Why You Should Consider Changing Your Cleaning Products

This time of year we all start to feel a little
'cooped up'. Although there are many outdoor activities we can participate in during the winter, more hours than not, we spend our days inside where it's warm and dry. I often find myself with Spring fever about now, as the seed catalogs start to flood in and the urge to open the windows and let in some fresh air becomes strong. In most homes, letting in some fresh air is more than just a luxury, it's necessary for the health of the people living there. Studies show in the majority of American homes the air is more polluted than outside. What is it polluted with? Invisible gases from toxic chemicals in the materials used to build our homes (carpeting, paints, treated woods, insulation) and in the products we use in them (cleaners, cosmetics, air fresheners and laundry). Many experts believe these chemicals to be a catalyst, and in some cases the cause, of many illnesses prevelant today including allergies, asthma and many cancers. I even heard this startling statistic: Women who work in their home full time are 54% more likely to develope cancer than women who work outside of their home! That is frightening! Our homes are supposed to be a safe haven, not a place that makes us sick! I would think this information alone would be enough to persuade a person to want to make a change, but in case it's not, here are some other reasons why you should give it some consideration.

Choose any of the household cleaners in your home and read the label. Yes, I know, you've probably never done that before. Until a few years ago, I hadn't either! They wouldn't sell them, and people wouldn't use them, if they were REALLY harmful, right? Wrong! There are warnings all over the labels telling you all the bad things that can happen to you while using this product and what you should do to try to protect yourself. None of which most of us do. Do you open the windows to ventalate the room everytime you spray something? Hold your breath while you clean? Wear gloves everytime you use a product? No. We all just breath in the vapors and get the products all over our hands, on the counters and dishes we put our food on, and in the clothes we wrap our bodies in. Every time we do that, we are injesting and absorbing dangerous chemicals known to be harmful to man - such as amonia, chlorine, phenol, and formaldehyde - right into our bloodstreams. I shutter to think where in our bodies they go from there....

Besides the obvious health risks associated with being constantly exposed to toxic chemicals, there are other very practical reasons why green household products are a good idea. One being economics. Many think they can't afford to use natural or organic products. At first glance they may seem more expensive. But in most cases they are not. Most environmentally conscious companies believe in producting products in concentrated forms. In other words, they leave out all the water found in conventional cleaners. Water is after all, a precious resource - and it's supposed to be free! These companies let you add the water. This makes for less packaging, less energy used in manufacturing, less fuel used to ship less products and more affordability to the consumer. Oh yes, and lets not forget, less waste to dispose of. A great example is an amazing all purpose cleaner put out by Shaklee, called H2 (said "H squared"). You may have heard Oprah mention it on her show, because she loves it! A 16 oz bottle of H2, which retails for less than $12, makes 48 gallons of cleaner!! Imagine in your mind 48 gallons of milk sitting on your kitchen counter and you'll realize just how much that is! Now that is a lot of bang for your buck! You may be thinking,"how well can it work if it's that watered down?". Well I'm here to tell you that I've used it, and it works awesome! I was especially surprised when it cleaned my mirrors better than Windex, which is something I've had a hard time replacing in my home with satisfactory results. I am happy to say that I now have a safe replacement for all of my household products that work as good, if not better, than what I was using before (see some of them pictured here). I even convinced my husband not to use a toxic drain cleaner on a tough clog the other day, until I had tried every natural trick in the book first. The clog is gone and I'm happy to report, no chemicals were put in the ground next to our home!

So you can see, the reasons are many for making a change and the change doesn't mean sacrifice. It means better health for you and your family, a better planet for our children's future and affordability for your budget. Why not give it a try? Then, the next time you take a deep breath in your home, you will feel good about the "fresh air" you and your loved ones are breathing, even if the windows aren't open!