6 Surprising Toxics Hiding in Your Home

by Janelle Sorensen

Do you know where toxic chemicals are hiding in your home? Many people assume they're in a corner of the garage or in a cabinet in the basement. You know what I'm talking about - that place where you stack all the cans and containers of paints and pesticides and other products carrying warning labels. But, actually, toxics are hiding all over your home, in seemingly innocuous spaces. We eat them, inhale them, and rub them on our skin without a second thought. But, you don't have to co-exist with these unwelcome guests.

Here's a "who's who" of some of the sneakiest offenders and how to avoid them.

1. Pesticides

What they are: Pesticides are a whole class of chemicals used to kill weeds, kill bugs, kill microbials - kill things in general. And, guess what - they're highly toxic (that's how they kill things) and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, and hormonal disruption.

Where they hide: Be aware that weed and pest killing chemicals are highly toxic! Read the package for a laundry list of potentially ill effects. But, you may not be aware of a different common pesticide: triclosan, an antibacterial found in everything from soap and laundry detergent to socks and computer keyboards.

How to avoid them: Avoid products that have triclosan listed as an ingredient - soaps and detergents are the most obvious, but also look out for toothpaste, sponges, shower curtains, toys, shoes, computer keyboards or anything else that claim to be antibacterial.

2. BPA (bisphenol-A)

What it is: BPA is a hormone-disrupting synthetic estrogen. According to animal studies, even at very low doses, BPA's mimicry of estrogen resulted in an array of health maladies including prostate and breast cancer, early onset of puberty, obesity, hyperactivity, lowered sperm count, miscarriage, diabetes, and altered immune system.

Where it hides: BPA has been in the news a lot over the past year as parents have decried it's presence in the clear, hard plastic known as polycarbonate that is used to make some baby bottles and reusable water bottles. But, BPA hides in other places, too - like dental sealants, the lining of food and beverage containers (including infant formula cans and other canned goods), pizza boxes, toilet paper, and the thermal paper receipts printed by most digital cash registers.

How to avoid it: Currently, it's assumed that most of our exposure is from food sources. So, avoid buying canned foods; look for fresh, frozen, dried, or jarred. Use safer plastics, like those with the number 2,4, or 5 in the chasing arrows symbol on the bottom of the product.

3. PFCs

What they are: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are a family of compounds that are extremely persistent and accumulate in the human body - remaining detectable for years after exposure. They have the potential to disrupt fetal development, hormonal function and the immune system and increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Where they hide: PFCs are manufactured to give coatings a nonstick or water/stain repellent qualities. These coatings are used on cookware, carpets (prior to 2008), clothing, shoes, bedding, upholstered furniture, and fast food packaging. (For a full list of products, see Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to PFCs)

How to avoid them: Stay away from greasy or oily packaged and fast foods, as the packages often contain grease-repellent coatings (like microwave popcorn bags, fast food packaging, and pizza boxes). Find out what's used in "stain-resistant" treatments for clothing, furnishings and carpet before buying. Avoid personal-care products containing ingredients that include the words "fluoro" or "perfluoro." Avoid Teflon® cookware. If you choose to continue using, be careful not to let it heat to above 450ºF. Discard if coatings show signs of deterioration.

4. Brominated Flame Retardants

What they are: There are over 175 different types of flame retardants divided into different classes. The brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are currently the largest market group because of their low cost and high performance efficiency. While they may be reducing fire-related risks in certain situations, there is increasing concern that they introduce a wide spectrum of other toxic and persistent risks to our health and environment that far outweigh their fire suppression benefits.

Where they hide: BFRs have been added to consumer products like furniture, carpeting, clothing, and electronics for several decades in an effort to reduce fire-related injury and property damage. One of the main hiding spots for flame retardants is in polyurethane foam - like that used in cushions, baby mattresses, nursing pillows, and other foam products. Fire retardant chemicals can make up to 10% by weight of foam in furniture and baby products and 30% plastic in electronics. Typically, the chemicals are not covalently bound, which means they can migrate out.

How to avoid them: The major sources of exposure to toxic flame retardants are household dust and food. So, first of all, wash hands regularly. Dust and mop often. And vacuum with a HEPA filter regularly. Swipe your screens. Some of the most contaminated dust is that found on TV and computer screens. And, eat less meat. Vegetarians have lower levels of PBDEs in their bodies than chicken or red meat eaters. When you buy new furnishings, research what type of flame retardant, if any, has been used.

