UNDERSTANDING THE HIDDEN TOXINS
IN YOUR HOME
UNDERSTANDING THE HIDDEN TOXINS
IN YOUR HOME
Those are the ones that will be discussed in this article so you can learn what contains harmful (possibly even carcinogenic - cancer causing) ingredients. Then you can decide if it is worth the risk or not. So what evil villain is this article focused on today because there are so many to choose from: Formaldehyde. Why? Because it is a very serious one that has a range of hiding places from our furniture to our hair care. Let's take formaldehyde which is categorized as a probably carcinogen by the EPA. Most everyone reading this article can simple read the back of a bottle to see if the word formaldehyde is listed? If it were that simple, this article wouldn't be published. Again this is about HIDDEN chemicals. Unfortunately, formaldehyde has many other names. There are many chemicals listed on our household items that contain a derivative (ie a form of) formaldehyde that is still dangerous for us. Common places to find these hidden evils:
* Air Fresheners can release a chemical that reacts with the ozone to create formaldehyde also
* All purpose cleaners
* Disinfectants
* Fabric Finish (that stuff that makes new clothes feel and look new and stiff)- Even washing the clothes doesn't remove the chemical totally
* Laminated particle board or medium fiber density fiberboard - often used in children's furniture contains high levels of formaldehyde. - these contain urea-formaldehyde
* Hair Care products use preservatives that may contain formaldehyde The effects can be 1. minor like irritation to eyes, known allergen, headaches, mental confusion, sleep disorders, nausea, irritant to skin, lungs and throat, and/or irritant to respiratory system or 2. major like cancer and neurological system disorders. Now that you know where formaldehyde is lurking and what it is capable of doing, let's learn how to abolish it from our homes.
Search and Destroy
*Air Fresheners:
There are many safe options for freshening your air such as an air purifier, eliminating the source of the odor, or even using safe air freshening alternatives. Some safe alternatives are 1. Eliminate aerosols 2. You could boil cinnamon sticks on the stove top for a soft cinnamon scent. This can also be done with vanilla.
*All Purpose Cleaners:
Use vinegar and water or another reputable green cleaner. It is best to use a super concentrated green cleaner and mix with your own water so you help the environment also. Note: You should also be aware of a major marketing myth. Marketing groups like to use the word natural to imply something is totally safe. However, this is a major myth. A perfect example is formaldehyde because formaldehyde is a naturally occurring chemical. Natural does not equate to safe. Just because something says all natural that doesn't mean that it is free of formaldehyde or that it is totally safe. You need to be aware of the company's reputation, values, and scientific studies. A good guide line is how long the company has been in business. For example, if the company has existed more than 50years selling 'natural, safe' products, you can rest assure that they didn't get there with luck? Disinfectants: Choose a disinfectant that is safer that the chemicals that it uses to kill. That may sound funny but the point is don't use a disinfectant that is more harmful than the germs that it is cleaning.
*Laminated Particle Board and Fiberboard:
Many of us can't by everything in solid wood because it is too expensive so if you have to buy particle boards, buy ones that use 1. Plastic laminate to lock in the formaldehyde or varnish it with urethane clear coating so you can lock in the chemical 2. Phenol-formaldehyde resin or methyl diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) because they are less harmful than urea-formaldehyde or 3. Choose a wood alternative.
*Hair Care:
Look for companies that don't use formaldehyde as a preservative. Some of the chemicals that can contain formaldehyde are DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15 and bronopol.; A few safe brands are Aveda, Shaklee, ShiKai Hair care, Biovanni Organic Hair Care and Aubrey Organics.; These are jut a few so it is relatively simple to find one that fits your hair care needs.
Some known aliases for this evil villain are as follows:
* Formalin
* Oxy Methylene
* Methanol
* Methaldehyde
* Methyl Aldehyde
* Methylene Glycol
* Methylene Oxide
* Ivalon
* Hoch
* Fannoform
* Oxomethane
* Fyde
* Karson
* Paraform
* Trioxane Lysoform
* Polyoxmethylene
* Morbocid
As you can see, this evil villain truly is lurking in many areas of our homes just waiting to make someone ill. But the good news is that now that you know where it is hiding, you can stop it in its tracks and protect your health and your family's health.
Click below to e-mail this article to a friend |
|---|
RELATED LINKS:
| * * * IN-HOUSE RESOURCES * * * |
|---|
