| Virtually
every object used in building your home and the objects within it-the insulation
in your house, your sofa, food storage containers, floor cleaners and even fabric
softener-impacts both your health and the health of the planet. You
may be shocked to discover that many seemingly harmless household products contain
dangerous chemicals. However, most of these products can be easily removed and
replaced and some will lose their toxicity over time, so you needn't panic and
think everything in your house must be replaced. Indoor
pollution greatly increased after the end of World War II, with mass-produced
housing. These new houses were made with new, lightweight materials, materials
that were produced by the petrochemical industry. These products, made from petrochemicals,
release chemicals into the air-through a process known as outgassing. Outgassing
is the slow release from the material of chemical residues used in the manufacturing
process into the atmosphere. They include VOC's and many other petrochemical derivatives.
Materials made from petrochemicals include plywood, particleboard, carpeting,
vinyl flooring, adhesives, paints, fabrics and much more. Petrochemicals
The
biggest source of pollution comes from the use of petrochemicals, which causes
both environmental damage and damage to the earth's inhabitants. A non-renewable
resource, the use of petrochemicals is so pervasive in our lives that the removal
of them overnight would result in an unrecognizable world. Petrochemicals heat
our homes and transport people and products. Plastic products are derived from
petrochemicals. Many cleaning supplies, paint, clothing, furniture, building materials,
packaging materials, toys, carpeting, appliances, automobiles, planes, trucks,
makeup, grooming products, soap, detergent and pesticides contain petrochemicals
and require the use of them during the manufacturing process. Guidelines
for Eco-friendly and Healthful Purchasing Choices:
Do: - Replace products
that are made from petrochemicals with products that are made with natural, non-hazardous
and preferably renewable products. For example, use bamboo flooring that is finished
with natural wax and tung or linseed oil; and purchase natural paints, lime plasters
and cork floors.
- Purchase
raw materials near production sites to save on transportation expense and fuel
waste.
- Purchase materials
that were processed using renewable energy.
- Extend
product life by reuse and recycling of components.
- Recycle
waste to become ingredients in other products. Called "biomimicry,"
these are manufacturing processes that take one product and turn it into something
else. For example: carpets that are made from recycled plastic bottles, paints
that are made from vegetable extracts, tiles that are made from ceramic waste
and rubber flooring that is made from recycled tires.
- Support
companies that employ safe and clean methods to produce products or that use recycled
products.
- Support companies
that sell healthy, organic, sustainable products.
The
following products are toxic and cause pollution and should be avoided when possible: - Most
commercial cleaning products and other household chemicals
- Garden
pesticides
- Carpets glued
with solvents, treated with fungicides and containing residual pesticides
- Fabrics
treated with chlorine, benzene and/or formaldehyde
- Most
plywood and particleboard, which contain formaldehyde, urea and other dangerous
glues
- Many paints and
stains, which contain fungicides, VOC's and other chemicals
- Vinyl
flooring, furniture and plastics that contain VOC's such as bromides and chlorine
- Dry
cleaning and dry cleaning solvents
Eco-Friendly
Cleaning Products
While the dangers of the most commonly used individual
chemicals have been documented, there have been few attempts to study the effects
of combining one or more chemicals. Fortunately,
there are many non-toxic, natural cleaning products that are on the market or
you can make your own. For example, use baking soda and distilled white vinegar:
Combine when ready to use-mixing creates a science-project like foam. This mix
cleans all kinds of things, including: -
Stubborn stains (let sit, then rinse)
-
Stainless steel
- Water
fountains
- Silver
-
Brass
- Stained glass
There
are a number of natural cleaning products that you can purchase at natural food
stores or online. In your grocery store, Bon Ami is all natural and works especially
well on stainless steel and borax is a natural laundry booster and multi-purpose
household cleaner. Greener
Choices for Your Home - Purchase
refurbished furniture and building materials when possible.
- Buy
items secondhand.
- Purchase
products made from sustainable woods and grasses, such as bamboo.
- Look
for natural, not synthetic products.
- Buy
the best quality that you can afford so that items will not have to be replaced
often-or ever.
- Purchase
only what you need.
- Buy
locally harvested or manufactured products and save on transportation costs.
- Recycle
whenever possible.
- Revamp.
For example, buy good quality throw-pillow inserts and replace the covers, when
they become worn or you tire of them, instead of the entire pillow.
- Look
for eco-labeling on products that you buy.
Finding
good products for your body, home and planet is easier than ever! You will discover
how deeply satisfying it is to clean your home of toxic and unsafe products and
to replace them with safe and healthy alternatives that are good for you and the
planet. Norma Lehmeier
Hartie
Author of Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize
Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, Grand Prize Winner of the 15th Annual
Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards and Finalist in Nautilus and ForeWord
Magazine's Book Awards. http://LinghamPress.com
or http://harmoniousenvironment.blogspot.com.
Harmonious Environment is available at select bookstores, Amazon and Lingham Press.
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