Category: Cleaning

Winter Wisdom

This blog first ran on the Premier Pediatrics website.

Just when we’d finally gotten used to the fall weather, it seems that Old Man Winter is nipping at our toes. This will mean some chilly days playing outdoors, but, if your family is anything like mine, it also means plenty of hot chocolate and hanging out inside.

While I’m hoping that my clan’s movie nights, card games and indoor basketball tournaments (yes, we have those) are all entertaining, I know that there’s another aspect of our experience indoors that is of utmost importance: the quality of the air in our home. The stuff we breathe in, day in and day out, affects our health and, considering how much time we’ll be spending indoors, the stuff better be clean. Southerners are not off the hook; even if your kids are often in bathing suits while others are in snowsuits, you still go home, sleep at home and spend lots of time in your home.

According to the EPA, indoor air is many times more toxic than outdoor air — a result of products in our homes and toxics we bring in. So make it your business to defy those odds and make your home as sweet as it can be — naturally. These tips will help you do just that…

TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF IN THE HOUSE

I’ve always instinctively hated the idea of tracking whatever was on the bottom of my shoes into my kids’ bedrooms, but once I learned what might actually be on the bottom of said shoes, I realized I was factually on target. Bacteria is just the start; our soles can be laden with, among other things, pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals, gasoline and coal tar. These contaminants, which are linked to cancer and neurological problems, can be brought into the home where they become dust particles and are then breathed in, as well as absorbed through the skin. Young children are regularly on the floor and are therefore more apt to come into contact with whatever has settled there. Additionally, carpets are especially perfect resting grounds for these toxicants. So leave your shoes – and all the junk that’s on them – near the front door and keep your air and floors free from unhealthy substances.

AVOID CONVENTIONAL AIR FRESHENERS

Who doesn’t want a fresh-smelling home? But don’t hand me “Mountain Fresh Scent” in a can or any of those wall plug-ins. I’d go for pure cinnamon, coffee grinds or essential oils over hormone disruptors and respiratory toxicants any day…and you should too. Conventional air fresheners either mask smells by coating your nasal-passages (ugh) or spew out none other than endocrine disrupting phthalates, carcinogenic formaldehyde, unhealthy petroleum distillates and a host of other goodies. So ditch the synthetic chems for lavender sachets or bowls of odor-absorbing baking soda and the air in your home will be fresh…and healthy.

SWITCH OVER ONE CLEANING PRODUCT

It’s been many moons since my laundry room cabinet was stocked with bottles containing brightly colored liquids for all of the many cleaning jobs in my home. Long ago I did away with jugs that say “Caution” or “Harmful if Swallowed.” My secret weapon is now a vinegar and water combo. I use it for everything – kitchen, bathrooms, floors, you name it. But I appreciate that, although it’s effective and totally safe, not everyone feels comfortable using vinegar to clean an entire home. With that in mind, it would still be very worthwhile to choose one of your cleaners – say, your toilet bowl cleaner (which can be particularly caustic and dangerous) or your sink cleaner (which is likely full of respiratory toxicants) – and switch it over for a 1 cup vinegar to 1 cup water combo (you can even do a 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 cup water mix if you’re still a bit vinegar-shy). It’s effective, the smell dissipates within minutes and your kids will be breathing in many less toxicants even for this single change.

AIR OUT YOUR DRY CLEANING

The chemicals that are used for dry cleaning – specifically perchloroethylene (perc) – can be some nasty stuff. Perc can irritate the eye/nose/throat/skin and, with high levels of exposure, can lead to neurological problems, In addition, perc has been labeled a likely human carcinogen. If possible, dry clean your clothes at a “wet-cleaning” shop or one that utilizes CO2. If your dry-cleaner touts itself as organic, be sure to ask what they use in place of perc. But if a conventional dry cleaner is your only option, pull the plastic off of freshly dry-cleaned clothes and air them out for a few hours before bringing them inside. Otherwise the chemicals that might still be emitting underneath the plastic could contaminate the air in your home.

OPEN YOUR WINDOWS

You’d have to be at the mouth of a coal-burning factory for the air outside your home to be more toxic than the air indoors. Which is why opening windows, even for just a short time every day, can really improve the air quality in your home. Just as Mom always said, there really is a benefit to getting some “fresh air.” Even when the thermometer dips into those unhappy numbers, buck up and open up. It’s one of the great defenses against unhealthy air buildup in the home.

