I read this in the newspaper on Monday and had to repost this information to ensure people see it:
1. Asbestos: linked to lung cancer and disease. Found in many products from brake pads to cement
2. Bisphenol A (BPA): linked to prostate, brain and behaviour changes in children exposed before and after birth. In many products including plastic and can linings
3. Formaldehyde: known carcinogen in construction materials, clothing, couches countertops, sheets
4. Hexane: linked to nerve damage. A solvent in craft spray/paints, stain remover
5. Hexavalent Chromium: Linked to several cancers. Found in soil and water
6. Methylene Chloride: Can cause poisoning and death. Found in wood floor cleaner, water repellants, spray shoe polish
7. Phthalates: Linked to hormone changes and birth defects. Used to soften plastics and bind fragrances to products such as perfumes
8. Flame Retardants: Linked to altered brain development resulting in loss of IQ, cancer. Used in polyurethane foam in couches, nursing pillows, strollers, changing pads, curtains, padded furniture etc
9. Tricholoroethylene: Linked to cancer in animals and birth defects. Used in rug cleaners and spot cleaners.
10. Vinyl Chloride: Linked to liver disease in animals. Used in PVC and in flooring, car interiors and toys.
This article is what really got me kicked into gear with all this. Along with these things above add pesticides, lead and dioxins and we have a real cocktail of harm in our homes.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Coconut Oil - WOW!
Was lead to this discovery recently by some others who recommended it. Did you know Coconut Oil is the healthiest oil? That it is metabolised quickly in the body and is not stored as fat? Apparently it increases your metabolism 25% so aids in weight loss believe it or not!
You can use it for cooking, skin care, toothpaste, hair conditioning and the list goes on.
I am researching further into the uses for this but intend to add this to my regime of non toxic products for skin care as soon as I can.
Watch this space for more info soon!
You can use it for cooking, skin care, toothpaste, hair conditioning and the list goes on.
I am researching further into the uses for this but intend to add this to my regime of non toxic products for skin care as soon as I can.
Watch this space for more info soon!
Recipes For Non Toxic Cleaning Products
These are some of the recipes I am planning on using to make cleaning products for our home. I've gathered these from all over the place ie online and in books
DISHWASHING LIQUID
3/4 cup castile soap
1/2 cup water
5-10 drops essential oil
Combine and store in glass bottle
ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
recipe 1
1 cup white distilled vinegar
2 tsp borax
1/2 tsp castile soap
2 cup hot water
recipe 2
2 tsp borax
4 tbs white distilled vinegar
4 c hot water
1/2 tsp lemon essential oil
2 drops pine essential oil
2 drops of dishwashing liquid (above)
BATH CLEANER
Scrub with baking soda
TOILET CLEANER
Baking soda and vinegar. Leave 5 min then scrub
DISINFECTANT
3% hydrogen peroxide
or
Geranium essential oil
or
Pine essential oil
SHOWER CLEANER
Spray with white distilled vinegar
UNCLOG DRAINS
Pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup boiling white vinegar
DISHWASHER DETERGENT
1/4 cup citric acid
1/2 cup salt
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
5-10 drops lemon oil
Use 2 tbspoons per wash. Use vinegar as rinse aid. Store in sealed glass container.
Many of these were from 'The Complete Idiots Guide to Green Cleaning 2nd Edition' and others taken in parts from other websites.
Now to get to making all these and finding containers to keep them in :-)
Have fun!
DISHWASHING LIQUID
3/4 cup castile soap
1/2 cup water
5-10 drops essential oil
Combine and store in glass bottle
ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
recipe 1
1 cup white distilled vinegar
2 tsp borax
1/2 tsp castile soap
2 cup hot water
recipe 2
2 tsp borax
4 tbs white distilled vinegar
4 c hot water
1/2 tsp lemon essential oil
2 drops pine essential oil
2 drops of dishwashing liquid (above)
BATH CLEANER
Scrub with baking soda
TOILET CLEANER
Baking soda and vinegar. Leave 5 min then scrub
DISINFECTANT
3% hydrogen peroxide
or
Geranium essential oil
or
Pine essential oil
SHOWER CLEANER
Spray with white distilled vinegar
UNCLOG DRAINS
Pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup boiling white vinegar
DISHWASHER DETERGENT
1/4 cup citric acid
1/2 cup salt
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
5-10 drops lemon oil
Use 2 tbspoons per wash. Use vinegar as rinse aid. Store in sealed glass container.
Many of these were from 'The Complete Idiots Guide to Green Cleaning 2nd Edition' and others taken in parts from other websites.
Now to get to making all these and finding containers to keep them in :-)
Have fun!
First Discoveries About The Chemicals In My Home
On this blog - I will share my discoveries with you and my progress in this whole area of getting chemical free. I will share recipes I find in books or online for healthy alternatives to cleaning products and personal care products. I would be encouraged greatly to hear from any others out there who have taken this journey before me and what you have found also.
I have heard about chemicals in stuff before... for years I have been on again off again regarding parabens in my lotions for example. Usually choosing to ignore it, because it's easier to, and use them because I like the products with parabens in and it's hard to give them up.
One of my goals this year was to change to chemical free cleaning supplies - using vinegar and baking soda as my staple cleaning aids and I have been working towards that as other products run out. Recently I was recommended the book 'The Complete Idiot's Guide To Green Cleaning 2nd Edition' and finally got a chance to get it out of the library yesterday and all hell has broken loose now!
