Clean Up Your Act....Naturally

In the next bunch of posts, we will be discussing the natural lifestyle: how a Christian should view the "back to the earth" movement, organic gardening and foods, genetically modified organisms, natural health products and remedies, and more. I hope you find it interesting, as I surely do. This complete article is taken from the September 2003 ShopNatural email newsletter. It is a good introduction to what we all can do to make a difference for the planet we live on.

This month we’re looking at using natural and organic cleaning products in and around the home or office. While many of us may use some or all of these products occasionally (or regularly), many are also unaware of the potential harm that can come from mass-market cleaning products. [For the purposes of brevity, the term “commercial” is used in this article to denote non-natural, non-organic chemical-based products to differentiate them from natural and organic products.]

There are some alarming statistics from a variety of reputable sources about the quality of air in our homes. In fact, most statistics report that indoor air quality is two to five times WORSE than outdoor air quality. There has been a dramatic rise in childhood asthma in the U.S. in the last 20 years. Some studies have linked this rise to the increased use of chemical cleaners as well as the increased reliance on ‘closed loop’ heating and cooling (heat pumps, air conditioners, etc. that re-circulate air). Another alarming statistic is that women who work inside the home are far more likely to develop cancer than women who work outside the home. Many more of us, men and women alike, are working from home these days, so this should be a statistic that makes us all take notice!

There are over 17,000 synthetic cleaning products on the market today yet only 30% have been adequately tested for adverse health effects. What are some of these suspected health effects? Allergies, headaches, chemical sensitivities, asthma, Attention Deficit Disorder and cancer. Is there a direct, provable link? Not in all cases, but there certainly is enough evidence that suggests that chemicals in the home, in our yards and playgrounds and at work and school have certainly contributed significantly to health issues. The residue from these chemicals not only gets added to our groundwater, but it also floats around in the air, causing us to inhale micro particles of substances that are known to be hazardous to healthy living. Rather than continue on with the litany of scary things that could happen, let’s focus now on the positive changes we can easily make in our routines that will promote good health, safe homes and a clean environment.

Household Cleaners

Most commercial household cleaning products contain chlorine, ammonia or anti-bacterial chemicals. Using these product to clean most problems is like using a tank to drive to the grocery store…a bit of overkill. Anti-bacterial products DO kill bacteria. However, the overuse of these products is causing new bacteria to form that are resistant to these products. In most cases, household cleaning can be accomplished with natural products and, occasionally, with a bit of extra elbow grease. You can also mix your own cleaning products from simple ingredients, if desired. Check our Resources section at the end of this article for websites and books on the subject. [Word of caution: always use care when mixing anything and never mix anything with commercial cleaning products!].

Laundry Products

Many of us have fallen into the “whiter whites” trend, wanting our laundry to always be sparkling and bright white. To accomplish this, commercial laundry products use a variety of chemicals (bleaches and optical whiteners, to name two) that can cause allergies, skin irritation and sensitivities. Natural products clean clothes just as well as commercial products without all the toxic by-products.

Some tips for getting clothes cleaner using (any) product – make sure you use the right water temperature for the clothes. Cold for colors, warm or hot for lights/whites. Why? Cold water will preserve the color of the clothing longer and warm/hot water will help ‘brighten’ up your light or white colors. Use the proper amount of detergent. Use too much and you leave a residue on your clothing that can still cause irritation (even with natural products); use too little and your clothes will begin to look ‘dingy’ making you think it’s time to go back to commercial products. For optimal results, measure the cleaning product and use the amount appropriate to the task. Finally, when washing clothes, let the tub begin to fill with water and add the laundry product(s). You’ll get better cleaning results when you allow the soap to dissolve properly in the water before you jam your washer full of clothes.

As for drying, look for natural dryer products or use natural softeners in your washer. For even better results, hang clothes out to dry when possible. You’ll increase the life of your clothes (washing and drying your clothes too frequently makes the fabric wear faster) and they’ll smell great. You’ll lower your laundry costs (either at home or at the laundromat) when you skip or reduce your use of the dryer.

Personal Care

Shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving lotion, moisturizers, toothpaste, mouthwash,– these kinds of personal care products have been around a long time in the natural market place. In fact, these were some of the first ‘cleaning’ products made back in the “olden” days of natural products. Over the past 20 to 30 years, these products have continued to be improved and now are often considered higher quality and more ‘upscale’ than their non-natural counterparts.

Commercial personal care products often contain many chemicals, dyes and perfumes that have not been tested for safety and that may contribute to in-home pollution as well as personal sensitivities. But given the incredibly wide variety of natural and organic products, it makes sense to at least start here since you’re bound to find a product that not only works as well as your mass-market product or better!

Baby Products

Even when we don’t give much thought to ourselves, we’re often highly sensitive to using natural and organic products with our babies and children. The availability of products geared specifically to babies and young children has grown by leaps and bounds (almost as fast as your children grow!) and there’s every reason to use natural and organic products for your growing kids. Exposing them to harsh chemicals in the home and in their personal care products is not a great idea given the volumes of data published about the proven and suspected dangers of using these chemicals. From baby wipes to diapers to diaper rash cream to shampoos, you can find natural and organic products for all your growing children’s needs without introducing toxic chemicals to their vulnerable systems.

Paper Products

As much as many of us try to avoid using throw-away paper products, there are times it is a necessary convenience. Switching to natural paper products saves trees, improves the environment, and provides the same quality products you’re used to. Most natural and organic products are made from a certain percentage of recycled post-consumer waste. This is important because post-consumer waste is waste that has been recycled after the consumer has used it – such as recycled cardboard or newspaper.

In addition, many commercial products use are bleached and one of the toxic by-products of some paper manufacturing is dioxin. Switching to natural and organic alternatives can reduce the use of bleach and dioxin and helps keep our environment cleaner.

Go natural

One of the chief complaints some people have about using any natural or organic product is that it sometimes costs more than the product you find on the shelf of your local grocery store. It’s important to understand that there is a cost that is not being added onto the price of the product on the shelf but one that we’re all paying every day – a polluted environment. If the cost of cleaning up the environment and paying for the health care issues caused by these toxic chemicals was included in the cost of these commercial products, you’d find that the natural and organic alternatives were far less expensive. Unfortunately, these ‘hidden’ costs are not so hidden – it’s just that we’re paying in different ways – with our health, the health of our children and the health of the environment.

So, look around your home and find ways to switch to natural and organic products. You and your family will be healthier and you’ll help keep your home and the rest of the world a bit cleaner and free from harmful chemicals. Every journey begins with a single step. What step will you take today?

Resources

Annie Berthold-Bond, The Green Kitchen Handbook Practical Advice, References, and Sources for Transforming the Center of Your Home into a Healthful, Livable Place.

Theo Colburn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers, Our Stolen Future. Plume/Penguin, 1997.

Sandra Steingraber, Living Downstream. Addison Wesley, 1997.

Dan Fagin, et. al., Toxic Deception, Birch Lane Press, 1996.

(c) 2003 ShopNatural Cooperative. All rights reserved. Cumulus Weblog Group takes no responsibility for the content or the outcomes resulting from following the advice in this article or in the books cited. Please seek direction in prayer before implementing any major changes to your lifestyle.