Did you know that according to environmental experts the average household contains about 62 toxic chemicals? While it’s not possible to completely avoid toxins in the world today, you can be selective about what you bring into your home. Today, we’re going to shed some light on the toxins found in common household cleaners. Unfortunately, there are not many regulations in the US and other countries to ban these components from the market or to even list them as ingredients in their products. Here are some of the common offenders found in some cleaning products today:
Toluene– This component is a solvent used in products such as multipurpose cleaners and floor polish. Toluene has been linked to pregnancy complications, birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Phthalates– This hormone disrupting compound is found in most products with “fragrance”,for example, air fresheners. This compound is easily absorbed into the skin and goes straight to the organs.
1,4-dioxane– This compound has been classified as a probable carcinogenic by the EPA. This colorless component is easily absorbed through the lungs and gastrointestinal system and can be found in some multi-purpose cleaners and laundry detergent.
Chloroform– This compound is also a probable carcinogenic and nervous system disruptor causing dizziness, nausea and headache. It can be found in some stain removers as well as some toilet bowl cleaners.
Galaxolide– This synthetic musk is yet another hormone disruptor and has also been shown to decrease a cell’s defense mechanism against other toxic chemicals. It has been found in some aerosol room sprays.
This list of 5 toxins is not a complete list of possible toxins in your cleaning supplies. Many people do not have all the information they need to make an informed decision on the cleaning products they buy. Additionally because the use of these and other compounds in cleaning supplies are not heavily regulated you may not even know if the product you use has one or more toxic ingredients. So, what can you do? We recommend making your own household cleaning supplies. Not only will you know exactly what is in them, but they are also a fraction of the cost to make. Here are some cleaning supply recipes to get you started!
Air Fresheners
Plants- live plants are a natural air purifier
Renewal Therapi- Put in cold air humidifier and clean the air
Air freshener jar- get a mason jar with lid and poke holes in the lid with a hammer and nails. Fill the jar ⅓ of the way with baking soda and add 8-10 drops of lavender essential oil. Mix, replace lid and put in a spot in your home you want to deodorize. Alternately, you can also cover the jar with a piece of burlap and ribbon if you don’t want to use the metal lid.
Natural air spray- Get a small spray bottle and fill with 1 cup filtered water and 8-10 drops lemon essential oil)
Glass Cleaner
½ cup rubbing alcohol, ½ cup vinegar, 2 drops dish soap, 2 cups water put all in spray bottle and wipe with microfiber rag.
All purpose cleaner–
¼ cup vinegar, 1 ¾ cup water, 30 drops of Phytotherapi Immune. Put all ingredients in a glass spray bottle and shake to mix.
Dilute Renewal Therapi 1:4 with filtered water. Put in spray bottle and use around the house.
Citrus cleaner- Put 8 orange and/or lemon peels in a glass jar. Add 3 cinnamon sticks and 1 TBS cloves. Cover with 6 cups vinegar and cover. Let sit for 2 weeks. When ready to use, remove peels and cinnamon sticks and dilute 1:1 with filtered water. Orange, lemon and cinnamon are all natural anti-bacterials.
We totally advocate for a clean home or workplace, however as you can see, many of the cleaning products on the market today can actually do more harm than good, putting your immune system at risk and creating a hazardous environment for your liver and kidneys. These organs are vital to protect your body. To learn more about how the liver helps the body you can read this post.
To keep your immune system in good standing, be sure to avoid unnecessary outside toxins. Also, work on lowering your stress. If you are under stress, use Phytotherapi Stress and its protocol to help your body. To learn more about how Phytotherapi Stress and our other products work, you can read this post.
Do you have a favorite non-toxic cleaning recipe? We’d love to hear from you! Post your comments below!
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