cktimes.ca Archives for Choices4Wellness
Choices4Wellness
Cleansing your home in 2007
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Cleaning commercials – we have all seen them – how to kill all the bacteria, how to make your home smell like an ocean breeze or a meadow of fresh cut flowers, or how to take soap scum off of your shower and just watch next time – are they using bare hands? The ones I have noticed have gloves on ..clue #1 ..We must look at what is in these products instead of looking at the label and smelling the product thinking that it would be great in our home.The truth is that is what the companies do – they know we are creatures of sight and sound and want things done quickly with little or no effort.
If you want to make a healthy and environmently sound choice then read on.
CBS Market Place did an expose on household products – If you can't pronounce it, should you use it?
Dr. Virginia Salares specialized in indoor air quality. We asked her what's in some of the products being marketed to young families. One product we looked at – Lysol Anti-bacterial Action Spray – lists ethanol 79 per cent. Not just any ethanol, Salares, says. It's denatured ethanol.
Salares has put together a book for us, full of data sheets which lists the hazards of specific chemicals in the workplace. Here's what she discovered about denatured ethanol:
"May cause irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes, may cause central nervous system depression if inhaled or ingested."
This is just a part of the article from = HYPERLINK "http://www.cbc.ca" www.cbc.ca under: If you can't pronounce it, should you use it?
Excellent article to read online if you get a chance.
Cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10 percent of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers in 2000, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, nearly two-thirds involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside the typical home is on average 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside – and in extreme cases 100 times more contaminated – largely because of household cleaners and pesticides.
The Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project reports that 6 out of every 100 janitors in Washington state have lost time from their jobs as a result of injuries linked to toxic cleaning products, particularly glass and toilet cleaners and degreasers.
In a 2002 U.S. Geological Survey study of contaminants in U.S. stream water, 69 percent of streams sampled contained persistent detergent metabolites, and 66 percent contained disinfectants.
Common household toxics and the products they're found in: ?Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) ?Lung and eye irritant. Household bleach is the most common cleaner accidentally swallowed by children. If mixed with ammonia or acid-based cleaners (including vinegar), releases highly toxic chloramine gas. Short-term exposure to chloramine gas may cause mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems. ?Petroleum distillates (metal polishes) ?Short-term exposure can cause temporary eye clouding; longer exposure can damage the nervous system, skin, kidneys, and eyes. ?Ammonia (glass cleaner)?Lung and skin irritant. If mixed with chorine, releases toxic chloramine gas. Short-term exposure to chloramine gas may cause coughing, choking and lung damage. Asthmatics may be particularly vulnerable to asthma and chloramine fumes.?Phenol and cresol (disinfectants)?Corrosive; can cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and kidney and liver damage. ?Nitrobenzene (furniture and floor polishes)?Can cause shallow breathing, vomiting, and death; associated with cancer and birth defects. ?Formaldehyde (preservative in many household products, glue in particleboard and plywood furniture) Probable human carcinogen. Levels of formaldehyde in air as low as 0.1 ppm (0.1 part formaldehyde per million parts of air) can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, stuffy nose, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes and allergic reactions.?Perchloroethylene or 1-1-1 trichloroethane solvents (dry cleaning fluid, spot removers and carpet cleaners) Eye, skin and lung irritant. Can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested; perchloroethylene has caused cancer in some laboratory animals and is considered a probable human carcinogen. Can accumulate and persist in human fatty tissues and breast milk. ?Naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (mothballs, toilet bowl cleaners)?Naphthalene fumes can irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Chronic exposure to naphthalene can cause damage to liver, kidneys, skin, and the central nervous system. Paradichlorobenzene is a probable carcinogen that can also harm the central nervous system, liver and kidneys. High concentration of fumes may irritate eyes, nose, throat and lungs.?Hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate (toilet bowl cleaners)?Either can burn the skin or cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach burns if swallowed; also can cause blindness if inadvertently splashed in the eyes. ?Formaldehyde, phenol, and pentachlorophenol (spray starch) ?Any aerosolized particle, including cornstarch, may irritate the lungs. ?
Formaldehyde in the Home ?Formaldehyde is a chemical widely used in many building materials and household products. According to the Environmental Defense Scoreboard it is ranked as one of the most hazardous compounds to ecosystems and human health. ?
