The unsafe use of many common household products can cause many undesirable health effects. To protect yourself and your family, read on.
Q: What are some of the products I should be aware of?
A: Solvents, paints, paint strippers, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, moth repellents, air fresheners, stored fuels, automotive products, hobby supplies, pesticides and cleaners and disinfectants.
Q: What are the particular ingredients in these products that I should be concerned about?
A: The products to watch for are those containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are organic solvents that easily evaporate into the air. Some may be flammable.
Following are some of the compounds listed on product labels: petroleum distillates, mineral spirits, chlorinated solvents, carbon tetrachloride, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, toluene and formaldehyde. Other household product ingredients can also be a hazard if they are used improperly.
Q: What are some of the health effects?
A: Short-term effects include eye, nose and throat irritation, and headaches. Long-term exposure can cause loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to liver, kidneys and the central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals and are suspected of causing cancer in humans.
Q: What are some ways I can minimize potential health problems?
A: First, read the labels of products you are considering buying. Note the product's ingredients and beware of any warnings of its use.
- Always use household products only for their intended purpose and according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Use the product in a well-ventilated area.
- Choose products that are packaged to reduce the chance of spills, leaks and child tampering.
- Keep household products in their original containers so that safety information and directions for use are always with the product.
Have you ever given much thought to the household products you use everyday?
What's really in those cleaners and detergents?
Is it good for your home and your health of your family?
Companies wouldn't sell me a product that is harmful or even toxic, would they?
We have government agencies, laws, and requirements that would make sure this didn't happen, don't we? 2
What can you do?
American Heart & Lung Assoc. Tip number 7 in its "Top Ten Tips for a Healthy Home" Feb 2000 suggests you should check commercial cleaning products and pesticides for toxic ingredients, and use according to manufacturers directions. Keep your home well ventilated when using these products. Consider switching to less toxic alternatives. -
Here are some more facts:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies show levels of indoor air pollutants may be two to five times (and sometimes up to 100 times) higher than outdoor levels!... one of the best ways to prevent them is to remove indoor allergens and irritants from your home, school and work environment. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because it is estimated that most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors. Our exposure to indoor air pollutants is believed to have increased due to a variety of factors, including the construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation rates to save energy, the use of synthetic building materials and furnishings, and the use of chemically formulated personal care products, pesticides, and household cleaners. 1
Looking into personal care products (cosmetics) more closely revealed these facts:
The federal government defines cosmetics as articles intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions. Included in this definition are products such as skin creams, lotions, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail polishes, eye and facial make-up preparations, shampoos, permanent waves, hair colors, toothpastes, deodorants, and any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product.
The Government has very limited ability to police personal care products. Here are some examples:
- Personal care products cannot be regulated until after they are introduced into the market.
- Neither Personal care products nor their ingredients are reviewed before they are sold to the general public.
- The Government Agencies are not permitted to require recalls of cosmetics. If it is found that a cosmetic product needed to be removed from the market, it must first prove in a court of law that the product may be injurious to users, improperly labeled, or otherwise violates the law.
- The Government Agencies can't require companies to do safety testing on their personal care products before selling them to the public.
Conclusion: there are a lot of products that are toxic and a lot of us use them everyday and we don't even know about it.
How can you make sure your home is free of toxic products?
What if there was a company that guaranteed that no toxic or harmful chemicals are contained in their products and the products they sell are affordable, of the highest quality (100% money back guarantee) and convenient to get?
Would you be interested in learning more about these products and how they could help you make sure your home is not toxic?
If you would like to know more about these non-toxic products click the View Presentation button and fill out the Presentation request form. You'll find out about the products that can help you live a more healthy life.
1 Indoor Air Repair - Mothers of Asthmatics
2 Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, 1997,47(4)
3 "Primer on Allergy and Immunologic Diseases,"Journal of the American Medical Association, 1992,268(20):2807
4 "Schata M. Allergische Erkankungen in Innenraim" Zentralbl Hyg Umweltmed, April 1995, 197:196-211
5 "Astma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality, 2000-2001," National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
