Many people often find themselves cleaning their home like crazy, because they want to make sure their home is clean for their children. Unfortunately most people have no clue about the harmful toxins found in many household cleaning products. Many mothers an fathers find themselves using bleach to clean items bought at yard sales, and even to clean walls or bathrooms.
Why should they not? I mean the bottles do not say how toxic it is! All the manufacture cares about is making a parent think the product is great to kill germs, so as parents we buy them. They fail to alert users of the toxins contained in these cleaning products. Most parents find themselves cleaning off the baby’s crib, toys, and floors with cleaning products, that are leaving more toxins behind than the toxins they are cleaning because the companies are NOT required by law to alert the consumer!
Here are some facts about common household cleaning products found in many homes across the globe today!
Formaldehyde, phenol, benzene and toluene are found in common household cleaners and all have been linked as cancer causing and toxic to the immune system.
Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight children drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present.
Most children at young ages spend much of the day putting things in their mouths. Especially toddlers, they seem to put anything and everything in their mouths that they can get their hands on. In 1998, scientists at Rutgers University discovered that pesticides sprayed in a home evaporate from floors and carpets, and then re-condense on plastic and foam objects such as pillows and plush toys. By observing how frequently a group of pre-schoolers put clean toys in their mouths, the researchers calculated that contaminated toys are likely to give young children much higher doses of poison than adults would get in the same environment.
Babies do not excrete contaminants or store them away in fat in the same ways that adults do, making the poisons more available to affect rapidly growing bodies. Furthermore, because a baby’s immune system is not fully functional, a baby’s body cannot counteract toxic effects as well as an adult can. In an adult, a blood-brain barrier insulates the brain from many of the potentially harmful chemicals circulating through the body. But in a human child, that barrier isn’t fully developed until six months after birth.
A pregnant woman can also pass the toxins from common cleaners to their unborn child! Many contaminants such as dioxins and PCBs have an affinity for fatty tissue. During pregnancy, women mobilize their amassed stores of body fat to provide nourishment for their growing babies; the contaminants in the fat are then passed to their children. Nursing mothers also transfer a good portion of their lifetime accumulation of chemicals to their babies.
Children that are exposed to toxins in the womb are at greatest risk of all. Because cellular structures change so rapidly during embryonic and fetal growth, a toxic exposure at the wrong moment can permanently alter further development. According to Dr. Landrigan, the central nervous system is especially vulnerable. To function properly, the developing brain must lay down an intricate web of interconnecting neurons. Small doses of neurotoxins during critical periods of brain development can alter those crucial neural pathways – one mistake early on, and the brain may be forever changed in subtle or serious ways. Government and university scientists are currently investigating the possibility of a connection betweenfetal exposures to toxins and developmental disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
As a parent you SHOULD be concerned about this! Cleaning your home with toxic products are literally breaking down your children’s bodies and adding onto the changes of cancer and other life threatening health concerns.
Even if you had no clue about this concern, until you just read this article, now is the time to take action! You can start by only bring into your home toxin free cleaning products! Get rid of any products that are not eco-friendly. If a product is eco friendly, that means it is safe to have in your home! If it is safe to have in your home, it is safe to use without having to worry about the harmful effects!
Visit http://www.safewellnessproducts.com today and view the entire selection of all natural eco friendly home care products. All cleaning supply products are nontoxic, natural, concentrated, contain no phosphates and are a biodegradable formulas! This means they are safe to have in your home. Concentrated cleaning products will last longer than the store bought products, so you will be saving money and cleaning the toxins from your home!
Author: Danni Vickers
About the author: Safe Wellness Products combines the best of science & nature come together to create healthy lives and toxin free homes! If you are concerned about you or your families health and wellness, we can help you create a more earth friendly home and eliminate toxins from your home! Visit http://www.safewellnessproducts.
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/jskelton/57595067/
Great post. I’ve recently become a lot more aware of the harm of these kinds of chemicals on myself and my family. It all started when I subscribed to Dr. Mercola’s blog. I’ve been educated now, finally, on the importance of avoiding chemicals that are bad for us. In particular, I’m surprised how many of our “healthy” foods have chemicals in them. I’ve started shopping more often for organic food when possible, or at least washing fruit more thoroughly. We started using vinegar to clean the floor also. Just less “bad”, but not perfect.
Posted by Chris Thompson | Terrible Twos | November 11, 2008, 9:19 amIt is now more important than every to make sure and lock up all kitchen cleaning products and keep them out of the hands of infants.
Posted by Sandra | July 3, 2009, 5:10 pmThanks for posting such a useful information about kitchen cleaning.
Posted by Alex@Manchester Cleaning Company | July 13, 2009, 6:15 amAlso, a cleaner house isn’t always better for the child. Having a sterile house is actually more likely to cause problems – being introduced to a few germs here and there is actually good for the immune system!
Posted by Kelsi Nibbana | July 20, 2009, 8:49 pmThis is very good article. Soon I’ll be a happy parent (maybe not this year but in next, who knows ;P ) and it is imporant to know such things. I’ve heard about too clean rooms and keeping children away from natural “dirt” so the allergies can spread widely in young body. The reason of many illnessess are those chemical substances You have been writing about. The level of young parents education is extremely low and no one is doing nothing to do something about it. I think that schools should prepare young people for such issues.
Posted by pozycjonowanie | July 21, 2009, 1:38 amSome of the homdemade cleaners are just as good as the store bought ones. Most do not have all the chemicals and the old fashion ones are grand parents used are better for you and cheaper.
Posted by amy@mold removal | July 21, 2009, 5:37 amThe thing is, everything can harmful to kids. Their weak immune systems are way to easy to damage. You need to care about every detail when dealing with little kids.
Posted by Recenzje | July 24, 2009, 7:10 am“Unfortunately most people have no clue about the harmful toxins found in many household cleaning products.” – what to add to this sad fact. Come on, people, just PAY attention to what we’re using and look for alternatives, for there are many !
Posted by EcoCleanHome@Organic Carpet Cleaning Surrey | August 5, 2009, 4:21 amLets use better cleaners to protect our children. We do.
Posted by Custom Home Detailing | January 5, 2010, 6:43 pmI have been going green for the past couple of years and it seems working.I have been observing my kids and they are growing healthy and have no serious illnesses for so long.So go green!
Posted by edison@old removal products | January 6, 2010, 10:25 amIt is a tough balance with babies and toddlers as you naturally want to create a clean environment for them as they crawl over floors and surfaces but need to avoid the risks of toxic chemicals. Cleaning is crucial but using green, plant derived cleaners is a much safer option.
Posted by Richard@commercial cleaning | April 21, 2010, 6:23 pmnice article, first time here. thanx a lot for good quality content!
Posted by pozycjonowanie stron wroclaw | July 15, 2010, 6:30 amHow does using elephants in a circus can take away the elephants natural living forest enviornment?
Posted by Dean@Coleman | July 27, 2010, 7:01 amYes protect our kids and hire only cleaners who are using green products. Thanks
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Posted by pozycjonowanie | December 21, 2010, 12:16 pmHouse hold cleaners can be deadly if mixed.
Posted by Mannatech | February 13, 2011, 10:35 am