Go green at home and protect the family from harmful chemicals

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Go green at home and protect the family from harmful chemicals

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Maggie Downs, The Desert Sun

This is no ordinary play date.

After a morning of raucous activity, the kids take their afternoon nap.

Meanwhile, their mothers have important business to attend to - Mollie Walz,

Lexi Ward and Nicole Brubaker are dedicated to making their homes healthy,

one sippy cup at a time.

Their desire to become greener was sparked by an episode of " The Oprah

Winfrey Show " that discussed eco-friendly household cleaners.

" I was shocked, " said Walz, a Palm Desert stay-at-home mom. " I've done all

the right things for my kids, and then I find out I've been slathering these

chemicals on their bodies. "

Walz was particularly dismayed when she discovered her favorite brand of

baby bottle uses a type of plastic that can leach toxic chemicals.

Through e-mails, phone calls and play dates, the women have been gathering

information, sharing it, and finally detoxing their homes.

" You start thinking about everything you put in your body and everything you

use in your house ... " Walz said.

" And it's overwhelming! " chimed in Ward. " I feel like I need a medical

degree, a chemistry degree, a nutrition degree. "

Brubaker, a former elementary school teacher, brings a white binder to the

play dates. Inside is neatly highlighted and organized pages on bisphenol A,

sodium lauryl sulfate and petrolatum and the health problems they cause.

They've compiled a list of preferred products, and they tell other parents

where to get them. (California Baby, Seventh Generation and Method are

favorite brands).

At night, they connect again on the computer and send out messages to an

ever-expanding network of moms, letting other families know what they've

learned.

" You can't control everything, " Brubaker says. " But if you do at least one

thing, it makes a difference. "

Here are 10 suggestions to make your home healthier and more chemical-free:

1. Watch your plastics

Although you should use refillable glass or metal containers when possible,

sometimes plastic can't be avoided.

When you have something plastic, check out the little triangle on the bottom

of the product. If it has a number 1, 2, 4 or 5, those are the better

plastics.

Products that show a number 3, 6 or 7 can leave questionable chemical

residue on your food or in your beverages.

Here's what the numbers mean, according to the Children's Health

Environmental Coalition:

No. 1 PETE or PET (polyethylene terephthalate): Used for most clear beverage

bottles.

No. 2 HDPE (high density polyethylene): Used for " cloudy " milk and water

jugs, opaque food bottles.

No. 3 PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride): Used in some cling wraps, some soft

bottles.

No. 4 LDPE (low density polyethylene): Used in food storage bags and some

soft bottles.

No. 5 PP (polypropylene): Used in rigid containers, including some baby

bottles, and some cups and bowls.

No. 6 PS (polystyrene): Used in foam clam-shell-type containers, meat and

bakery trays, and in its rigid form, clear take-out containers, some plastic

cutlery and cups. Polystyrene may leach styrene into food it comes into contact

with.

No. 7 Other (usually polycarbonate): Used in 5-gallon water bottles, some

baby bottles, some metal can linings. Polycarbonate can release its primary

building block, bisphenol A, a suspected hormone disruptor, into liquids and

foods.

2. Ditch conventional cleaners

Either use nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradable cleaners or make your

own at home.

For cleaning kitchens and walls, use a cloth dipped in hot water, baking

soda and little bit of dish soap.

For a homemade air freshener, try simmering cinnamon, orange peel and cloves

on the stove.

Clean windows using a solution of 2 tablespoons borax or washing soda and 3

cups water.

When in doubt, vinegar cleans just about everything.

(Source: Earth Share environmental group.)

3. Buy organic, at least with some foods

If you can't afford to go all organic all the time, minimize your family's

exposure to toxic pesticides by buying organic when you can.

The Environmental Working Group established this list of fruits and

vegetables that are particularly laden with pesticides: Peaches, apples, sweet

bell

peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes

(imported) and pears.

4. Look for eco-friendly furniture

Indoor air is high on the list for environmental causes of cancer, according

to the Environmental Protection Agency. Chemicals in upholstery, pressed

wood products and carpeting can be to blame.

Look for natural fibers and fillings, particularly organic.

5. Choose unbleached paper products

Many paper products are treated with chlorine and loads of chemical residue.

Select unbleached products like coffee filters or recycled paper plates.

Better yet, try to avoid them all together by switching to reusable products.

6. Use greener health and beauty products

The skin is the body's largest organ and soaks up whatever you slather on -

so choose wisely.

Most common petroleum-based products (including sunscreens, baby soap,

sunless tanners, lotions) can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a chemical that

easily penetrates the skin. It is classified by the EPA as a probable human

carcinogen.

To see if your products contain this or other chemicals, check the

Environmental Working Group's searchable database at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

7. Avoid parabens

Parabens are common preservatives that are used in everything from

toothpaste to shampoo. They have become increasingly controversial since 2004,

when a

study found parabens in tissue samples from human breast tumors.

You'll see parabens listed in many forms on ingredient lists, including

methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl.

To stay away from them, look for mineral-based makeup, paraben-free

cosmetics and products that are not water-based.

8. Avoid green wood

Wood with a greenish tint (literally) means that it has likely been treated

with arsenic. Though such wood was banned in 2003, it can still be found on

some outdoor wooden play structures. The Environmental Working Group suggests

that one in 500 children will develop cancer from playing on CCA-treated wood

structures during their lifetime. If you have green wood, seal it yearly and

wash hands thoroughly after touching it.

9. Avoid phthalates

Levels of phthalates were elevated in the urine of infants who had recently

been exposed to baby care products, according to a recent study published by

" Pediatrics. "

Phthalates are sometimes used in beauty and personal care products as a

stabilizer for fragrances. The chemical compound has been linked to various

health problems.

To avoid phthalates, opt for fragrance-free (not unscented) products

whenever possible.

" Unscented " may mean that the manufacturer has simply added a fragrance to

mask the original odor, says enviro-blog GreenDaily.com.

10. Buy toys crafted from natural materials

Play safely with toys that have been minimally processed and are made with

renewable resources.

Many boutique or speciality stores online carry green products for children.

Also on Earth Day, Toys 'R' Us will launch a new line of environmentally

friendly toys, including organic cotton dolls, cotton plush animals and natural

wooden toys. The toys are unprocessed, unbleached and untreated.

Posted by

 

Deborah Elaine Barrie

4 Catherine Street

Smiths Falls, On

Canada

K7A 3Z8

(613)284-8259

_deborah_ (deborah)

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world

remains and is immortal.

Albert Pine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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To clean the air in the home,put potted palm plants

and potted bamboos in the house. They are rich in

clean oxygen.

 

Melly