The bathroom can be one of the most germ-laden places in our homes. For this reason, it’s important to keep the bathroom clean to ensure the health of our families. All in all, it’s possible to keep your bathrooms clean without the use of harmful toxic chemicals like those found on store shelves. So, let’s look at a few of the products we use for cleaning our bathroom and see if we can tackle the grime a healthier way.
Commercial glass cleaners typically contain toxic ingredients like Ammonia, Butyl Cellulose/Glycol Ether and Phthalates. The problem with these substances, you ask…let’s break it down.
An ingredient added to glass cleaners to help with a streak-free shine. Unfortunately, it’s a lung-damaging agent, a clear colorless gas and a clear colorless liquid in its appearance. This gas or liquid is toxic and corrosive to tissues literally upon contact. Worse yet, it can even be fatal in sufficient quantities. Household ammonia products are designed to have a lesser impact but I say continuous exposure over the years just can’t be good. It’s important to realize, ammonia can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, eye contact and skin contact.
Combustible! This noxious substance can form explosive peroxides and reacts with strong oxidants causing fire and explosion hazards. Notably, inhaling this substance can cause coughing, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Not to mention, it can also easily absorb through the skin. Eye contact results in pain, redness, and blurred vision. Most disturbingly, it’s highly recommended by the CDC to avoid open flames, only use in a well-ventilated area and wear protective gloves and protective clothing when handling this chemical.
Phthalates are added as a carrier for the fragrance added to glass cleaners. Additionally, they are used in the production of plastics to make plastics more pliable. Rightfully, some forms of phthalates have been banned in the use of children’s toys and other products designed for children under 3 years of age. For more information read this article regarding the ban at Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA)
Disturbingly, phthalates have been linked to ADHD, breast cancer, asthma, obesity, neurodevelopment issues, behavioral issues, poor reproductive development, and type II diabetes.
So how can we get the sparkling clean, smudge-free clean we’re seeking?
I went on a search for a non-toxic glass cleaner and purchased Murchison-Hume Premium Glass Polish on Thrive Markets website. The first time I used it I thought “hmmm, it smells like rubbing alcohol.” In looking at the label for the ingredients I saw, isopropyl alcohol and water. Well, what do you know! I decided that it would be really easy to make my own. Here’s my recipe.
Just put the rubbing alcohol, water, and vinegar into the glass spray bottle and shake. Voila! You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to add a fresh scent if you like.
There are many non-toxic brands on the market also. On the Environmental Working Groups (EWG.org) Guide to Healthy Cleaning, they have an “A” List of healthier glass cleaners listed.
Here are a few:
Bathroom & toilet bowl cleaners are severely toxic. They contain Chlorine, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Trisodium Nitrilotriacetate. Quite a mouth full!
Sulfates can trigger asthma attacks for those who are susceptible to them. In particular, bathroom cleaners containing phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide or sodium hypochlorite can irritate the lungs and cause burning to the eyes and skin. Moreover, chlorine gas can be released into the air when acid-forming and chlorine cleaners are mixed.
A simple solution for cleaning the toilet is to put about a cup of baking soda into the bowl and add about 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Let sit for a few hours, then scrub the toilet bowl.
Once again I checked out the EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning to gather a list of healthier options. Here are a few:
There are many other safe options out there you can try. I like BonAmi scrubbing powder for the toilet bowl and tub/shower cleaning.
The bathroom is where we wash our hands, clean our bodies, wash and condition our hair and take care of our teeth. We exfoliate and moisturize, use anti-aging serums and apply deodorant and perfume. All these rituals were born to increase our cleanliness and improve our health.
The power of the media has brainwashed us into believing that in order to be clean and healthy we must purchase and use a multitude of products as advertised on the television, in magazines, and on the internet. The problem again is that there is so little regulation mandated to ensure the safety of long term use of these products.
Shampoos and Conditioners– If you’ve ever looked at the label on your shampoo chances are you don’t recognize or understand what the ingredients are. In fact, several years ago consumers were shocked to find that Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo contained toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. Consumers demanded that these toxic substances be removed and in 2012 Johnson and Johnson agreed to remove these substances. In 2015 they removed formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane from their personal care products.
Many of the hair care products we use today contain phthalates which are endocrine disruptors wreaking havoc on our bodies. This chemical can cause serious neurological and immune systems problems as well as interfering with reproduction and development. Perhaps you haven’t seen phthalates on your label? Well, they’re masquerading under the blanket term “fragrance”. According to a study done by the Environmental Working Group in 2002 phthalates were found in up to 3/4 of the personal care products tested. They noted:
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a detergent, surfactant, and emulsifier found in literally thousands of products. It’s what makes shampoos and other soaps foam and lather. And isn’t the act of lathering what makes us clean? So we’ve been told. SLS is an ingredient in almost all of your body washes, hand soaps, shampoos, and conditioners, even in the toothpaste you put in your mouth. SLS is actually derived from coconuts but rest assured it is anything but natural. The manufacturing process called ethoxylation used to create SLS results in contamination with 1,4-dioxane which is a carcinogenic by-product.
Shown to mimic estrogen, parabens, a female hormone, and is responsible for a greater risk of breast tumors. Research suggests that parabens in antiperspirants increase the risk of breast cancer due to the higher levels found in the areas where antiperspirants are applied. Unfortunately, we’re hard-pressed to find hair care products without parabens listed on the label.
So how do we avoid these dangerous chemicals and still keep our hair clean and shiny? The Environmental Working Group has a list of non-toxic and low-risk body care products. A few are:
These are but a few of the excellent choices you have to take care of your body while having peace of mind that what you’re putting on your body is pure. You can visit ewg.org for a comprehensive list of the best of the best.
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