5. Phthalates

What they are: Phthalates (pronounced "tha-lates") are chemicals used to soften plastics and are used for a variety of reasons in personal care products. They are suspected carcinogens and hormone disruptors that are increasingly being linked to reproductive disorders.

Where they hide: Phthalates are found in polyvinyl chloride (PVC, vinyl) products, including children's toys, shower curtains, backpacks, cling wrap, decorating and building products, and blood bags. They are also used as an additive in a wide variety of other consumer products, including wood finishes, cleansers, insecticides, and, perhaps most disturbingly, many personal care products. They are one of the most widely used components of "fragrance."

How to avoid them: Read labels and avoid any personal care products or cleaners that have "fragrance" listed in the ingredients, unless the manufacturer specifies it's "phthalate-free." Also check the ingredients for DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate), DEP (diethyl phthalate), and BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate). Avoid PVC plastic (#3 in the chasing arrows symbol usually found on the bottom of a product.)

6. Formaldehyde

What it is: Formaldehyde is a strong smelling, volatile organic compound (VOC) and common indoor air pollutant that is a known carcinogen. It is a naturally occurring chemical that is also produced synthetically in large quantities for consumer products, building products, and industrial purposes.

Why it's risky: Formaldehyde is a common ingredient in adhesives and finishes. Formaldehyde fumes can enter indoor air from plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, permanent press clothing and draperies, some types of foam insulation, fiberglass, and some paints and floor finishes. Woods made with urea formaldehyde resins emit higher levels of formaldehyde than those made with phenol formaldehyde. Some fingernail polishes and hardeners contain formaldehyde as well.

How to avoid it: Ventilate! Open windows and use fans and air conditioning to flush out air. In damp regions, dehumidifiers will also help reduce ?indoor moisture levels that promote off-gassing. Seal unfinished pressed wood items with a low or no VOC paint, varnish, or water-based polyurethane sealant. Look for formaldehyde-free products. Allow new particleboard furnishing and wood to release formaldehyde fumes outdoors or in a well-ventilated, unoccupied space (such as the garage) for a few weeks before bringing into the living space. Wash new clothing and bedding before use to remove formaldehyde-containing fabric finishes. Try to avoid buying permanent press fabrics.

Related Topics:

• 10 Affordable Ways to Make Your House – And the World – Safer and Healthier
• Pots, Pans, and Plastics: A Shopper’s Guide to Food Safety

What You Should Know About Hand Sanitizers and Your Health

by Janelle Sorensen

Michela Mongardi / CC BY 2.0

Are you carrying around hand sanitizer yet? During cold and flu season, especially during these days of pandemic flu, it's a smart, preventive tool to protect your health. But, what exactly is it? Are there any risks you should be aware of? Are some options safer than others? Read on to find out.

Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers
Most hand sanitizers are made from 60-90% ethyl alcohol (to be effective, the alcohol content must be over 60%.) Ethyl alcohol is an anti-microbial that's been recommended as a hand sanitizer for over 100 years and it's preferable to other alcohols because it doesn't dry out skin as badly.

Should you worry about applying alcohol to your skin? When used as directed, the alcohol in hand sanitizers poses no risk. What's absorbed into the blood is comparable to a tiny sip of wine and you don't have to worry about residue on your skin because it evaporates within seconds of drying. However, alcohol-based hand sanitizers can pose a serious poisoning issue to children under 6 if they ingest it. To be safe, hand sanitizers should be stored out of children's reach and used only with supervision.

In addition to alcohol, hand sanitizers can include:

• Glycerin - speeds repair of the skin's protective barrier
• Isopropyl Myristate - facilitates absorption
• Dimethicone - reduces sanitizer's greasy feeling
• Aloe vera gel - soothes skin
• Propylene glycol - antifungal
• Tocopheryl Acetate - acts as an antioxidant and moisturizer
• Triethanolamine - helps maintain pH of the product
• Carbomers - thickeners
• Aminomethyl Propanol - adjusts acidity
• Fragrances - make it smell nice. (But, fragrance mixtures are considered proprietary and manufacturers are not required to disclose what's in them. Approximately 1/3 of the 3,000 most common fragrances are allergens, asthmagens or respiratory irritants. Fragrances are also often where hormone disrupting phthalates hide.)

