Cleaning the House is Bad for You – Spread the Word!
Every day we are exposed to chemicals. It is scary to think our own government does not stop cleaning products from using any known carcinogens they would like. SCARY SCARY DARK S*&%! Ok, I am a little over the top about this. While I do love the smell of bleach, in an almost unnatural way, I stay far, far away. Did you know cleaning companies are not even required to list a complete list of cleaning ingredients on their packaging? Of course, there are warnings to negative reactions or side effects. The question becomes is there a difference between a possible side effect and a known problem – well that is for you to decide. Chronic and debilitating health problems are not on the decline. There are 7 products ingredients that I would advise you to be on the lookout for.
The top 7 suspects, where to find them and what are they guilty of?
- Phthalates – Phthalates are found in things that smell pretty. Only you won’t feel too pretty if you get too many of these sweet-smelling toxins. Phthalates are suspected of disrupting your hormones.
- Parabens – Parabens are found in household products and conventional makeup. Sounds like I should stop cleaning my house and not worry about make-up? Humm, while tempting, it’s is never going to happen. Parabens are known xenoestrogens meaning they mimic estrogen in your body. When that happens you could end up estrogen dominant. Too much estrogen has been linked to several hormonal disorders not to mention an increased chance of fibroids, ovarian cysts, acne, and abdominal obesity.
- Ammonia – Ammonia is found in household cleaning products. It is the fumes that are a problem and they can affect your lung health. I like to use vinegar instead to replace anything that I would use ammonia for.
- Chlorine – The hardest part about Chlorine is that it is found in our water. Halides (chlorine, fluorine, and bromine) are known endocrine disruptors – meaning they interfere with your hormones. There is also some suspicion that they can increase your risk for autoimmune disease and of course the obvious noxious gas affecting your lungs. One of the suggestions I have for patients is to get a chlorine filter for your shower and drink filtered water. Those are the two bigger sources of exposure.
- Triclosan – Triclosan is a common chemical that is mostly found in soap and some antibacterial toothpaste and mouthwashes as well as cosmetics. In addition to irritating the skin and or eyes, this is another endocrine disruptor. This means that it affects your hormones, mood, metabolism and sleep. It can also effect reproduction. Sexual function can also be influenced or changed by some of these chemicals.
- Sodium Hydroxide – Oven cleaners and things to clean out your drain are the two places you will most commonly find this toxic chemical. It can burn your skin, eyes, and throat as you breath it in. The easiest thing to do is not clean . . . . OK, again I’m kidding. Just use baking soda. It works really well without the side effects.
- Nano-Silver
Since cleaning is such an issue. I thought I would tell you guys my favorites.
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Meyer surface cleaner
- Dr. Bronner’s Soap
If you are a person that thinks about your health and the health of the environment – AWESOME! There are so many products we can’t even keep track. Here are some of my favorite products:
- 14-day detox kit
- Bilberry
- Acetyl-Glutathione
- CollaGEN
There are so many ways to clean up your home – consult with one of our doctors to get some personalized care. We have tests we can perform to see what your toxic load is looking like.
