Years ago, I used to think that if products were allowed to be sold to us as consumers then they must be safe for us to use. I was shocked to learn that this is not true and that many of the products that line the shelves in shops contain ingredients that are harmful to our health.
You’re probably familiar with the hazard symbols that appear on some cleaning products, along with word like “poison”, “corrosive” or “irritant.” These hazard symbols warn consumers about acute health hazards associated with a single or short-term exposure to chemicals in the product, but there’s no requirement for manufacturers to warn us about the health and environmental hazards associated with chronic, or long-term, exposure to chemical ingredients in household cleaning products. This is partly due to the fact that these long-term effects have not actually been studied because there are no regulatory requirements for this to occur – scary stuff!
When we use these chemicals to clean our home, they linger in the air (and on surfaces) and and we breathe them in. Researchers in the U.S. identified 133 unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from a small sample of consumer products, including six cleaning products. Each product tested emitted between one and eight chemicals classified as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws. Chemicals in cleaning products can enter our bodies by absorption through the skin or through ingestion of household dust and chemical residues left on dishes and cutlery. Not to mention that when chemical cleaning products are flushed down the drain, they can have a serious impact on aquatic ecosystems.
There are no regulatory requirements for ingredients to be listed on the label of cleaning products in a consistent format, so it can be hard to identify chemicals of concern. Pull any commercial cleaning product from your cupboard and see if you can find a full list of all the ingredients on the label…it’s unlikely you will be able to. Many labels list one or more “active ingredients” but that’s as far as it goes.
I don’t want to bore you to tears (or scare the wits out of you!) by listing hundreds of the known toxic chemicals in household cleaning products but let’s just briefly cover a few of the more common nasties…
Phthalates: found in many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, and even toilet paper, phthalates are to be avoided wherever possible. Phthalates have been linked to diabetes, obesity, liver and breast cancer, hormone disruption affecting fertility and development as well as linked to attention and behavioural disorders in children. Due to proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents, so you won’t find phthalates on a label. If you see the word “fragrance” on a label, there’s a good chance phthalates are present. Phthalates are known endocrine (hormonal system) disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health. Research has confirmed that the leaching of phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals into our waterways is altering the biology of fish, making male fish more female…yikes!
Although exposure to phthalates mainly occurs through inhalation, it can also happen through skin contact which is a significant problem, warns Alicia Stanton, MD, coauthor of Hormone Harmony (Healthy Life Library, 2009). Unlike the digestive system, the skin has no safeguards against toxins and thus absorbed chemicals go straight to our organs. You can read more about phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals here and here.
Triclosan: found in most commercial liquid dishwashing detergents and products labeled “antibacterial” such as hand soaps and hand gels. Triclosan is an aggressive anti-microbial agent and there is concern that its extensive use in consumer products is contributing to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus limiting treatment options for microbial infections. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently investigating whether triclosan may also disrupt endocrine (hormonal) function. Recent research also suggests that triclosan is a probable carcinogen. The Canadian Medical Association has called for a ban on antibacterial consumer products. The European Union classifies triclosan as irritating to the skin and eyes, and as very toxic to aquatic organisms, noting that it may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. You can read more about the dangers of triclosan here. Read about how antibacterial soaps containing triclosan are no more effective at eliminating bacteria than regular soap here.
Coal Tar Dyes: found in most household cleaning products, coal tar dyes are derived from petrochemicals, and may be contaminated with trace amounts of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium and lead. There is concern that these synthetic dyes may cause cancer and heavy metals can harm the nervous system and cause other adverse health effects. Dyes in cleaning products can be absorbed through the skin or ingested in the case of soap residue on dishes. Absurdly, they are completely unnecessary to the cleaning function of the product and only used to make the product more visually appealing.
Okaaaay. So after all that doom and gloom, the good news is that there are safer, natural and effective alternatives when it comes to cleaning your home! I make many of my own cleaning products using doTERRA’s essential oils – they are very effective, it saves me a lot of money and my house smells amazing! To set up your own wholesale account and purchase doTERRA’s essential oils and other products at 25% (or more) below retail prices, click here. Here are some of my favourite recipes:
All Purpose Spray – I like to substitute the borax for a squirt of a natural dishwashing liquid like this one. I like to use citrus oils for my kitchen spray (they smell fantastic and have great grease cutting capability), and I use doTERRA’s On Guard protective blend in my bathroom/toilet cleaner spray.
**Note: when using citrus essential oils, it’s important to use glass bottles to store your homemade products as citrus essential oils break down plastics over time and you don’t really want to be spraying plastic particles on your home surfaces. I use the 450ml amber glass bottles from Glass Bottles Direct for my cleaning sprays. They are a great local company (located at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast in QLD) with excellent customer service and fantastic prices.**
For an even easier All Purpose Spray option, you can purchase doTERRA’s On Guard Cleaner Concentrate and then dilute the concentrate with filtered water and store in a glass spray bottle. You can set up your own wholesale account and purchase this product here.
Soft Scrub for Bath, Tile & Toilet – this is the perfect natural Jif alternative and in my opinion it actually works better. I scrub all my bathroom surfaces with this first and then I spray and wipe a layer of my On Guard All Purpose Spray (the On Guard blend contains Clove oil essential oil which is great for combating mould) .
Toilet Bowl Cleaner (scroll down to second recipe)
I freshen my carpets, upholstery and mattresses with a powder made using doTERRA’s Purify cleansing blend to eliminate odours and combat environmental threats, as well as to repel dustmites. Simply fill a jar to 2/3 full with bicarbonate of soda and then add around 5 drops of Purify. Give the jar a good shake and allow to sit for a while if possible, then sift the powder over your surfaces using a sieve. Leave for at least 15 mins (you can leave for longer) and then vacuum up. This powder is a great solution for stinky shoes too – sprinkle into shoes and leave overnight, then take the head off your vacuum cleaner and place the end of the wand directly into the shoe and vacuum out.
There are some household cleaning products that I don’t currently make from scratch, and in these cases I love the Kin Kin Naturals range of products. They are the most effective and most economical natural cleaning products I have found and they are made locally at Kin Kin in QLD. I use the dishwasher powder, the dishwash liquid and the laundry soaker and stain remover.
I try to buy my ingredients for my DIY cleaning recipes in bulk – Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) from Costco (my Mum has an account) or from Aussie Soap Supplies, organic liquid castile soap and citric acid from Aussie Soap Supplies. I buy naturally brewed vinegar from the supermarket in 2L bottles. I buy my Kin Kin Naturals products at wholesale prices through a local Brisbane co-op that I am a member of (contact me for details).
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try out any of the above recipes. If you’d like a recipe for any other household cleaning products, contact me and I’ll endeavour to send you one. I didn’t want to overwhelm you all with too many recipes in one post but I do have many more up my sleeve!
No Comments