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Home Green Home: Tips for Creating a Toxin-free Home

by Karyn Siegel-Maier

This article appeared in part in Better Nutrition magazine.

A clean home is a haven.  Even if you despise wiping down counters and washing tiled floors (does anyone actually enjoy it?), the reward of organizing and sanitizing your living space to a degree that even your mother would appreciate is very gratifying.  But, while you admire your sparkling windows and stain-free carpeting, do the words “toxic” and “hazardous waste” spring to mind?  Probably not; and yet, those terms may aptly describe the very substances left on the surfaces and fixtures of your home in place of the dirt.

  Anyone who has ever watched television or browsed through the advertisements of a magazine is familiar with the sometimes not-so-subtle messages often made by manufacturers of household cleaning products.  Want smiling, gleeful children that dance under rainbows while wearing their Sunday finest?  Product X will guarantee this happy picture on laundry day and make a statement that reflects pretty well on laundering moms (and dads) across the map to boot.  But, what the manufacturer forgot – and isn’t required – to tell you is that the optical brighteners added to the product to reflect light and make the fabric merely appear to be brighter can cause severe allergic reactions, or that little Johnny or Susie may be wearing a residual pesticide next to their skin.

The Chemistry of Cleaning Products

  Ready for some eye-opening facts?  Most commercial cleaning products rarely come down to a simple case of soap and water.  In fact, they are often laden with agents that are classified as hazardous wastes and have known toxicity that can damage organs and the central nervous system.  What’s worse is that manufacturers are not required to list the individual ingredients of a product on the label.  In fact, it’s very rare that you’ll ever see them there.  Moreover, poor labeling standards allow manufacturers to make sweeping statements like “Harmful if Swallowed” that leaves the long-term dangers a mystery. Here’s a rundown of some seemingly innocuous products that you may currently be using and their potential ingredients.

Laundry Detergent – Aside from the optical brighteners already mentioned, these products may also contain alkylbenzene sulfonate, a known liver carcinogen that is readily absorbed through the skin, a very poisonous substance known as tetrapotassium pyrophophosphate, or fluosilicate, a toxic pesticide.

Dishwashing Liquid – This is one of the leading causes of accidental poisonings of young children in the home.  Many of these liquid soaps (which are actually detergents) contain two hazardous wastes: naptha and chloro-ortho-phenylphenol.  The former is a neurotoxin and the latter is highly toxic to humans and “bioconcentrates” by remaining in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife.  Another common ingredient found in dishwashing liquids is diethanolamin, a caustic substance suspected of being damaging to the liver.

Disinfectants – These products may contain naptha, benzalkonium chloride, phenols, sodium sulfites and triclosan, among other toxins.  Benzalkonium chloride damages mucous membranes and phenol (carbolic acid), known to cause liver and kidney damage, are nerve-deadening agents.  Phenol is absorbed through the skin and can trigger convulsions, coma, respiratory arrest and even death in certain individuals.  Triclosan is also easily absorbed via the skin and associated with liver damage.  Sodium sulfites can be fatal to chronic asthmatics.

Furniture Polish – Once again, there’s an impressive list of toxins found in these products that may include naptha, phenol, diglycol laurate, amyl acetate or nitrobenzene.  Diglycol laurate and amyl acetate depress the central nervous system.  Diglycol laurate is also damaging to liver and kidneys.  Nitrobenzene is readily absorbed through the skin and is highly toxic.

Air Fresheners – Would you believe that what is supposed to clear the air actually covers up the offending aroma with recognized carcinogens such as formaldehyde and piperonyl butoxide?  In fact, these products are usually chemically engineered to obstruct your sense of smell by coating your nasal passages with nerve-deadening agents.  These products may also contain methoxychlor, a pesticide that bioconcentrates in the environment.

On the Road to Nontoxic Cleaning

It’s actually quite easy to be green, but it probably won’t happen overnight.  You may have a vast array of toxic cleaning products already on hand that need to be addressed.  Using them up, donating them or scheduling a toxic waste pickup with your local authorities are far better alternatives to simply pouring them down the drain.  Once your old cleaners are out of the picture you’ll be amazed at how simplified your life and how uncluttered your cabinets will be! 

The next step is to replace your old cleaners with non-toxic ones.  Your health food store is a great place to find eco-friendly products and I’m very happy to say that many supermarkets are beginning to carry them as well.  Of course, you can also make many of your own products in minutes and for sheer pennies.  What kinds of ingredients do nontoxic cleaners contain?  This list won’t strain your eyes or tax your knowledge of chemistry, but nontoxic cleaners found on the market may contain one or more of the following:  water, vegetable or oil-based soaps, vegetable dyes, essential oils (such as citrus or botanical oils), alum or other minerals, vinegar, baking soda and washing soda.  Yep, that’s basically it.  There may be others adorned with complicated names, but manufacturers of eco-friendly products are not shy about listing them.  One word of caution though - the terms “natural” and “biodegradable” are not governed by any regulatory definitions, so learn to read labels carefully.  If a suspicious ingredient presents itself on a label, or you don’t understand what a component is, call the manufacturer and ask for an explanation.  If the company is truly marketing a natural, nontoxic product, they’ll be more than happy to offer one.

