsets, central nervous system depression,

heart and liver malfunctions, paralysis, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and

psychotic behavior.

xylene

Can cause nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, cough, hoarseness, feelings

of euphoria, headaches, giddiness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, confusion,

coma and death.

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Air freshener

naphthalene, phenol, cresol, ethanol, xylene, formaldehyde aggravates lung

conditions, interferes with sense of smell

All-purpose cleaner

ammonia, detergents, artificial fragrances, aerosol propellants causes eye

and skin irritation, irritates lung conditions

Ammonia

ammonia fumes seriously irritate lungs and eyes, causes skin rash, redness

and burns

Basin, tub and tile cleaner

detergents, artificial fragrances, aerosol propellants, chlorine causes eye

and skin irritation, irritates lung conditions

Bleach

chlorine causes severe eye irritation, is toxic as a skin irritant and by

inhalation

Carpet shampoo

perchloroethylene, naphthalene, ethanol, ammonia, detergents, artificial

fragrance causes cancer, light-headedness, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea,

tremors, liver and central nervous system damage

Dishwasher detergent

chlorine causes headache, breathing difficulties

Dishwashing liquid

detergents, artificial fragrance, artificial color, ammonia irritates skin

Disinfectant

cresol, phenol, ethanol, formaldehyde, ammonia, chlorine causes central

nervous system damage such as depression, hyperactivity, irritability

Drain cleaner

lye, ammonia, petroleum distillates is extremely corrosive to skin

Fabric softener

artificial fragrances irritates skin, causes stuffy nose and watery eyes

Floor/furniture polish

phenol, nitrobenzene, acrylonitrile, ammonia, detergents, artificial

fragrances, naphthalene, petroleum distillates, aerosol sprays causes cancer,

genetic damage, birth defects, severe skin damage and damage to heart, liver,

kidney and central nervous system

Laundry detergent

detergents, bleaches, artificial fragrances irritates eyes and skin

Oven cleaner

lye, ammonia, aerosol sprays is extremely corrosive to skin

Scouring powder (chlorinated)

chlorine, detergents; talc may be contaminated with asbestos is highly

irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs

Silver polish

ammonia, petroleum distillates causes skin burns and irritating vapors

Spot remover

perchloroethylene causes eye irritation, cancer, light-headedness, dizziness,

sleepiness, nausea, tremors, liver and central nervous system damage

Window cleaner

ammonia, artificial colors, aerosol propellants has highly irritating fumes,

can cause skin and eye damage