Laundry and cleaning day arrive like clock work. While contemplating your weekly chore list, consider the following information about the ingredients in your laundry and cleaning products. It could change your health and possibly give you that advantage you need to fight for your health (e.g. cancer and debilitating diseases).
As a result of cleaners and other toxic household products, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the air inside the typical home is 2-5 times more polluted than the air immediately outside—and in extreme cases, 100 times more contaminated.
Did you know that cleaning products are responsible for nearly 10 percent of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers?
Many laundry care products contain harmful ingredients. Always be vigilant about investigating the ingredients in the products you use. Ingredients sources and processing can change, potentially compromising the products safety. Just as a pain or nicotine patch delivers its dose throughout the body, residual amounts of harmful chemicals found in laundry and cleaning products (even after rinsing) can enter and be dispersed throughout the body, becoming a part of your body’s chemical equation and body pollution. An altered body chemical equation can cause interference, dysfunction and damage. Many brand name laundry and cleaning products contain harmful chemicals, including carcinogens.
Laundry Detergent Ingredients:
Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS): Carcinogenic and reproductive toxins such as benzene are released into the environment in processing.
Petroleum distillates (aka napthas): These chemicals have been linked to cancer, lung damage, lung inflammation and damage to mucous membranes.
Phenols: Severe toxicity results from phenol’s effects on the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs and kidneys.
Nonyl phenol ethoxylate: Stimulates the growth of breast cancer cells and feminizes male fish.
Optical brighteners: Toxic to fish. Causes bacterial mutations.
Phosphates: Stimulate the growth of certain marine plants, which contributes to unbalanced ecosystems.
Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach): Reacts with organic materials in the environment; carcinogenic and toxic compounds are created that can cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders..
EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate): Can re-dissolve toxic heavy metals in the environment, allowing them to re-enter the food chain.
Fragrance: Cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, organ system toxicity.
Fabric Softener Ingredients:
Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer.
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant.
Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders.
Limonene: Known carcinogen.
A-Terpineol : Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage.
Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list.
Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders.
Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic.
Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders.
Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled.
Fragrance: Cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, organ system toxicity.
CLEANING PRODUCT INGREDIENTS:
Cleaning products, air fresheners, dry cleaning chemicals, fuel, exhaust, paint, newspapers and furnishings can contain many toxic chemicals including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):
Short term health concern:
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Headaches
- Nausea / Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Worsening of asthma symptoms
Increased risk of:
- Cancer
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
- Central Nervous System damage
Natural Laundry Detergents and Cleaning Products:
The links that follow offer you potentially safer laundry and cleaning product options. Check the product ingredients initially and ongoing to ensure safety. Some product ingredient can be checked at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Database before you proceed with your purchase. Products with natural ingredients are usually a safer choice.
Natural laundry detergents on Amazon.com
METHOD CLEANING PRODUCTS
Natural cleaning products on Amazon.com
ORDER blood tests to determine your body chemical pollution or sensitivity.
Sources:
Minnesota Department of Health, http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/voc/index.htm
http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/content/top_products
http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca
http://davidsuzuki.org/publications/resources/2011/green-cleaning-recipes/
Learn how to detoxify your body pollution and improve health naturally today!
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Elisabeth Hines, C.N.C., C.N.C.
Holistic Wellness Practitioner
www.mybodycanhealitself.ca
Copyright © 2013, Elisabeth Hines
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