- Petroleum distillates (aka napthas) - linked to cancer, lung damage and inflammation (can cause asthma) and damage to mucous membranes.
- Phenols - linked with damage to nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs (can cause asthma) and kidneys.
- Nonyl phenol ethoxylate - endocrine disruptor banded in Europe, owing to link to breast cancer, premature puberty and low sperm counts.
- Optical brighteners (convert UV light wavelengths into visible light, making clothes appear whiter without making them cleaner) - toxic to fish and can cause allergic reactions when exposed skin is later exposed to sunlight.
- Phosphates (banned in many states) - contribute to water "dead zones" by stimulating algae growth that depletes oxygen needed for fish and other animal life.
- Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) - highly toxic chemical which reacts with organic materials in the environment to form carcinogenic and toxic compounds that can cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders.
- EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate) - chelating agent that biodegrades poorly and can re-dissolve toxic heavy metals in the environment, allowing them to enter the food chain.
OVEN CLEANERS - contain highly toxic and corrosive lye and ammonia with fumes that can damage the respiratory system (especially of small children and pets) and which leave residue that is vaporized when the oven is turned on.
TOILET BOWL CLEANERS - contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive irritant which can damage skin, eyes, kidneys and liver; and hypochlorite bleach, a corrosive irritant that can damage eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Making Your Own Household Cleaners and Beauty Products
The best database for finding safe, "natural" cleaning products is http://www.mamashealth.com/doc/cleanprod.asp. Unfortunately, however, the majority of "natural" household cleaners are simply not affordable for the average American family during the recession. In fact, an even better alternative is to make your own at home, using the same inexpensive, safe ingredients our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used. I suspect this may be one area in which New Zealand, a relatively poor country, which has never been as pro-corporate and consumer-oriented as the US, may lead the world.
Here in New Zealand the movement to make your own is led by a local Taranaki mother Lyn Webster (http://pigtitsandparsleysauce.co.nz/), who offers classes all over New Zealand and on national TV about how saving thousands of dollars a year using a food processor and a dozen or so fantastically fast and simple recipes.
Most of Webster's household cleaner recipes rely on baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), white vinegar and plain bar soap. Both baking soda are highly reactive (but safe - both are used in cooking) compounds that readily dissolve oil and grease and kill most bacteria. Her dishwashing liquid, laundry powder, and powdered dishwasher soap contain washing soda (calcium carbonate). This is a natural water softener our grandmothers used to use to prevent soap scum from forming in hard water.
Recipes
Dishwashing Liquid
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