Alcohol is a serious microbial that wipes out germs and doesn't give them an opportunity to build up a resistance, but read your labels to find out if there are any extra ingredients you don't approve of. Here are some options to check out:

• Surya Brasil's Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer
• All Terrain Hand Sanz
• Burt's Bees Aloe Vero & Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer (bonus points for using alcohol made from corn and while they do use fragrance, they never use phthalates)
• EO Hand Sanitizing Spray (bonus points for using non-GMO, corn-based alcohol)
• JAO Hand Refresher
• Method Hand Sanitizer (bonus points for corn-based alcohol, points docked for fragrance and dyes)

Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizers:
Some alcohol-free hand sanitizers rely instead on the antibacterial properties of chemicals like Triclosan and Benzalknonium Chloride. Ironically, both of these chemicals have promoted the growth of antibacterial-resistant strains of bacteria. In addition, they are both rated as a high hazard in the Cosmetics Safety Database. Instead, look into some of these options that rely on all natural ingredients with antimicrobial properties.

• CleanWell
• Grandma Minnie's Kid Gloves Hand Sanitizer
• Clean George (has ECOCERT*, Certified Organic, FSC* Certified ingredients)

Make Your Own?
The question with making your own is if you feel confident it's going to be effective. It's the case with some natural brands, too - there haven't been conclusive studies demonstrating their efficacy as hand sanitizers. But, even the claims that alcohol-based products kill up to 99.9% of germs is also a bit flawed (the tests were done on inanimate objects and not actual hands). Do your research, assess your needs, and make an informed choice.

If you decide to make your own, consider this recipe from Melissa Breyer of Care2.com:

"Dr. Lawrence D. Rosen, a New Jersey pediatrician who dispenses natural health advice on his blog, recommends his tried-and-true recipe for homemade hand sanitizer called thieves oil. His formula calls for cinnamon bark, lemon oil and eucalyptus. As legend has it, a group of 15th century European perfumers-turned-grave-robbers were able to defend themselves against the demons of bubonic plague (and other assorted bacterial maladies one might encounter while removing jewelery from corpses) by dousing themselves in a blend of essential oils, hence the name "thieves oil."

Now there are any number of stories circulating about this legend, and just as many recipes, many of them with a vinegar base. But going on Dr. Rosen's fail-safe recipe and the proven efficacy of cinnamon oil, I like the formula which includes equal amounts of cinnamon bark, lemon, eucalyptus, clove, and rosemary therapeutic grade essential oils. Mix them with jojoba or olive oil as a carrier, and use on hands as a sanitizer. (Note: pure essential oils can be very potent; it's important to test some on a small patch of skin to check for any adverse reactions.)"

How to Use Hand Sanitizers Effectively
Just with any soap or cleanser, it only does the job if you do it right.

How much should you use? Vigorously rub all sides of your hands with enough product to get them wet, and rub them together until they are dry. According to the C.D.C. guidelines for alcohol-based hand sanitizers, to be most effective, a dime-size dollop of alcohol gel should be rubbed into the hands for 30 seconds. For other hand sanitizers, you may need to contact the manufacturer to find out how to properly use the product.

Keep in mind that washing your hands is the best bet. Hand sanitizers don't cut through dirt and grime well, so soiled hands should be washed first if the sanitizer is to be effective. And, if you have access to wash your hands, you don't really need a hand sanitizer (except in isolated situations). If you're on the go and you know you won't be near a sink (especially with young kids whose hands are bound to get dirty) - you may want to bring wipes and a hand sanitizer. Then you can wipe the dirt and grime off before applying the sanitizer.

Additional Resources:

• GoodGuide's top rated hand sanitizers
• EWG's Cosmetics Safety Database
• Alternatives to Antibacterials and Disinfectants

7 Simple Tips for Healthy Holidays

Healthy Child Healthy World

Sometimes the stress from holidays can result in big headaches. But, a lot of other things about the holidays can impact your health as well. Follow these simple steps to make this year's holidays your healthiest ever.

