Cleaning Up HOW You Clean! Detoxify for "The Healthy Home"

(The following is an article posted on March 8, 2011, by the father and son team, Dr. Myron Wentz and Dave Wentz. The Wentzes are the authors, along with Donna K. Wallace, of The Healthy Home: Simple Truths to Protect Your Family from Hidden Household Dangers. The just released book by Vanguard Press will benefit the Children’s Hunger Fund. To find out more, visit myhealthyhome.com [3].)

[4]When you think of the word “clean,” what do you think of? Is it the harsh, eye-watering smell from dozens of different sterilizing chemicals formulated to bring out the brightest shine and the whitest whites? Or is it the “mountain fresh” scent of detergents and dryer sheets?

Well, here’s the bad news: that mountain fresh scent has nothing to do with mountains or fresh air, and those brightly colored cleaners are harming your family almost as much as the germs you’re trying to get rid of.

Though technology has given us many advantages over our ancestors, cleaning your home is still best when done the old-fashioned way. Surprisingly, your grandmother had the right idea — instead of dozens of different synthetic cleaners, she cleaned her house with just a few simple ingredients. And those ingredients were safer, but worked just as well as the ones we use today.

Every time you use synthetic, modern cleaners, they off-gas potentially dangerous fumes called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some health effects associated with VOCs are eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system, and some organics are even suspected of causing cancer in humans.¹ That harsh chemical smell burns your nose for a reason.

And all of those fresh and fruity scented products aren’t any better. Artificial fragrances are just more VOCs for your body to deal with, and in addition they can cause various allergic reactions. Fragrances are one of the leading causes of cosmetic contact dermatitis, which affects more than 2 million people.2 Though they sometimes sound “natural,” these fragrances are created in laboratories from synthetic chemicals almost entirely derived from petroleum.

That smell we’ve come to associate with “clean” is just from chemicals filling our homes and lowering our air quality. The real scent of clean is no scent at all.

A good guideline is that if you wouldn’t want it in your mouth, don’t use it to clean. Whenever you use products with toxic ingredients, some of those toxins will likely end up in your body through skin contact and inhalation anyway. In many cases, a bucket of warm, soapy water and a little elbow grease are all you need to clean and disinfect most of your home. However, there are a few other effective products you can use as well.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is extremely versatile, and has been used for generations as a natural way to clean. It effectively dissolves dirt and grime, eliminates soap scum, cuts through grease, and unclogs drains. Use it anywhere you would use scouring powders or odor-eliminating sprays. This natural deodorizer has so many uses, you may want to buy it in bulk.

White distilled vinegar is perfect for dissolving soap scum, cleaning windows and mirrors, disinfecting surfaces, and can even serve as fabric softener (but be careful never to use bleach and vinegar in the same load — toxic fumes can result). The strong smell will dissipate as soon as the vinegar dries, and while the fumes don’t smell very sweet, they certainly won’t do you any harm. Avoid apple cider or wine vinegars because they can leave stains.

Lemon juice has mild bleaching properties that make it a great stain remover and whitener. It can be used to polish brass and copper or remove hard water stains. If you use fresh-squeezed lemon juice, try putting the peels down the garbage disposal to make the whole kitchen smell fresher. Or put lemon slices in your dishwater to enhance the grease-cutting power of natural soaps.

Water is a universal solvent, and won’t leave lingering VOCs behind for you and your family to inhale. If you find that warm water isn’t enough to get the job done, think about investing in a steam cleaner. They are available in larger sizes for carpet cleaning, or in hand-held sizes for smaller jobs. You’ll find both are very powerful, non-toxic alternatives to cleaning with chemicals, as long as you don’t use the carpet shampoo they often come with.

Window Cleaner: Add 3 cups of water, plus ¼ cup of white vinegar and 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Try wiping this mixture off of windows with crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels to avoid leaving lint on the surface. If the glass appears streaky or has residue on it afterwards, it’s probably buildup left from those synthetic blue window cleaners you’ve been using for years. Try washing with vinegar a few more times and the residue should come right off.

Drain Cleaner: Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by half a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to flush out any remaining clogs caused by food particles, soap, and grease.

Stainless Steel Polisher: Use baking soda and a soft-sided sponge. Toothpaste works, too.

Heavy-duty Cleaning (for large jobs): Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons liquid soap to 1 gallon of hot water. If it’s a particularly stubborn project, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of borax.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Flush the toilet to remove as much water as possible, then pour 1 cup vinegar around the inside of the rim and scrub to remove buildup. Repeat if needed.

Refrigerator Cleaner and Deodorizer: Mix a few teaspoons of salt with two cups of soda water to clean your fridge without getting synthetic chemicals close to your food.

