How Toxic Is Your Home?

Fri, 02/19/2010

Research has shown that your home may be more
5 times more dangerous than the air outside!

We like to think of our homes as being a safe place to be, a refuge from a dangerous world. Yet some of the exposures that you have day-to-day that are most hazardous to your health and the health of your family happen right at home.

The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals - more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century. We spend 90% of our time indoors, and 65% of that time at home. Chemicals get into our body through inhalation, ingestion and absorption. Since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%. Common household cleaners and cosmetics are the main triggers.

The good news is that for every toxic product you'll find in your home, there is a safer alternative. Here are ten most common toxic exposures most of us have in our homes and some simple solutions.

1. Save yourself from exposure to toxic ammonia.
   Ammonia can cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, and burn your skin. Instead, mix vinegar half-and-half with water in a spray bottle and squirt on windows and wipe with recycled newspapers.
2. Free yourself from toxic formaldehyde exposure.
   Formaldehyde exposure can cause insomnia and respiratory problems, among other symptoms. Bypass formaldehyde-coated cotton/polyester sheets, no-iron cotton sheets and choose cozy organic and untreated 100% bleach free herbal dyed cotton sheets. Vacuum and turn your mattress regularly to get rid of dust-mites, bed bugs, dead skin and fungal spores which cause a number of skin problems.
3. Replace toxic mothballs.
   Mothballs are made from 100 percent paradichlorobenzene, a volatile toxic chemical that can cause headaches and severe irritation to nose, throat and lungs and over time can cause liver and kidney damage. Protect your woolens from moths by placing moth repellent herbal sachets
4. Get rid of poisonous detergent.
   While detergents seem safe, they are a petrochemical-based product, normal bleach contains Chlorine, some spray polishes contain volatile toxins and most cleaning products use dangerous toxic solvents, carcinogenic detergents etc. Herbal washing powder with the power of areetha, shikakai, lemon etc, on the other hand, are made from natural herbs, oils and minerals and has been safely used for centuries.
5. Minimize use of toxic plastic.
   While it's good for your health to carry your own water and drink it throughout the day, if it's in a clear polycarbonate plastic bottle, it is leaching a toxic substance into your water, even if the bottle is sitting on table at room temperature. Bisphenol-A or BPA is a potent hormone disruptor that can impair the reproductive organs and have adverse effects on breast tissue and prostate development. Store and drink from lead-free terracotta, glass, or copper.
6. Avoid toxic pesticides.
   Most food sold is sprayed heavily with pesticides, (many of which cause cancer) wax to make fruits shine (eg apples, peaches) and often colors to make them look better (strawberries). A thorough wash and soaking in salt water for 15 minutes should get rid of most of the surface chemicals. Staphylococcal infections and food poisoning can easily enter the home via unwashed fruit and vegetables. Peeling is another effective method. Buying food that is in season and local is safer since it does not need too many preservatives. The best is to buy pesticide-free organically grown food.
7. Wash away petrochemical perfumes.
   Most commercial bath products contain detergents and artificial fragrances that can be irritating to sensitive areas and carcinogenic. (eg. sodium Iauryl sulphate or SLS weakens human skin, allowing more toxins to be absorbed by the body) While taking a shower avoid plastic shower curtains as they leach chemicals in the air due to the steam. You can have a luxurious relaxing and therapeutic bath by switching soaps and personal hygiene products to safer natural herbal alternatives.
8. Reduce carbon dioxide and air pollutants.
   In addition to being beautiful to look at, houseplants also freshen the air by absorbing the carbon dioxide we exhale and releasing the oxygen that is vital for us to breathe. Some plants, such as the sacred tulsi, also remove some air pollutants.
9. Reduce dust
   Cast out old and worn out carpets and curtains. They harbour dirt deep inside the pile that an average vacuum cleaner cannot touch. Dust released into the air you breathe within the home contains carpet beetles, dead skin, bacteria and toxic black mould. Some carpets (especially woolen) are treated with pyrethroids, an insecticide which acts as a nerve poison.
10. No electronics
    Have a PC, fax or copier or the T.V. in your bedroom? The circuitry and inks emit volatile carbon toxins into the air along with Lead, Barium, Mercury, Tin, Arsenic, Beryllium, Hexavalent Chromium, Selenium, Manganese and Silver! EMFs (Electromagnetic Fields) emitted from T.V screens have been shown to damage melatonin levels which we all need for restful sleep.

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