1. Indulge in the only the best food by going organic. Special occasions call for scrumptious goodies. But indulging doesn't have to mean sacrificing your family's health. This year, strive for very special holiday meals made of the freshest organic foods. Today, you can find organic ingredients for every type of celebratory food, from free-range turkey to a mouth-watering apple pie. Look for the USDA Organic seal to be sure that you are buying foods produced without synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, genetic engineering, irradiation and petroleum- or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.


2. Watch out for those brightly colored foods and candy! Holiday treats like candy canes and other goodies can be hard to resist. But many of our favorite sweet treats are full of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, some of which have questionable safety records. Saccharin, for example, is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Serve your child a well-balanced diet of whole foods and let your child indulge in moderate amounts of candy and other holiday treats. Read "Limit Your Child's Intake of Food Additives" for a list of potentially dangerous food additives that should definitely be avoided.


3. To perfume the air with a holiday fragrance, simmer spices such as cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Special scents create a festive holiday mood. However, scented candles, incense, air fresheners and other fragrance products are filled with chemical cocktails that can pollute indoor air, causing headaches, fatigue and other symptoms. Scented candles tend to produce more black soot than nonscented candles. And some candles-particularly those made in foreign countries-are made with stiff, metal wicks, which often contain lead. When lit, these candles release lead dust. Both soot and lead can be inhaled or ingested by small children, which may lead to health problems. Soot contains suspected carcinogens and lead causes brain damage. Learn more about non-toxic holiday aromas.


4. Raid your kitchen pantry to make your house sparkle for holiday guests. Cleaning your house in preparation for guests is one holiday tradition no one cherishes. To make it less unpleasant to all concerned, use mild, nontoxic cleaners. Most cleaning can be accomplished with a few nontoxic items from your kitchen pantry such as baking soda, washing soda and vinegar (to name a few). These ingredients can even be used to polish the silver! Learn more Recipes for Safer Cleaners.


5. Be aware that holiday lights may contain lead. In many electronic products, wires and cords are coated with PVC plastic, which is where the lead is found. Lead is used in PVC wires and cords to make it more flexible and reduce the risk of fire. Lead is also used in many PVC products to stabilize the color. The amount of lead in the lights and other consumer products may vary considerably and it is not clear if the amount of lead that is released poses a risk to human health. Some tests show that lead could come off in the hands. It's best not to let children handle the lights. The adult that does handle them should wash his or her hands immediately afterwards.


6. Retire that old, plastic tree. Plastic Christmas trees may appear to make environmental sense, because they can be used for many years. And about 20 million households put up a tree that is 9 years old or older. But old Christmas trees, which are made of PVC, are a potential health threat to children. PVC has been dubbed the most toxic plastic. One reason is that PVC contains significant amounts of lead as a stabilizer. In 2002, Foundation E.A.R.T.H. discovered that as these plastic trees age, they release lead dust, which collects on tree branches and the floor beneath the tree. Most of the plastic trees come from China and they exceed U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations for lead levels in consumer products. Lead is an extremely toxic heavy metal capable of producing long-term behavioral and brain damage, even at low doses. To be extra safe, don't let your children touch or handle a plastic tree or crawl underneath it. Don't keep presents underneath it either, as they will collect any lead dust that falls. Better yet, purchase a fresh, organic tree this year - it's a renewable resource that can be recycled!


7. This holiday season, burn a safer fire. As you cozy up to the fireplace this winter, remember that particles and gases from fires can make breathing difficult, especially for asthmatics. Make sure you ventilate well. Dry wood burns hotter and cleaner than "green" wood and hardwoods are better than coniferous trees, or evergreens. (That includes your Christmas tree, which is better off recycled.) For more tips, see How To Build a Safer Fire. Note: Fires also emit carcinogens, so keep fires to a minimum.

Chemicals in Everyday Products Turning Boys into Girls?

by Christopher Gavigan

Neil Mallett
/ CC BY-SA 2.0

A new report from the Danish Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), highlights the critical risks facing toddlers from gender bending chemicals in everyday products. Chemicals like phthalates (found in PVC and fragrances), parabens (found in lotions and sunscreens), and pesticides are increasingly being linked to hormone disruption - and two year olds have more in their blood than any previous generations.

What does it mean?

