for a Healthy Home
|by Allison Evans
Let’s face it: we live in a less than pure world.
And despite our best efforts, it’s nearly impossible to keep our kids from exposures to things
like pesticides, car exhaust, second-hand smoke
and mold.
The good news - We do have control over what
the EPA has deemed should be our top concern: the air in our homes.
Up to ten times more toxic than outdoors, the
space inside our four walls could be slowly
chipping away at our family’s health. And,
ironically, the main culprits may be the very
things we use to keep our homes free of dirt,
germs, and bugs.
Even green alternatives and non-toxic methods can grant us a false sense of security when
it comes to providing a truly healthy home for
our families. Let’s look at some areas where
even us “green gurus” may be able to improve:
“I use all green, natural cleaners!”
Ahh, wouldn’t it be nice if we could judge a
cleaning product by its label? The reality is that
claims like “non-toxic” and “all-natural” are
unregulated, often used for marketing purposes
only. Also, because manufacturers of household
cleaners aren’t required to disclose the ingre-
dients, it’s almost impossible for us to know if
they’re really safe.
So what if we broke our long-entrenched cleaning habits and got back to basics? From laundry
to floors, kitchen to bathroom, virtually every
cleaning job can be tackled with pure soap,
baking soda, water, and a microfiber cloth.
Look for quality soap concentrates like Dr.
Bronner’s and Branch Basics that can be diluted
for home and body uses. Beyond lowering the
toxins in our homes, this change could save on
time and money wasted by purchasing several
products.
“We use sanitizers, but they’re eco-friendly
and alcohol-free!”
You’re probably familiar with the antibioticresistant “supe &'Vw>(