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Herbal Crafting & Cooking

March 10-12: Nutracon. Anaheim, CA. E-mail: tradeshows@newhope.com. Website: www.newhope.com.

March 12: Herb Days at Festival Hill. Round Top, TX. Tours begin at 11am with luncheon and lecture and last until 2pm. $30 per person. Contact: The Herbal Forum at Round Top, P.O. Box 23 Round Top, Texas 78954. Ph: 979-249-3973. Fax: 979-249-3961.

March 15: Wildflower Days Begin…Wild About Families. Austin, TX. Celebrate the arrival of spring and Wildflower Days with a nature photography exhibit, book signing, special membership promotions, children’s educational activities, and more. Contact: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse, Austin, TX 78739. Ph: 512-292-4200. Website: www.wildflower.org.

March 15-16. Sunstone Herb Farm's Foundations of Herbal Practice. Sky Lake Lodge. 5-month intensive w/gifted herbalist William LeSassier. Develop practitioner skills while learning client intake, face, skin & tongue diagnosis, therapeutic protocols, & much more! Ph: 845-687-8938. Website: www.sunstoneherbs.com.

March 16-21: Rutgers University's Short Courses in Biotechnology "Protein Purification: Isolation, Analysis, and Characterization of GFP." A 5-day hands on laboratory course using the Green-Flourescent Protein (GFP), a novel marker for gene expression, as the source material. Contact: Randy Ward; Dept. of Biochemistry and Microbiology; Cook College, Rutger's University; 716 Lipman Dr.; New Brunswick, NJ 08901. E-mail: wward@aesop.rutgers.edu. Website: www.rci.rutgers.edu/~meton/protein.html.

March 22: Austin School of Herbal Studies' Open House-Garden Work Day. Austin, TX. Enjoy herbal teas and snacks and work a bit in the garden in this hands-on, get your hands dirty day. An intense Herbal Intensive follows, then a BachFlower class, the ever-popular Cosmetics class, A Plant Walk, A new Herbal First Aid class and a Formulation class. Ph: 512-301-5838. Website: www.ezherbs.net.

March 22: The 8th Annual Herbal Forum at Round Top. Round Top, TX. A Celebration of Herbs Featuring Basil, Herb of the Year 2003! The forum will include lectures, demonstrations and exhibits, including: an extensive herbal book store, a fabulous garden buffet luncheon and afternoon tea, a giant plant sale and more. Optional participation workshops Friday afternoon, March 21. Contact: The Herbal Forum at Round Top, P.O. Box 23 Round Top, Texas 78954. Ph: 979-249-3973. Fax: 979-249-3961.

March 28-30: Sunstone Herb Farm'sWomen's Wellness Workshop. Sky Lake Lodge. Principles of balance & healing w/ Miriam Cooper, L.Ac. Healing weekend retreat featuring Classical Five Element and T'ai Chi principles, healing foods, deep relaxation, community, and fun! Ph: 845-687-8938. Website: www.sunstoneherbs.com.

March 28-31: Semi-Annual EX*TRACTS Market. New York, NY. 300 exhibitors will present personal care and lifestyle-enhancing products. Contact: Elizabeth Murphy, George Little Managemant, LLC (GLM), Ten Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10606. Ph: 914-421-3246. Fax: 914-948-6289. E-mail: elizabeth_murphy@glmshows.com. Website: www.extractsny.com.

March 28-April 1: APhA Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. Contact: Michael Montagne, 179 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. Ph: 608-262-5378. E-mail: mmontagne@mcp.edu.

March 29-30: Spring Opening Weekend at The New York Botanical Garden's Howell Family Garden. New York, NY. This garden is a beautiful and engaging place for children and families to have fun discovering gardening and nature. Contact: Leeann Lavin. Ph: 718-817-873. E-mail: llavin@nybg.org.  Website: www.nybg.org.

Source: American Botanical Council (ABC)

DISCLAIMER:  The contents herein are not intended and should not be construed as being in any form or manner an attempt at diagnosis, therapy or medical advice. While the editors and contributors strive for accuracy, neither collectively nor individually do we assume responsibility for injury and specifically disclaim any warranty, express or implied, for any products or services mentioned herein. If a medical condition exists, we suggest that you seek competent attention and or/counseling by a qualified health practitioner.

Copyright 2002, The Herbal Muse Press