• Today's boys have less sperm. Sperm counts are falling so fast that young men are about half as fertile as their fathers (and have about one-third the amount of sperm per milliliter as a hamster if you care to compare.)


• More boys are playing like girls. The DEFRA report highlights research from Rotterdam's Erasmus University that found that boys whose mothers were exposed to certain hormone disruptors were more likely to dress up in girl's clothes and play with dolls and tea sets.


• Fewer boys are being born. According to coverage of the report in the Telegraph, "A Canadian Indian community living on ancestral lands at the eastern tip of Lake Huron, hemmed in by one of the biggest agglomerations of chemical factories on earth, gives birth to twice as many girls as boys. It's the same around Seveso in Italy, contaminated with dioxins from a notorious accident in the 1970s, and among Russian pesticide workers. And there's more evidence from places as far apart as Israel and Taiwan, Brazil and the Arctic."


• Boys' unmentionables are getting smaller. Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that boys born to women exposed to phthalates had smaller penises and other feminization of the genitals.

Many of the chemicals being criticized have received their fair share of criticism in the past. What's new about this report is the emphasis on "chemical cocktails" - or the fact that these chemicals mixed together are far worse than they are alone. And, this is how we are exposed to them - in mixtures from our everyday environments - not isolated like they are often tested in the laboratory. Beyond the machismo these occurrences may invoke in many a male, the overwhelming concern is the threat to reproduction.

What can you do?

Reduce your exposure to hormone disruptors like pesticides, plasticizers, and chemically-laden personal care products.

• Eat organic food, whenever possible. Some of the offending chemicals mentioned in this report are stored in fat. So if you eat meat, choose low-fat cuts and remove excess fat. Also, choose low-fat dairy products.


• Avoid using plastic containers, especially for food and beverages. Use glass or stainless steel instead.


• Find safer personal care products. Cut back on how many and how much you use. And, maybe even try making your own (simple olive oil makes a wonderful skin moisturizer).


• Avoid using pesticides. Don't give pests food or shelter. Clean up spills immediately, fix leaks, repair cracks, and mend torn screens. Yank weeds or pour boiling water on them instead of resorting to herbicides.


• Find safer toys, teethers and clothes for your family. Help friends out, too by sharing some handy pocket shopping guides.

BPA Found in Cans Marked BPA-Free

by Janelle Sorensen

Just when you thought the BPA issue couldn't get any more confusing...Consumer Reports just published a study where they found BPA in food from nearly all cans tested - including those marked "BPA-Free."

According to the release:

"Consumer Reports' latest tests of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans, have found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods we tested contain some BPA. The canned organic foods we tested did not always have lower BPA levels than nonorganic brands of similar foods analyzed. We even found the chemical in some products in cans that were labeled "BPA-free."

The debate revolves around just what is a safe level of the chemical to ingest and whether it should be in contact with food. Federal guidelines currently put the daily upper limit of safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. But that level is based on experiments done in the 1980s rather than hundreds of more recent animal and laboratory studies indicating serious health risks could result from much lower doses of BPA."

Consumer's Union, the non-profit organization behind the publication, immediately wrote the FDA and urged for tighter regulations. Not surprisingly, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents BPA-makers, is highly critical of the report for being "inconsistent with findings of regulatory bodies all over the world."

Meg Kissinger of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel summarizes the ACC statement:

"Eleven global regulatory bodies - including the European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada - have recently completed scientific evaluations and found BPA safe in food-contact products, including canned foods and beverages," said Steven Hentges, the group's chief lobbyist

He noted that a study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and published last week in the journal Toxicological Sciences found that exposure to BPA - including very low doses - had no effects on a range of reproductive and behavioral activities measured."

Interestingly, critics of this new study say it was rejected by a more prestigious journal (Biology of Reproduction) and endocrinologists ravaged the manuscript. One of the authors of the original manuscript withdrew his name after seeing the reviews from the endocrinologists.

Perhaps the biggest flaw in the study? The strain of rat used was at least 2500 times less sensitive to estrogens than other animal models. No wonder it didn't respond to BPA.

Other BPA news:

• Jeremiah McNichols from Z Recommends recently published an exclusive report that provided extensive evidence that Gaiam water bottles previously marketed as "BPA-free" were likely to contain the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. Shortly afterwards, the company quietly added information to its retail website which admits to independent lab test results showing leaching levels at 23.8 parts per billion. These findings are more than ten times the detection limit SIGG said revealed no leaching from their own bottles and over 18 times more than the leaching levels found in independent testing of SIGG bottles shared with ZRecs by an anonymous source.