November 30, 2014
Toss the Triclosan

If you knew that the hand soap your kids used regularly, that the toothpaste you brushed with every day, that the cutting board on which you chopped all of your veggies contained a known endocrine disrupting chemical, would you consider switching to safer products?

For the sake of this blog, I’m gonna assume that the answer is yes. So, if you’re using liquid antibacterial soaps, certain dental care items or any number of antibacterial home products, you’re likely being exposed to triclosan – a hormone disrupting pesticide – and a product switch is next on your to-do list.

What’s all the hoopla about? Haven’t we been told that antimicrobial agents are good things that help protect us from germs and illness? Unfortunately, yes; when it comes to triclosan – and the related triclocarbon, which is found in antibacterial bar soaps – the market has led us to believe that with their use, we’ve got germ-fighting all wrapped up.

But the truth is dirtier than that. With the ubiquitousness of triclosan (it can be found in many liquid soaps, countertops, deodorants, shower curtains, sponges, blankets, clothing — the list goes on…), we’re regularly being exposed to an easily absorbed chemical that has been found in breast milk and that can interfere with thyroid hormones that control brain function as well as testosterone and estrogen which, respectively, regulate sperm function and the onset of puberty. It is also linked to liver and inhalation toxicity.

When it comes to the very frightening concept of bacterial resistance, triclosan is a player in that game as well. And, as a kicker, wastewater treatment doesn’t remove the chemical entirely, so it gets into our waterways and is very toxic to aquatic life.

But at least the stuff works, right? Well, I for one wouldn’t argue with a US FDA Advisory Committee that found that the use of antibacterial soaps was no more effective than the use of soap and water to kill bacteria and microbes. Furthermore, a study done at health care facilities found that when used at certain higher concentrations, triclosan killed gram positive bacteria and not gram negative bacteria – the very bacteria that cause many hospital acquired infections.

So I’d say no, the stuff doesn’t work. And, considering all of its downsides, it’s pretty clear that the the American Medical Association’s and American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations that we use plain soap and water instead of antibacterial soap products is right on the mark.

So how does a dedicated hand-washer avoid triclosan? For starters, read labels. Since triclosan is required to be listed as an ingredient in things like soaps (and mouthwash and toothpaste and body wash), there’s no mystery there. Just buy a safe, plant-based soap such as Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap or Babyganics Foaming Hand Soap, lather up under warm water and stay there for around 20 seconds. Voila! Safe and effective cleaning.

And when it comes to other products, do you really need to don a shirt laced with a hormone disruptor or slice a pepper on a chemical filled cutting board? I thought not…so beware of the antibacterial label.

Make your home triclosan-free and clean up the healthy way…

September 21, 2014
When you tell your kids to wash their hands, you’re helping to ensure that chemicals and contaminants on their hands go down the drain. But if they’re washing with a chem-filled soap,

March 25, 2014
Detoxing your Home: Easy Does it…
People often shy away from the concept of detoxifying their homes. Sure, everyone wants to live healthfully, but “detoxing” can seem foreign and the idea of upending the status quo in one’s own space can come off as time-consuming and expensive.

Well, POP! (That was me bursting that bubble.) Not only are there many ways to easily and quickly reduce the toxicants in your home, but many of them don’t cost a thing. In addition, the changes aren’t strange and new-agey; in fact, they’re pretty darn logical and can seamlessly become very routine. I’d argue that one day you’ll look back and wonder how you ever didn’t do this stuff.

