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Exposure to the toxic chemicals many household products contain-including your window cleaner, tile scrubber, and furniture polish-can really do a number on your central nervous system, resulting in brain fog, difficulty breathing, and even sudden mood swings.
Because their brains and central nervous systems are still in development, babies and children are especially vulnerable to low levels of neurotoxic chemicals. For a healthier home, pay attention to "signal words" on warning labels, advises Kathy of Broom Huggers, a natural cleaning service based in Northeast Atlanta. Here's her breakdown of what to steer clear of:
1. Danger: Poison: If the skull and cross bones are present, you know you're dealing with something hazardous. A drop or two could kill you, and using these products incorrectly (inhaling, putting them on the skin, etc.) could also cause serious damage.
2. Danger: Slightly less hazard, but let's emphasize slightly. If the label says Danger but not poison, then you're dealing with something that could kill an adult with a few small drops, but whatever chemical is present hasn't been saddled with the Poison designation.3. Warning: A teaspoon of it could kill an adult.
4. Caution: This is much less toxic, but 2 tablespoons to a cup could still kill you.
Some other words you'll find on labels are Flammable, Toxic, Carcinogen, Corrosive. They're pretty much self-explanatory, and certainly not to be ignored, Kathy says. Switching to greener, biodegradable, and non-petroleum-based products is one way you can control the pollution within your own home.
If you're planning to ditch the existing contents of your cleaning cabinet, call your town's recycling service to find out how you should dispose of hazardous waste. Chemicals should not be tossed into the garbage, where they can leach poisons into the landfills and our water supply, nor should they be incinerated because they can release mercury and other noxious substances into the air.
Difficulty level: Easy
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