The fact that my husband and I are looking to start a family and already miscarried our first child last month, we are wanting to ensure the best environment for a child and future children to be healthy. With this added motivation, I just cannot turn away any longer from the truths about chemicals in our environment and life.
Researching online I discovered shocking facts such as children these days are born already exposed to over 200 chemicals/pesticides! What happens apparently is that anything the mother comes into contact with on her skin - the toxins go straight to the baby! That's horrifying. Flame retardants in furniture, vinyl or pvc emitting phthalates - the list is endless and scary almost making me want to take drastic action and sell everything and live an Amish life perhaps away from all these chemicals. And then there are the Electro Magnetic Fields from all the cell phones etc also which is still debatable but there's a lot of research and evidence to show they are harmful too especially to a developing child.
The very chair I am sitting on right now is vinyl, my skin is touching it, so therefore without knowing it there are fire retardant toxins collecting in my body as I type, there are toxins from the polyester and from the vinyl. (I looked at the info under the chair to confirm this) I sit here every day for hours on end at times - it makes me wonder if something like this could have caused the miscarriage even and I was so unaware! Yet how to find furniture and products that have no flame retardants in them? I have yet to research that one!
The other vital piece of information that I'm struggling to know what to do with is this: If something is white, it is bleached. Dioxins come from bleach and soak into your skin and build up in your body. Dioxin mimics a steroidlike hormone. It suppresses immunity, causes damage to major organs such as liver, reproductive and developmental impairment, infertility, birth defects and cancer.
So this would mean tshirts, sheets, towels, toilet paper, tissues, paper, any kind of clothing, anything that white is now taboo?
I have now gone through our cupboards and collected the chemicals and personal care products that have nasties in. According to the book (but I've also found it in other books and places to back this up also), Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Laurel Sulphate are both chemicals considered toxic by scientists. So if it says that on the back, it's bad! Anything I wasn't sure of I checked on www.ewg.org where cosmetics ingredients are reviewed for toxicity. Basically everything has to go. Gutted.
It's going to take me a while as things will need to be used till I can replace them - such as makeup but I was alarmed to hear that mascara has a form of mercury in it and being on the eyelashes near the eyes it has a direct line to the brain. I really need to find a non toxic mascara ASAP.
Right now my mind is spinning and I need time to process all this new information more. Till next time!
I have heard about chemicals in stuff before... for years I have been on again off again regarding parabens in my lotions for example. Usually choosing to ignore it, because it's easier to, and use them because I like the products with parabens in and it's hard to give them up.
One of my goals this year was to change to chemical free cleaning supplies - using vinegar and baking soda as my staple cleaning aids and I have been working towards that as other products run out. Recently I was recommended the book 'The Complete Idiot's Guide To Green Cleaning 2nd Edition' and finally got a chance to get it out of the library yesterday and all hell has broken loose now!
The fact that my husband and I are looking to start a family and already miscarried our first child last month, we are wanting to ensure the best environment for a child and future children to be healthy. With this added motivation, I just cannot turn away any longer from the truths about chemicals in our environment and life.
Researching online I discovered shocking facts such as children these days are born already exposed to over 200 chemicals/pesticides! What happens apparently is that anything the mother comes into contact with on her skin - the toxins go straight to the baby! That's horrifying. Flame retardants in furniture, vinyl or pvc emitting phthalates - the list is endless and scary almost making me want to take drastic action and sell everything and live an Amish life perhaps away from all these chemicals. And then there are the Electro Magnetic Fields from all the cell phones etc also which is still debatable but there's a lot of research and evidence to show they are harmful too especially to a developing child.
The very chair I am sitting on right now is vinyl, my skin is touching it, so therefore without knowing it there are fire retardant toxins collecting in my body as I type, there are toxins from the polyester and from the vinyl. (I looked at the info under the chair to confirm this) I sit here every day for hours on end at times - it makes me wonder if something like this could have caused the miscarriage even and I was so unaware! Yet how to find furniture and products that have no flame retardants in them? I have yet to research that one!
The other vital piece of information that I'm struggling to know what to do with is this: If something is white, it is bleached. Dioxins come from bleach and soak into your skin and build up in your body. Dioxin mimics a steroidlike hormone. It suppresses immunity, causes damage to major organs such as liver, reproductive and developmental impairment, infertility, birth defects and cancer.
So this would mean tshirts, sheets, towels, toilet paper, tissues, paper, any kind of clothing, anything that white is now taboo?
I have now gone through our cupboards and collected the chemicals and personal care products that have nasties in. According to the book (but I've also found it in other books and places to back this up also), Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Laurel Sulphate are both chemicals considered toxic by scientists. So if it says that on the back, it's bad! Anything I wasn't sure of I checked on www.ewg.org where cosmetics ingredients are reviewed for toxicity. Basically everything has to go. Gutted.
It's going to take me a while as things will need to be used till I can replace them - such as makeup but I was alarmed to hear that mascara has a form of mercury in it and being on the eyelashes near the eyes it has a direct line to the brain. I really need to find a non toxic mascara ASAP.
Right now my mind is spinning and I need time to process all this new information more. Till next time!
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