Check out this list of simple and free ways to help reduce the amount of toxicants in your home and clean up the air that you and your family breathe every day.
- KNOCK OFF YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR: Want to slash the amount of bacteria, pesticide residue, heavy metals and chemicals in your kids’ rooms (not to mention your own)? Easy. Take your shoes off at the front door. The EPA has found that pesticides on shoes is a real source of toxic exposure for kids, but kicking off your kicks can take care of that.
- WASH YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU COME HOME: Even if it’s true that exposure to certain microbes can be an important part of a healthy immune system, there are plenty of things that should absolutely be sent down the drain. Pesticide and fertilizer residue from foods handled in the supermarket and from grass kids play on at school should be banished from the home, as should BPA (Bisphenol A) that’s found on receipts, movie tickets and other printed-on thermal paper. Washing and rubbing hands for 20 seconds with warm water and a plant-based soap will do the trick.
- AIR OUT YOUR DRY CLEANING BEFORE BRINGING IT IN THE HOUSE: I’ve made a concerted effort in our home to wash most items in the washing machine except those that absolutely require dry cleaning. And even then, we use a cleaner that does not utilize the solvent perchloroethylene (perc), which is a potential human carcinogen. If your cleaners use perc, or any other chemical solvent, be sure to take the plastic off of your dry cleaned clothes and air them out in a well-ventilated area before hanging them in your closet. This will allow any potentially remaining perc residue to dry.
- MOP AND DUST REGULARLY: Over time, home furnishings break down, shedding chemicals onto floors and surfaces that accumulate in dust. In fact, many studies done to test levels of environmental hazards like flame retardants, lead and phthalates actually look for these synthetic chemicals in household dust. Get rid of those bunnies with regular, easy maintenance (I admit, this one is free as long as my assumption that you already own a mop or a vacuum or a Swiffer stick is true…). Regularly dust, wet mop or use a dry Swiffer with a bit of plant-based soap and water on your floors. Vacuum carpets with a HEPA filtered vacuum.
- OPEN YOUR WINDOWS: Yes, it’s a simple as that. The EPA estimates that indoor air is at least 2-5 times more toxic than outdoor air. Even a couple of minutes a day of open windows can benefit the indoor air quality in your home – and the health of everyone who lives there.
So there you have it. 5 snappy ways to help protect yourself and those you love from some pretty nasty chemicals. There’s nothing pricey, nothing kooky. So try ’em…it just makes sense.
March 14, 2014
Windex with your Latte, Anyone?
Every time you spray your windows with a conventional cleaner, you’re contaminating the air in your home. Each time you spritz the stuff, you’re letting loose a whole army of toxic chemicals that can negatively impact your children’s health.

And by the way, your lungs ain’t getting off scott-free either.

Take this very morning. After my alarm woke me up (and by alarm I mean my 7 year-old), I helped whip four kids into shape, took one of them to the eye doctor, talked shop with the PTA president and did a pretty hefty supermarket run.

So, by 10:15, I’d lived a whole day and I just wanted to relax with a cup of coffee.

You can then imagine my annoyance – no, my pissed-off-ness – when, as I sat down, latte in front of me, the guy with the rag starts spraying the glass table with, you guessed it, Windex.

The smell of the neon stuff is awful, obviously. But that was just the tip of the ‘ole iceberg for my detail-oriented self. I mean hell, I didn’t want to breathe in ammonium hydroxide and ethanolamine this AM! I wanted my coffee without respiratory toxicants, thank you. And back to that telltale smell that offends even the least neurotic out there. That’s a mashup of “nonspecific” synthetic chemicals – aka skin irritants and neurotoxins. And those will mess with anyone, Type A or otherwise.

As for the non-coffee drinking set? Your children are the most vulnerable to those very worrisome chemicals because, pound for pound, they breathe in more air than you and are still developing. The risks they face from inhaling these toxicants regularly are real and that’s without even mentioning the possibility of accidental ingestion.

But don’t worry, it’s never too late to make changes, and this one’s simple. Herewith, a DIY non-toxic window cleaner:
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon natural dish soap
Combine the ingredients in a bottle and spray away. Wipe down with a newspaper or a microfiber cloth. If you think the vinegar scent might offend tiny noses, open the windows or grab a non-toxic glass cleaner online or in your local market. Green Shield Organic Glass Cleaner and Whole Foods Market Glass Cleaner are two great options.

So, if I do nothing in this post other than to get you to consider swapping your chemical window and glass cleaner for a non-toxic version, I’ll sleep well tonight. And if you actually make the change, your kids will too.
February 19, 2014
Greening Up Baby in the New Year

These days you’d be hard-pressed to find a pregnant woman who isn’t aware of the fact that the things she eats, breathes and exposes herself to can impact her developing fetus. Whether the insult is in the form of cigarette smoke or high-mercury fish, pregnant women are increasingly sensitive to the health issues associated with environmental hazards and often go to great lengths to protect an unborn child.

