Do you have the six hidden hazards in YOUR home?
Sep11

Do you have the six hidden hazards in YOUR home?

June 2012 issue of Consumer Reports Canada lists six hidden hazards in your home as:

  • household cleaners
  • old lead-based paint
  • invisible killers: carbon monoxide and radon
  • combustion of particles or gases
  • interior mold
  • air fresheners, candles and incense

Here are some of the highlights I got from the article.

Most cleaning products are not safe, including some “green” labels. For your own DIY cleaner, mix 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 quart of water. Clean toilets with baking soda or vinegar and a brush. Baking soda can help get rid of odors on rugs or carpets. Sprinkle it on, wait 15 minutes and then vacuum.

Lead-based paint is the most significant source of lead poisoning in the US, found in older homes. Have a paint chip analysis done by a professional to be sure. Lead paint is extremely dangerous for children. Have an EPA-certified painter remove it.

Radon and carbon monoxide cannot be seen, smelled or seen, but both are deadly. Radon comes from the earth beneath your home, and is the leading cause of lung cancer. The only way to know you have them is to test for them. Install a carbon monoxide sensor, and make sure it has new batteries. Test for Radon. (Note:  I’m not sure exactly how you test for Radon.  If someone knows, let us know.)

Don’t let anybody smoke in your home. Clean your chimneys each year.

To me, this next one is one of the worst and insidious items on the list.  Mold and bacteria can spread from a home humidifier, bathroom exhaust fans, and even clogged gutters where the water seeps into the house. (Note:  Although Consumer Reports suggest treating small areas with a solution of 1 part bleach with 16 parts water, eye mask and respirator, we suggest that an Ozone generator is very safe, effective, and more efficient for larger areas.)

Air Fresheners are extremely dangerous because they contain phthalates which are linked to cancer and reproductive problems plus tons more. Even though manufacturers are cleaning up their products, we still can’t trust them, so get rid of all air fresheners in your home. Scented candles can trigger asthma attacks and allergies. Get rid of them too and watch your health improve.

Don’t wait, clean up the Six hazards asap!

Lyn

 

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Use a Chemical Roach Killer?
Sep06

Use a Chemical Roach Killer?

I was cleaning out the cupboards of our rental home the other day, and among the toxic household chemicals I threw out was a spray can of Baygon Roach Killer.  See the other items I threw out here.

I looked at it, and knowing what a problem roaches are here in Central America, the fleeting thought came to me that this stuff could really be useful. Being pest-free sounded nice.

BUT ….. this can boasts that it kills instantly (mata al instante), and is more powerful than ever! It is for scorpions and cockroaches. On a closer look, here is what you really need to know.

This is an aerosol insecticide made in Mexico and the ingredient list on the back is so small you can hardly read it without magnification.  The active ingredient is “cipermetrina” or cypermethrin. It warns to cover all food and to keep it away from your eyes and flame. You need good ventilation for the treated area for 30 minutes. Warning: this affects the central nervous system, causes irritation, dermatitis and paralysis.

In reading the MSDS for cypermethrin, it says “Exposure may cause irritation to eyes, mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract and skin;  Exposure may also cause the following: effect fertility and/or unborn and breastfed babies; somnolence; convulsions, seizures or tremor; salivary gland changes; motor activity changes muscle contraction; urine volume increase; immuneresponse decrease; proteinuria; hypoglycemia; blood clotting factor changes.”

If this roach spray can cause this list of conditions, is it really worth using in your house?  Would you want to put your kids or animals, and especially yourself at risk?  Infertility and hormonal disruptors are becoming alarmingly more common, and chemicals like this are contributors to the problem.  You never know the longer term effects of this chemical in the body.

Bugs and ants in the house are a terrible nuisance and it does take persistence to get rid of the problem.  They often have a route that they enter the house – through the wall or a crack somewhere.  I recommend making a custom natural killer for any kind of bug you might be faced with.

