Introduction to Household Chemicals

Can the household chemicals in our homes cause cancer, allergies, infertility, hormone disruption and the growth of new superbugs resistant to antibiotics? Some believe so. The EPA is necessarily cautious on these matters but would you want to take a risk? Are there ways to reduce your exposure to chemicals? Some options we've adopted at home are listed below and it's anecdotal of course:

• use gloves when washing dishes; rinse all plates and cutlery properly; use eco-friendly soaps in the dishwasher (phosphate-free ones)
• removed the carpets and put in wood floors
• use less abrasive chemicals when cleaning the house - plain white vinegar or soap and water may achieve the same effect
• have showers every alternate day instead of every day - shampoos are powerful - it's not just a matter of your skin drying out. At the very least, shampoo less often.
• read up on sunscreen and cosmetics and what SPF really means - current brands have powerful ingredients, some would say toxic, and are often ineffective against UVA- useful website here
• avoid air fresheners and rely more on natural ventilation by windows and doors with screens
• be very careful with hair dyes and hairsprays - study the ingredients first
• when possible, avoid cockroach and insect sprays, mothballs, rodent poisons and weed killers; use traps or more environmentally friendly products
• use the minimum chlorine for the pool or, better still, convert the pool to salt use instead

In this section we will look at some of the chemicals in our homes and non-chemical plant-based alternatives. There are interesting new products on the way that attempt to mimic nature and have less damaging effects on the environment. Anyone interested in researching this further could start by googling Triclosan in anti-bacterial soaps, Bisphenol-A in plastics and phthalates in air fresheners, just to name three.