This enlightened thinking, however, often ends when a baby is born. Parents are often entrenched in old habits or have never been informed otherwise; as a result, they unknowingly expose their little ones to toxic substances on a daily basis.

Infants are extremely susceptible to environmental toxicants: pound for pound they breathe in more air than adults; they’re continuously developing, leaving many windows of opportunity for outside exposures to affect their insides; and they can’t detoxify well. This means that using conventional cleaning products for jobs as innocent-seeming as getting stains out of a crib sheet, washing a baby bottle or cleaning a high chair can contribute to dermatitis, respiratory problems and even long-term health worries including cancer.

Well, the new year is upon us and it’s the perfect time to make changes. I know — you’ve already resolved to watch your waistline and get 8 hours of sleep a night. And while I can’t fully help you with those resolutions at the moment (other than to tell you that the package of Oreos is not actually calling your name and that you really don’t need to watch a midnight airing of “Wedding Crashers” again), I can definitely tell you what you need to easily “clean up and green up” a day in the life of your babe. So add that vow to your list – for the sake of your child – and his new year will be healthier for it.

Check out this collection of non-toxic, effective cleaning products you can easily buy for your home. As a rule, you should always test products in a small area before you use them freely. Once that goes well, you can go ahead and knock this New Years’ resolution out of the park.

One thing on which we can all agree – a new baby is messy business. From top to, uh, bottom, there’s no telling what a given day will bring. Without getting too detailed, that onesie that was so fresh first thing in the morning might be rather less so at night (or heck, even half an hour later). But baby stains can be quickly tackled in a safe and effective way with OxiClean Laundry Baby Stain Soaker. Follow the directions on the package for pretreating your baby’s clothes – you can even add it to the wash after soaking – and you’ll be able to salvage plenty of those adorable baby gifts.

As often as my mom told me to “nap when the baby naps,” I found that advice much easier said than done. That’s because when my children slept, I finally had time to get stuff done – stuff like laundry. So, once the baby is fast asleep, gather all those onesies, cloth diapers, crib sheets and hooded towels and throw them into the machine with non-toxic detergent. The Honest Co.’s 4-in-1 laundry packs provide safe, mineral-based cleaning without caustic ingredients. Another great company is Green Shield Organic. Their brand new Organic Baby Laundry Detergent – Free & Clear is unscented and free of dyes and harsh chemicals. So hurry up and get that laundry load in and then maybe you catch a few zzzzs…

Bottles and pacifiers are all the rage in a home with a new baby. I’ll admit, I’m a huge fan of nursing; I nursed my own 4 kids for a year each. But I also know that every mom’s story is different and that the majority of us will use bottles, whether often or sporadically (’cause hey, even the most diehard nursing moms want to go to the movies at some point, don’t they?!?!). So then begins the cycle of bottle using and washing, over and over again. According to many sources, including WebMD, if your water supply is reliably safe, there’s no need to regularly sterilize bottles, nipples and pacifiers after the first time. But there is a need to use non-toxic dish washing soap and warm water. For this, I recommend Better Life’s Dish It Out, scent-free dish soap. 100% plant derived, it’s a great choice for cleaning bottles (and all the dishes in your sink)! As for when the pacifier hits the floor? Check out Dapple’s Pacifier Wipes. They’re safe and convenient – great to use at home or on the go.

Your baby’s nursery should be a cozy, healthy space, free from harsh toxicants. So even if you’ve already chosen the organic crib mattress, natural rug and solid wood blocks, you need to make sure that you clean the room safely so that there’s no build-up of harmful chemicals in the air. Make sure that you open windows for ventilation and regularly use a Dry Swiffer dampened with a bit of water to get rid of dust on the entire floor. But when the cute striped area rug gets splattered on and the hardwood floor is really looking less than pristine, turn to Martha Stewart for help. Her Clean Carpet Stain Remover and Clean Wood Floor Cleaner can get you through those “spottier” days safely and easily.

