One More Way to Keep Your Kids Safe
(ARA) - Parents do a lot of things for the sake of their children -- from
sitting through soccer games in the freezing rain to making sure they eat a
healthy, balanced diet to providing a safe, clean place to live.
Unfortunately, many of the cleaning products commonly found on grocery store
shelves and in your home are not as safe as you might think.
Take a minute to inventory the cleaning products you currently use. How many
times do words like "danger," "warning," and "caution" appear on the labels?
Cleaning products are exempt from the full ingredient disclosure on product
labels as required for food and personal care products and enter the
marketplace with little or no testing for potential health risks.
But compelling evidence links the chemicals in household products to a whole
range of conditions, including cancer, asthma, allergies, multiple chemical
sensitivity syndrome, hormonal disruption and reproductive and developmental
disorders. For example, many all-purpose cleaners, window cleaners, spray
cleaners and scouring powders contain butyl cellosolve, a liver and kidney
neurotoxin. And check for naphthalene -- a kidney toxin, cataract trigger
and carcinogen -- in your toilet cleaners, carpet cleaners and deodorizers.
Children are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of the chemicals
found in our homes. Their higher metabolism and greater appetites for
everything from food to air mean that they experience greater
pound-for-pound exposures to the toxins of everyday life than adults. And
their smaller size and still-developing body systems mean they're
disproportionately affected by those hazards they encounter. That makes
protecting children from household chemical hazards among a parent's most
urgent tasks.
"Parents and all those concerned with the welfare of children need to be
aware of the preventable health and development problems caused by exposure
to toxic substances in homes, schools and communities and empowered to take
action to protect children against these toxic threats," says Christopher
Gavigan, executive director of the Children's Health Environmental Coalition
(CHEC), a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public
about environmental toxins that affect children's health. As consumers
become more aware of the risks posed by common household cleaning products,
they are demanding more environmentally friendly products, and even making
their own non-toxic cleaning supplies.
A great place to start finding out more about natural cleaning products is
the book "Naturally Clean," written by Jeffrey Hollender, president of
Seventh Generation, the Vermont-based company that has been a leader in
environmentally friendly household products for 18 years. Royalties from the
sale of the book benefit the Children's Health Environmental Coalition in
their efforts to educate parents about environmental toxins that can affect
children's health through their Blue Butterfly campaign.
The campaign is getting help from celebrities, including actress Laura Dern.
"As a mother, and as an individual wanting a safer and cleaner environment
to raise my children in, it was an easy choice for me to get involved with
the Blue Butterfly Campaign," she says. "'Naturally Clean' is an important
step on the path to a healthier future for all our children."
In addition to explaining the dangers of traditional cleaners and showing
how the chemicals found in your home contribute to health problems, the book
contains a room-by-room guide on tips for a healthier kitchen; keeping
bedrooms safe; controlling mold, mildew and soap scum in the bathroom; and
special precautions for cleaning children's rooms.
You'll also find Seventh Generation's pick of the healthiest and safest
options drawn from a special analysis of over 300 natural and traditional
cleaners, as well as recipes for making your own non-toxic household
cleaners. "Many people are happily rediscovering the art and science of
do-it-yourself cleaning products and creating much healthier homes in the
process," says Hollender. "An almost endless variety of safe homemade
substitutes for toxic chemical cleaning formulas of all kinds can be easily
prepared from just a handful of common natural materials like pure vegetable
soaps, grease-cutting vinegars, baking soda and citrus oils.
Get your copy of "Naturally Clean" and take control of your home environment
today. Your kids will thank you. You can find the book on amazon.com or you
can order it from the publisher at http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3892.
For more information on CHEC and the Blue Butterfly Campaign, visit
www.BlueButterfly.org.
Courtesy of ARA Content
SIDEBAR:
A Dozen Ways to Keep Kids Safer and Healthier
Jeffrey Hollender, author of "Naturally Clean" and president of Seventh
Generation, offers these 12 tips to get toxins out of your home.
1. Use natural-formula cleaners made from biodegradable vegetable
surfactants, non-toxic minerals and other natural-based materials.
2. Use only natural cosmetic and personal care products and avoid synthetic
scents and perfumes. When you hug your kids, make sure all they pick up is
affection.
3. Ban all aerosol spray products from your home, including deodorants, hair
sprays and even air fresheners. These typically contain toxic volatile
organic compounds, which remain suspended as microscopic droplets in your
home's air for hours and even days.
4. Use only safe and natural arts and crafts supplies. Avoid products that
give off fumes like many permanent ink markers, rubber cement, glues,
paints, etc.
5. Don't use chemical flea and tick preparations for pets -- kids who hug
and play with pets will be exposed to anything they've been treated with.
Ban all pesticides from your home.
6. Use untreated bedding. Permanent press and other treated sheets contain
formaldehyde that's emitted and inhaled while kids sleep.
7. Soft flexible plastic and vinyl products often contain toxic chemicals
called phthalates. Before buying a soft plastic item, especially a toy,
verify that the product is phthalate-free.
8. Since little kids virtually live on the floor, consider replacing any
vinyl flooring with linoleum or another natural material to protect them
from leaching phthalates.
9. Avoid polymer clays, a key source of childhood exposure to phthalates.
Bake-able polymer clays contain up to 14 percent phthalates by weight.
10. Keep particle board and other pressed composite wood products out of
your home. They are made with glues and other chemicals that give off fumes
as they age.
11. Let fresh air into your home frequently -- even in winter. A good
healthy air exchange is worth more than any warmed or cooled air you'll
replace and is the best way to rinse out any accumulated pollutants.
12. Store food and pack lunches in #1, #2, #4 or #5 plastic containers,
which are less likely to contain and leach compounds like organotins. Never
use plastic of any kind in a microwave oven, even those that claim to be
microwave safe.
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