A Greener Home, A Cleaner Home

Your home cleaning and personal care products may be working harder than you think. And not in a good way.

It is well known that household cleaners are generally toxic and not to be ingested. Typically each product bears the customary warnings: "Harmful if swallowed," "rinse eyes immediately," "call a physician," "drink a glassful of water," and "if breathing problems develop remove to fresh air."

But is that enough? Actually, no. Millions of people, adults and children alike, are being subjected to long-term and sometimes irreversible effects of cleaning products and a variety of personal care products as well. More than 150 chemicals found in the average home are linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization that uses public information to protect public health and the environment. These troubles aren't indicated by vomiting or other immediately visible effects, and yet the damage can be quite severe.

Children are significantly more susceptible due to their developing organs and nervous and immune systems. "Over the past thirty years, chronic diseases of environmental origin have become epidemic in American children," according to Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP,who is co-director of the Children Environmental Health Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Among the chemicals and elements present in these products are monoethanolamine (MEA) and ammonium quaternary compounds, which are linked to asthma; glycol ethers and alkyl phenol ethoxylates, which are linked to birth defects and fertility problems; and phthalates, which are often found in fragrances, and have been associated with adverse effects on the genital development of baby boys. For a detailed report on the safety of cleaning products, refer to this 2008 Cleaning Product Companies Report Card.

While the FDA has banned a mere handful of chemicals, the European Union has more than 1,100 on its' list of unacceptable ingredients in care and cleaning products. Almost 90 percent of the 10,500 ingredients commonly used in beauty and body care products were never evaluated for safety, according to EWG. We are at the whim of a "buyer beware" system, in which Americans get to be human guinea pigs. Excited to be a test subject? Not me.

Fortunately, many cleaning products can be replaced with safer and more eco-friendly alternatives.

"Consume less" is Jennifer Taggert's top eco-tip. Taggert writes TheSmartMama blog on being a green mom. On howyoueco.com, Taggert shares: "It really is that simple. We don't really need 20 different cleaners to clean our homes. Our grandmothers certainly didn't. At a tenth of the price and with significantly less plastic since you can re-use the bottles."

With just a few basic ingredients, most cleaners can be replaced. Baking Soda, borax, washing soda, vinegar, lemon juice and castile soap made from vegetable oils can get many jobs done just as well as common chemical-ridden cleaners. Here are just a few of the handy cleaning recipes available from Ecocycle:

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Household Cleaner:

1 tsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint) + 1 tsp. borax + Squeeze of lemon + 1 qt. warm water

Moist salt or baking soda can be used with a scouring pad for surfaces that need to be scoured.

Window Cleaner:

2 tsp. vinegar + 1 qt. warm water

Rub dry with newspaper to avoid streaking.

Disinfectant:

2 oz. borax + 1⁄2 gal. hot water

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When it comes to body care products, it's equally important to be informed about the products you use. Anti-bacterial soaps, for example, may contain pesticides that can be absorbed through skin and remain in your body for years.

Even though a label may say "gentle" or "natural," it may not be safe at all. Ingredients to avoid are: DMDM hydantoin and Imid-azolinyl urea, which can be toxic; fragrance and dyes (can cause allergies, cancer and nervous system damage); parabens (can have hormone effects), sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate (can cause skin damage and are toxic); triclosan and triclocarbon (associated with thyroid problems); and triethanolamine (toxic and causes allergies). You can look up products you use at Cosmetics-Database.com.

When greening your cleaning, stick to the basics. First of all, don't stress. Read labels, buy only what you need, wash your hands often and store anything toxic where kids and animals can't get to them. Use alternative products whenever possible. Most importantly, make decisions in your home with the health of your family in mind.