If you need a little extra incentive, just look at the price tag. These natural cleaners are a fraction of the price of those brightly colored products you’re used to. And in the long run, your body will thank you.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs),” http://epa.gov/iaq/voc.html [5].

Comments

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 12:00pm

#1 [12]

Mardy Ross

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole

Joined: Feb 16 2009

Posts: 2032

Green Day 2011 (St Pattys) Inspires ME to Clean Up My Act!

I am excited about this book, Robin! So thank you for posting about it!

I want to remind people of some other hints: Dragging stuff in on the soles of your shoes and through the parts of the house you spend time in is the FIRST step to making change (all foot puns intended), and to me if I set it up to remind me to take my shoes off when I get in the door then I can create an atmosphere of consciousness about what I'm putting in my house that extends then to reminding me about what I put in and ON my body as well.

Robin and I have laughed that I am quite a fan of liquid Dr Brauner's castille soap -- I use it for everything from my face to the toilet bowl. Over the years I simplified and used up and have found that it works on everything but glass -- for that I found a neat solution I mix in water but I should try it, maybe there isn't any residue like I'm presuming. For mirrors I wash and dry bar towels without any fabric softener and just use one damp/ warm damp and follow with one dry. I do inside windows the same. Outside ones I have a solution that's a concentrate which I mix with water and apply with a trigger sprayer through the screen and then rinse or on the non screened glass I essentially mop the stuff on and then rinse and squeegee.

I used to be a perfectionist about everything and realized that you just drive yourself to the ground on things which in a moment change -- windows sometimes get dirty the next minute or day! So get them 'clean enough' and do it more often is my philosophy in this latest era of my life. (IF I'm lucky enough to have the time and feel like it on the same day AND talk myself into making something a priority that doesn't have to do with moving Lumigrate forward more where it can be of benefit to more people -- I kinda think this is the final and crowning chapter of my professional life and it's very needed and beneficial in critical times so I make it a HUGE priority.)

I love to have a clean house --- I believe for the mind and spirit it is critical to live the way you feel good. However, more recently my focus has been so much on bringing Lumigrate forward to help the increasing numbers of people it is reaching and affecting change with, that my house has changed, and not for the better. So this was a good reminder for me and I plan to focus this weekend on some spring cleaning and organizing. I had to clean up my work space for the computer repair person this week.

And I am unbelievably horrified when I go to most homes and see what they're using for cleaning and often not even thinking about what it does to the people and pets which occupy it. Or someone who has an extensive cancer history showing me a fun way of cooking breakfast which entails boiling your breakfast in a zippered plastic bag.

I really attempt to 'take everything in' and learn that 'this is what the average person I know is aware of and doing, and then go from there related to education. So I am VERY appreciative of this post today -- how appropriate since today is 3/17/11, St Pattys Day... the GREEN day! And next month is Earth Day. I hope the timing of this with Spring Cleaning season and Earth Day coming up is beneficial and that people considering giving this as Mothers Day gifts this year! Or for those of us with birthdays this spring, for a birthday, or Father's Day is in June.... OR simply purchase it for someone and have it shipped to them just because you care about them and their health, possibly! As always, taking a few minutes to request your public library obtain it for you and your community to become healthier is a suggestion that is a gift of time and energy investment a person can make to 'do something each day to make the world a better place'.

This post is, to Lumigrate, a gift from an amazing woman and mother, Robin Thomas -- thank you so much!

Live and learn! Learn and Live Better!

~~ Mardy

__________________

Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [13] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 1:54pm

#2 [17]

Robin Thomas

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole

Joined: Aug 21 2010

Posts: 94

Re: Cleaning Up HOW You Clean! Detoxify for "The Healthy ...

Mardy,

I love your comment about the shoes. Leaving shoes off in the house is one of the first suggestions this book makes! They have a cartoon with a pile of shoes at the front door. :~)

My husband did a study once on small children and pesticides: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed that people bring lawn pesticides into their homes on their shoes. These pesticide-laden shoes were a major source of pesticide exposures, especially for young children who spend a lot of time on the floor and who put dirty fingers, dust, and toys in their mouths. Somewhat surprising was that the study showed that indoor shoe-wearing was a larger source of children’s pesticide exposures than eating non-organic fruits and vegetables.

Anther thing I really like about The Healthy Home book is that each chapter includes a checklist where you can measure your own lifestyle. Then another checklist of simple solutions that are very easy to follow. You really don't have to move mountains to make important changes for a healthier life.

Another thing... these suggestions work! I just cleaned my oven with a paste of baking soda, and it worked better than any cleanser I've used, or having to deal with the fumes of the self-cleaning oven burnoff. I avoided that job in the past most of the time!