The EPA of the United States recommends natural approaches to keeping critters out of your house.  You must clean up spills and crumbs immediately.  Close up all bags of food and don’t leave them open lying around. Eat at the table so you keep food crumbs in one place. Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink, and always cover the trash, being careful to empty if often.  You must be meticulous and consistent in order to starve them away.

Here are some natural recipes that I will be using if I need them here at this house.

Recipe 1  Ingredients:  Baking Soda, icing sugar and water.  Mix equal parts together into a paste, so the roaches can feed on this and also take back to their nest.  This will make them bloat up and die.

Recipe 2 Diatomaceous earth, which you can buy in the hardware store or garden store.  When the roach eats this, it will destroy their shell/skeleton and cause them to shrivel and die.

If we find we need roach killer, I’m planning on following the EPA’s kitchen cleansing protocol first, and then using one of the above recipes if necessary.  Until that time comes, the Baygon roach killer is gone, never to return.  By the way, if you friends find a better solution, please let me know. 

Getting healthy together! 

Lyn

 

 

 

 

 

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I’m Detoxing this Place Today!
Sep01

I’m Detoxing this Place Today!

We just arrived at a new rental house and this place is TOXIC!!!

Even though I’ve thrown out most of the leftovers from the last tenant’s cleaning supplies, there’s more to go.  And it just occurred to me that you would like to see what I’m throwing out today.  This assortment came from the bathroom and under the kitchen sink.

With limited Spanish to read the labels, here’s how I’m making decisions.  This goes left to right.

  • Suavitel – it has a precaution section on the back label, plus it lists perfume as an ingredient. It’s going into the garbage.
  • Vanish Max 2X laundry soap – looks not too bad, but the fragrance is so nauseating, it’s going.
  • Kitchen Mate Oven and Grill Cleaner – commercial strength. Warning is Keep out of Reach of Children and Danger: Corrosive. Causes skin burns. Use adequate ventilation and avoid inhaling. Here’s list from the label: (potassium hydroxide 1310-58-3) and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (111-90-0) I don’t know how to dispose of this – I’m going to leave it outside for now.
  • Alcohol bottle – has a skull and crossbones on it, plus a warning about children.  I feel it’s safe to pour down the toilet, so it’s gone now.
  • Clorox – Dr. Hulda Clark has already declared this to be unsafe, so it will be stored outside until we need it for occasionally cleaning toilets.
  • Protex Deo 12 soap (not pictured) – stating that it eliminates 99.9% of bacteria, and the ingredient list says:  Sodium Palmitate or Sodium Oleate or Sodium Laurate, PEG 12, parfume, Triclocarbon, citric acid, titanium dioxide, Green 3, Ext D & C Violet 2.  All 4 bars are going into the garbage also.
  • Citrodex bottle with approx. 1 inch of a greenish murky liquid.  I don’t know what it is and it has no warnings or instructions on the label.  It will be going into the garbage.
  • Baygon Roach killer – This one looks really scary and hubby tells me it looks like the worst of the collection!  There’s got to be a natural bug killer recipe out there somewhere.  This one will be the subject of another post on this site.
  • Axion and Pril cleaners – can’t tell if they clean dishes or laundry.  I cannot read the ingredient lists if they have one because the writing is behind the liquid.  They have strong fragrances, so they are going in the garbage.

One question I have is:  Is the labeling here in Central America similar to the North American labeling system where they are ‘supposed’ to list all ingredients?  Also, do they put symbols on all hazardous products?  I’m not taking chances, and am starting from scratch.

I hope you go through your cupboards regularly to clean out toxic items that have crept into your cupboards some way or other.  Here are some tips:  Look for symbols of skull and crossbones, a corroded hand, Caution section or Warnings.  Avoid these items.  For simple cleaning, stick to known items like vinegar and baking soda.  Every country that I have traveled to, vinegar and baking soda are common ingredients that you can find easily. 

If you are cleaning up chemicals in your home for the first time, see “How to Detoxify Your Home” where I walk you through the steps that I took in cleaning up our home.

Yours for getting rid of poisons in the home!

Lyn

 

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