| |
Is your indoor Air Quality KILLING you?
What I once assumed safe and environmental friendly –just
isn’t so. A large portion of day to day cleaners are filled with
toxins. Currently there is no universal recognized definition for “cleaning”.
With this in mind the public’s awareness of effective cleaning
has been hampered. Ask ten people, “What is clean?” and
the results may be 10 different definitions for clean. Effective cleaning
comes down eliminating harmful germs, bacteria and microorganisms, while
the use of environmentally preferable cleaning products is a secondary
goal. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
analyzed 2983 chemicals used in OUR personal care products – shampoos,
soap, lotions and deodorants. The RESULTS were astonishing!! 884 were
found to be toxic, and of those 778 can cause acute toxicity, wait it
gets worse -146 can cause tumors, 218 can cause reproductive complications
and 376 can cause skin and eye irritation. Chemical toxins gradually
build up in our systems. The toxins aren’t just limited to personal
care products and cleaning products, aerosols can linger in our indoor
air for hours.
In a recent study California Fish and Game Department found household
bleach, laundry detergent, dish soap and all purpose cleaners to be
the most toxic substances in their aquatic waterways. The EPA has stated
that INDOOR AIR QUALITY is one of the nation’s most important
environmental problems. The facts now show that more than 60 MILLION
Americans, that is roughly 1 in 4, experience respiratory problems,
such as asthma and allergies resulting from indoor substances –
often cleaning products. To reduce the risk associated with cleaning
products and help protect indoor air quality observe limited exposure
,improve ventilation during and after the use of products, rinsing surfaces
liberally and controlled amounts of products applied. These simple steps
can be taken to help improve our home environments. The GREEN effort
is now on the move and more products are being tested for toxicity and
performance ability.
How safe is your home? For further information regarding cleaning products
and Air Cleaners please feel free to contact us at 480-821-1481.
Norma S. McCormick – Certified Master Textile Technician with
over 18 years in the Cleaning Industry. Norma owns Guaranteed Clean
Carpet Systems and Norma’s fine Oriental Rug Cleaning.
For a pdf version of this article, click here
|
|