Live well,

Robin

__________________

Robin started contributing to Lumigrate in August 2010. "Meet Robin Thomas", a topic in our biographies/vitae forum is at http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/meet-robin-thomas [7] to read all about her journey, which was greatly influenced by the need to help solve her youngest son's significant health challenges. For those who want just the overview here: After working over 22 years in medical research at the University of North Carolina on chronic inflammatory diseases she switched her focus to preventive health in 2004 when she was introduced to USANA Health Sciences. Robin is passionate about helping others improve their health, have more energy, manage their weight, and improve their skin.

I love meeting new friends !

LIKE me on Facebook [8] Connect on LinkedIn [9]

Follow me on Twitter [10] Learn more at my BLOG [11]

"I dream of a world free from pain and suffering. I dream of a world free from disease. The USANA family will be the healthiest family on earth. Share my vision. Love life and live it to its fullest in happiness and health."

-Dr. Myron Wentz, Founder and Chairman, USANA Health Sciences

Fri, 03/18/2011 - 1:55pm

#3 [18]

Mardy Ross

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole

Joined: Feb 16 2009

Posts: 2032

Good to know it works! What's wrong with self cleaning fumes?

Hi Robin -- aside from that it's not a pleasant odor, can you share if there's an issue with the fumes from self cleaning ovens? That one I'd not heard before. I'm glad you specified that the ideas in the book work -- in the past I've tried things that were written about in other resource areas and I didn't think they worked so well. So I was kinda half thinking 'well, we'll see' when I read about the book initially and now I'm more eager to get a copy.

I also like the idea they put in checklists that take people from analysis through paralysis and to action!

Thanks again, and for stopping by with comments.

Mardy

__________________

Fri, 04/22/2011 - 9:25am

#4 [19]

Mardy Ross

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole

Joined: Feb 16 2009

Posts: 2032

Re: Cleaning Up HOW You Clean! Detoxify for "The Healthy ...

I noticed on facebook today, Earth Day, that Robin Thomas had posted a link to a website which hosts a press release (FYI, the link is: www.pharmiweb.com/pressreleases/pressrel.asp [20]) saying:

New Book Climbs to No. 2 Spot in the New York Times

PR Newswire

SALT LAKE CITY, April 21, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthy Home [21], a new book providing simple solutions for reducing toxins and other health hazards in the home, has advanced in ranking on several national best sellers lists within a month of publication. After becoming a Top 100 Amazon.com best seller following its first week of sales, The Healthy Home, released on March 22, quickly hit the New York Times, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and L.A. Times best sellers lists.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/LA86278LOGO [22])

Ranked the No. 9 hardcover advice book in its first week on the New York Times Best Sellers list [23], The Healthy Home soon climbed to the No. 3 spot and is ranked No. 2 in that category in its third consecutive week on the list. According to the New York Times, "sales of print titles are statistically weighted to represent all outlets nationwide."

Previously No. 85 on the USA TODAY Top 150 Best Selling Books list [24], The Healthy Home rose to No. 39 and is now No. 15 among both hardcover and paperback titles. USA TODAY calculates its rankings based on national sales data, and a printed version of the book list is available on newsstands today.

The Healthy Home continues to rank high on Amazon.com as well as on the Publishers Weekly [25] and L.A. Times [26]best selling book lists.

"To receive this kind of recognition is an honor," said Dave Wentz, co-author of The Healthy Home. "We are grateful to all our readers and those who share our vision and passion for creating a healthier world, starting at home."

Today is the last day of The Healthy Home's North American book tour [27]. The finale event [28], free and open to the public, will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, UT.

The authors are proud to donate all their proceeds to Children's Hunger Fund [29] (CHF), a nonprofit organization distributing food and other vital resources to children from impoverished communities worldwide.

For more information about The Healthy Home book, visit www.myhealthyhome.com [21].

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

DAVE WENTZis chief executive officer of USANA Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art manufacturer of nutritional supplements and health products. He received a bachelor's degree in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. He lives with his wife, Renee, and his son and newborn daughter, Andrew and Sydney, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

DR. MYRON WENTZ holds a Ph.D. in microbiology with a specialty in immunology from the University of Utah. He founded Gull Laboratories in 1974 and developed the first commercially available diagnostic test for the Epstein-Barr virus. Later he founded USANA Health Sciences and Sanoviv Medical Institute. Honored in June 2007 with the Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences, he is the author of A Mouth Full of Poison and Invisible Miracles.

Media Contact:Dan Macugadan@myhealthyhome.com [30]1-801-954-7280

SOURCE The Healthy Home

PR Newswire

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/ [31]

Last updated on: 21/04/2011 15:00:07

__________________

Cleaning Up HOW You Clean! Detoxify for "The Healthy Home"

Why You Should Clean Like Your Grandmother

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