Let’s tackle your cleaning products. Similar to the fridge & pantry major dangers lurk in the cleaning drawer. Major. We blithely purchase these products never thinking about their toxic active ingredients. We think in our minds “Well, if there are cute commercials about them and they sell them at the grocery store, they must be safe.” Survey says XXX! So let’s cover what’s wrong with cleaners.
We must remember that just because something is sold at a store does not mean it is healthy for you. We have covered ad nauseam the scores of additives in our foods that are linked to medical maladies. Big Food puts it in food to enhance and preserve their foods to increase profitability why would we not think Big Cleaner would do the same. What cleaners are we talking about? Disinfectants Sprays, Toilet Cleaners, Windshield Wiper fluids…essentially all cleaners.
What’s Wrong With Cleaners?
What’s wrong with such cleaners? Let’s go over some of the issues.
Caustic ingredients. We have all inadvertently inhaled some bleach perhaps when opening the container. Well if it makes you recoil just by inhaling it a tad imagine what it is doing to the delicate alveoli of your lungs, the site of gas exchange. Caustic chemicals found in innumerable cleaners may due permanent damage to your respiratory system. Furthermore, inhaling these chemicals forwards these chemicals to your brain where they may cause neurologic and developmental problems.
Hormone Disruption
We have discussed ad nausea about the seemingly unlimited amount of hormone disruptors found in our food and home. Bisphenol A (BPA) found in plastics, laser receipts, canned good is one; so are parabens, commonly found in cosmetics, lotions, and deodorants. We can’t forget phthalates seen in toys, backpacks, and innumerable vinyl products. And of course, fluoride seen in toothpastes, processed foods, and of course, our shower and drinking water. Hormonal contraceptives are another one. The list goes on and one.
To learn more about plastics, listen to our Holistic Health News episode on it by clicking HERE. Or reading an NPE article by clicking HERE.
To learn more about phthalates, listen to our Holistic Health News episode on it by clicking HERE.
To learn more about fluoride, listen to our Holistic Health News episode on it by clicking HERE. Or reading an NPE article by clicking HERE.
To learn more about hormonal contraceptives, listen to our Holistic Health News episode on it by clicking HERE.
All of these may be lead to hormone imbalances. For men, it may shrink the testicles and decrease the amount of endogenous testosterone released by the testicles. In woman, it may lead to an excessive of xenoestrogens (foreign estrogen), which may lead to breast and ovarian cancer.
And these pernicious effects are not only limited to the reproductive organs. Persistent exposure to endocrine disruptors can mess with your thyroid gland (responsible for metabolism), pineal gland (responsible for sleep), the adrenal glands (producer of adrenaline and cortisol) and even the pancreas (producer of insulin).
Cancer-Causers
Unfortunately, household cleaners are replete with a host of possible carcinogens. As stated in other articles related to cancer-causers, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a branch called the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). Its stated job is to enumerate the various cancer-causes to which we are exposed. Class 1 chemicals are known carcinogens while Class 2a/b are possible carcinogens.
Why is this important? Because a large majority of our cleaners contain Class 2A/B ingredients. Click HERE to read an NPE article of known Class 1 carcinogens in your house; click HERE for Class 2.
Warnings in Plain Sight
It’s not just the WHO that is involved. Our venerable EPA classifies these cleaners as a pesticide. In fact many of these warnings are on the actual bottle. Cleaning products clearly instruct users on precautions they must take prior to using them. Many recommend using gloves and a mask and removing the residue within 10 minutes. Why would they feel the need to warn us of short-term and long-term dangers to using these products if they were harmless? Similar to the need to call poison control if you swallow toothpaste. So fluoride is bad for you, Mr. Dentist?
Unfortunately, most people disregard said warnings and exacerbate the situation by spraying these products like its perfume. (Let’s not talk about the dangers of perfumes just yet.). We spray cleaners all over our countertops. Not just that we sprinkle carpet cleaners in our carpets, release disinfect “smelly” scents from plug-ins and timed-release sprays; iron starch we spray liberally when ironing our shirts, and more. What effect does this have on our body?
Use vinegar, some EOs, and you are good to go!
Like with the other toxins in our life, short-term exposure isn’t the biggest problem. It’s prolonged exposure that is potentially killing us. Day-in, day-out exposure over decades is the problem. Similar to electromagnetic radiation (EMF) and imminent 5G exposure via our phones and routers, we are deluged with toxins. I fear that you will see an explosion of cancer and other maladies in 20 years. And what will we do to remedy these new maladies. Turn to Big Pharma to save it. It’s a sinister racket!
In closing Lysol, which gets it name “Lysol” for the Greek for to destroy, destroys not just microbes but your health. The 4-1-1 on 401 is that it needs to be discarded ASAP; and Fabuloso is not fabulous.
Go natural!
The beauty is that we are not at a dearth of natural alternatives to clean our house. Again, why opt for industrial-grade toxic cleaners when we have had natural ones at our disposal for decades? There are plenty. Here at NPE we have a few essential oil cleaning recipes. Click HERE for a general cleaning one; HERE for one for shoe odor.
In short, 90% of microbes can be killed using vinegar. Mix vinegar with a little soap, warm water, and a few drops of essential oils and you are good to go. This solution is a true solution…which also smells great and disinfects potently. Try these out! And toss out the other store-bought crap!
Now you know what’s wrong with cleaners.