Safe Household Cleaners

Over the past year I've been doing a little research on the chemicals in household cleaners. The problem is fairly simple. On a daily basis we come into contact with thousands of chemicals in our environment (consider the typical air and water pollution as well as chemicals used in the paints, finishes, carpets, insulation, and upholstery in our homes and offices); in products we use like household cleaners, automotive products, and pesticides/herbicides; and in the foods we eat and personal hygiene products. The catch is, we encounter a daily chemical cocktail that has never been tested. No one has any idea what this range, potency, and combination of chemicals will have on human beings. It could be innocuous, it could be the elixir of life, or it could be poison.

Consider a few bits of evidence. Farmers who handle pesticides and herbicides on a regular basis have unusually high incidences of cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. Recent studies have shown that our current obsession with antibacterial soaps, tissues, cleaners, air fresheners, and hand sanitizers actually contribute to bacterial resistance. We are essentially killing weaker bacteria and selecting the stronger, more dangerous bacteria to multiply. How many of the chemicals we use on a daily basis have warning labels related to misuse of the product? Pretty much every single product. As pointed out by Sheryl Eisenberg in her column for the NRDC, bathroom cleaners are a particularly humorous paradox as they are intended for use in areas where they will also be the most dangerous (small, confined, and poorly ventilated). I also find it disturbing that chemical manufacturers who find their roots in the military chemicals of every conflict since World War II are now selling their chemicals to the rest of us for household use, and what they can't sell to us often ends up polluting the environment with known carcinogens.

I'll post a few of the resources I've found below, but I first wanted to mention three safe cleaners that I use on a regular basis for almost all of our household cleaning. Baking soda, vinegar, and soap.

Baking Soda: for scrubbing just about any surface from a countertop to sinks, bathtubs, and toilets. You can make a paste of baking soda mixed with a little water that works great.

I often use vinegar in conjunction with baking soda. I usually use a little vinegar to rinse whatever I've just cleaned with baking soda. We also keep small spray bottle of vinegar that we use for general cleaning.

Hot soapy water is our other most often used household cleaner.

We also save old toothbrushes, rags, and sponges to use for cleaning so that we are not continually using paper towels for cleaning.

http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0405.asp This is the article I mentioned above. Really great piece with more detail about dangerous chemicals and some alternative cleaners.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/90/lundquist2 Article listing some common household cleaners and why they may not be as safe as we think. Look around on the Green Guide (which, by the way, is a National Geographic publication) for more info on safe/unsafe cleaners.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html Recipes and how to use some non-toxic cleaners.