Possible Health Problems ?Exposure to formaldehyde affects people differently. Some experience no adverse reactions when exposed to moderate levels, while others do, even after low exposure. This colorless, pungent gas can cause one or more of the following health problems:
Coughing / Dizziness / Eye irritation or watery eyes / Fatigue / Headaches / Lethargy / Nausea / Nose irritation / Skin rashes / Throat irritation / Upper respiratory tract irritation / Wheezing. ?Possible Sources in the Home ?Formaldehyde exists in every home to some degree. The concentrations in the home vary depending on the age of the home and the quantity of pressed wood products. Here is a partial listing of products that may contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasing agents:-?Adhesives / Air fresheners / Carpet backings / Cigarette smoking / Cosmetics Drapery fabric / Dyes / Fiberboard / Floor polishes / Fuel burning appliances - wood, kerosene or natural gas / Glues / Household liquid scouring cleaners ?Household rug and upholstery cleaners / Markers / Paints / Paper products ?Particle board - furniture, fixtures, cabinets / Permanent press clothing / Plywood paneling resins / Rug and upholstery cleaners / Scatter rugs and bath mats / Sheet vinyl flooring / Toilet bowl cleaners / Wall coverings
I am thankful there are many natural products and environmentaly friendly ones to use instead of the old standards we are used to. In the media they are getting smarter – they are promoting healthy commercials. Beware, read the labels – just because they say they are doing good doesn't mean they are doing the best. The bottom line as we all know for big corporations is the all mighty dollar.
Answers:
- Use "exterior-grade" pressed wood products (lower-emitting because they contain phenol resins, not urea resins). ?- Use air conditioning and dehumidifier to maintain moderate temperature and reduce humidity levels. ?- Increase ventilation, particularly after bringing new sources of formaldehyde into the home.
Buy formaldehyde-free products. ?Wash permanent press clothing prior to use. ?Avoid products that contain these formaldehyde releasing agents such as bronopol, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolindinyl, and quaternium 15.
Make informed decisions about the selection, use and storage of hazardous products.
Remember hazardous products may be: flammable, explosive/reactive, corrosive/caustic, toxic/poisonous or reactive.
Learn to read the labels. Look for the signal words. POISON means highly toxic. DANGER means extremely flammable or corrosive or highly toxic. WARNING or CAUTION means less toxic.
Lastly, use common sense when using and storing hazardous products to decrease the potential health hazards and pollution.
Go Green – GO Natural
Instead of using a standard drain cleaner, which likely contains lye, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid, try pouring a quarter cup of baking soda down the clogged drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Close the drain tightly until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water.
For an effective glass cleaner, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water.
Baking soda and cornstarch are both good carpet deodorizers.
To clean up mildew and mold, use a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar and salt.
A paste of baking soda, salt, and hot water makes a great oven cleaner.
At choices4wellness we can supply you with all natural/environmentally friendly cleaners for most of your cleaning needs!
Remember We can make the right choice! We can cleanse our body but we also need to cleanse our house.
Be well and live in unlimited abundance in 2007
thanks for reading ..Greg Foster
Inspiration for the week:
The only place you will be accepted is the place you make for yourself
Greg Foster, owner of Choices4Wellness has a long history in the Natural Health industry. Since 1987 Greg's goal has been to own and operate his own store. While working toward his goal, he was a sales associate for Prolab a sports nutrition company. Greg also worked as a personal trainer and helped people achieve their fat loss and fitness goals, while also teaching them that these goals were about a "whole" lifestyle approach and the benefits of supplements and healthy food choices . Always teaching that it's about FAT LOSS not weight loss, Greg is now able to live out his dream of owning a health food store so that he can better meet the needs of his clients. Greg has a personal training room at the store where he has one on one time with his clients. They range from teenagers to couples that want personalized time and attention to achieve fitness goals without the busy atmosphere of a gym, where sometimes your precious work-out time is gobbled up by socializing and waiting your turn on the equipment.. It is during this time that Greg is able to recommend lifestyle choices to enhance your work-out routine & a positive mental attitude. Being a father of 3 boys, ages Trevor 18, Chad 10,and Shane 9 , Greg is sympathetic to living a busy life, and helps to make fitness goals realistic as well. At 41, Greg Foster , has embarked on a journey of entrepreneurial spirit, meshed with a passion to see people lead healthier ,happier lives. Truly, a business combination for success. Kim Iles, the manager of Choices4Wellness, is no stranger to the Natural Health Industry. She formerly founded and owned Alternative Choices from 1993 until its closing in 2004. During those 11years, Kim achieved many levels of business experience. She was on the board of directors for the CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) as well as developing and franchising her Alternative choices concept. Kim's real passion however is with teaching, providing lectures, and spreading her knowledge of natural health through out Chatham-Kent and beyond. Kim is a mother of a 22 year old daughter , Nicole and a 17 year old son, Jordon . To Choices4Wellness, Kim also brings her knowledge of the water purification side of the business. Kim is a former owner and co-founder of Pure Choice Water Centers. The new store located inside of Choices4Wellness is appropriately named Choices4Water with a slogan "water you can believe in", offering state of the art purification better tasting and at better prices than the old business she left behind. Kim has always been a familiar voice on the radio, as well as in the newspaper, as she believes education and creating awareness is vital to getting people use and accept natural health products to create wellness and a lifestyle that enhances their lives.