Considering how often a baby will chow down as he’s growing up, you’re going to want to make sure that his highchair tray is so clean that he can, well, eat off of it. After a particularly “fun” meal, it’s often best to detach the tray, dump the leftovers and rub it down in the sink with Dish It Out or Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soap Baby Mild. But sometimes you just want to spritz, wipe and walk away. In that case, beware of conventional spray cleaners that can leave chemical residues that might get ingested by your child. So what to use? I can’t deny that a DIY formula of around 1 part distilled white vinegar to 7-9 parts water (no exact measurements required) will always be my favorite for its safety and efficacy. But, as your baby gets older and is exposed to the whole gamut of veggies and fruits, including citrus, you can use Aussan Natural Nursery All Purpose Cleaner. It’s botanical ingredients are highchair – and kid – friendly.

January 15, 2014
How I Learned to Love Vinegar…
If you think that cleaning your home with safe, non-toxic products means spending a bundle, well, you’ve got another blog coming…

I’m a stickler for using only non-toxic ingredients to clean my kitchen and bathrooms and guess what? I bet I spend a heckuva lot less money cleaning house than you do.

Don’t believe me? Well, at last go-round, a gallon of distilled white vinegar set me back $3.69, hydrogen peroxide cost me $1.49 and baking soda was a whopping $1.29. And tap water? I already owned that. And get this — the stuff really works. So my home is clean, I’m being crazy friendly to my health and my wallet and I’m being rather friendly to my other home as well — the one called earth. Whaddya say to that? (Evil eye in the direction of your Fantastik. Excellent, that’s a start…)

First, let me tackle the ugly details. Other than the fact that your basic arsenal of cleaning products has you shelling out plenty of greenbacks regularly, the products are so full of respiratory toxicants, carcinogens and allergens like ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, lye and synthetic fragrances, that when you use them, you’re not only polluting the world, but you’re actually promoting chronic chemical exposure in your own home. As in: you’re doing some very nasty things to the air inside your home and the organs of your body.

It’s oddly counterintuitive but totally true: the cleaner you try to make your home by routinely using ‘bottles of chemicals’ (as I affectionately call them), the more damage you’re doing to the health of the people who live there. (Doting eye in the direction of your baby in a high chair, the very chair you cleaned with Fantastik. Ugh.)

Onto the good – no, great – news. Homemade kitchen and bathroom cleaning solutions are ridiculously easy to prepare, cheap, versatile (a single combo can work in many areas) and super safe. What’s the catch? Well, besides the fact that you might have to unlearn the pounded-into-your-head idea that chemical-based cleaners are necessary and that simple white vinegar can’t possibly clean your home (I admit, I had to make the leap), there is no catch. No downside. It’s all good. (And no excuses regarding the smell of vinegar — it dissipates in minutes.)

Here are a bunch of easy cleaning concoctions that will change your life in so many fantastic (I like that word as long as it ends with a ‘c’) ways:
- Kitchen counters/tiles/surfaces (and high chairs): Combine approximately 9 parts water with 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle (add some lemon if you want). Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Label the bottle and use it regularly. (In the case of marble countertops, don’t use acidic substances. Combine 1 tablespoon of natural liquid Castile soap with 1 quart of warm water. Spray and wipe.)
- Disinfection (such as when there’s raw food remnants on a surface): After a little spot test, spray some hydrogen peroxide on the surface and then follow it with the above vinegar solution.
- Drain cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda and then 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain. Plug for 30 minutes and then, as long as the pipes are metal, run hot water through to clean out the debris.
- Bathroom counters/tiles/surfaces: See Kitchen counters/tiles/surfaces.
- Bathroom scrub: Combine 1/2 cup baking soda with some non-toxic liquid soap (and a few drops of essential oil if you want a particular scent). Scrub away.
- Basic mold cleaner: Combine 3 parts vinegar to 2 parts water and spray. Let it sit for about an hour. Wipe down with cloth or brush.
- Toilet bowl cleaner: Spray in some vinegar. Let it sit. Finish with toilet brush.
So there you have it. A lickety-split lesson on the amazing benefits of vinegar and its inexpensive, safe and effective pals.Unbelievably easy, right? No fuss, your home is clean and you protect the health of everyone who lives there. And that, as they say, is priceless.
November 6, 2013