• Liz Szabo from USA Today writes: "The National Institutes of Health will devote $30 million to study the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA, an estrogen-like chemical used in many plastics, including sippy cups and the linings of metal cans. According to the NIEHS, animals studies link BPA with infertility, weight gain, behavioral changes, early onset puberty, prostate and breast cancer and diabetes. New research will focus on low-dose exposures to BPA and effects on behavior, obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders, asthma, cardiovascular diseases and various cancers. Researchers will also see if the effects of BPA exposure can be passed from parents to their children."

Learn more about BPA and how to reduce your exposure.

Related Topics:

• Safer Food For A Healthier You
• Pots, Pans, and Plastics: A Shopper’s Guide to Food Safety

Leaf Blowers Blow a Lot More than Leaves

by Janelle Sorensen

Micah Weber
/ CC BY-SA 2.0

Leaf blowers drive me crazy. And, I know I'm not the only one - the noise alone is enough to test the patience of a saint. I mean, they sound like a giant dentist drill or a mammoth mosquito, how unpleasant can you get? Beyond imaginative associations, the facts about their auditory irritation are no laughing matter. Jane Dale Owen writes for CLEAN Houston about how loud these machines can be:

• Zero Air Pollution Los Angeles (ZAPLA) says that blower use at one residence impacts eight to fourteen others.


• According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the noise induced by leaf blowers at 90 decibels exceeds the threshold of danger at 85 decibels and can seriously impair hearing. Leaf blowers are used mainly in residential areas where many types of residents are exposed to their pollutants and noise. This population includes homemakers, retirees, day sleepers, young toddlers, the ill or disabled, and pets.


• Those at highest risk are the blower operators - gardeners and yard workers, who regularly omit wearing protective headphones and respiratory gear.


• According to one manufacturer's lobbyist, at a distance of fifty feet, the average blower measures 70-75 decibels. But the World Health Organization states that in order to have a healthy environment daytime noise levels should not exceed 55 decibels.


• Excessive noise pollution is associated with increased blood pressure, headaches, ringing ears, loss of sleep, lower level in students' ability to learn, and a lower frustration tolerance. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Luther Terry stated that "excessive noise exposure during pregnancy can influence embryonic development."

But they're more than just a noise nuisance - they can be a real threat to your health.

Most obviously, gas-fueled leaf blowers spew out air pollution - one hour of use creates as much air pollution as a car driven for 100 miles. In addition, consider these disturbing air pollutants - what the leaf blower is blowing around besides leaves.

The particulate matter (PM) swept into the air is composed of dust, fecal matter, (yep, critter poo), pesticides, fungi, chemicals, fertilizers, spores, and street dirt which can contain lead and gasoline - among other things. There have even been cases of viral diseases being spread by the use of leaf blowers.

Do you use a leaf blower? Maybe it's time to buy a good rake instead (contrary to popular belief, it's just as fast - check out this story about a grandma who proves a rake and broom is as fast as a leaf blower). Raking is also good exercise.

Have a neighbor who refuses to lay off the leaf blower? Share these tips for safe and courteous use of leaf blowers.

Related Topic:

• How Healthy Is Your Yard?
• Your Health and the Environment: Protecting Your Piece of the Planet

Alternatives to Antibacterials and Disinfectants

Safer Ways to Keep Germs at Bay

Healthy Child Healthy World

Rather than relying on chemicals to kill bacteria, protect your family from infections with these easy steps:

Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. It's not the type of soap that prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses, it's how you wash your hands and how often. Wash hands both before and after preparing food; before eating or handling contact lenses; after changing a diaper (wash the child's hands, too), petting animals, sneezing, coughing, or using the toilet; and, whenever hands came in contact with bodily fluids.

Photo credit: iStockphoto

Here's how:

• Wet your hands, using comfortably warm water.
• Add soap (preferably plant-based) and lather up. If you use bar soap, rinse it after using and let dry.
• Rub hands together vigorously for 20 seconds. Don't forget the spaces between your fingers, your wrists, and under your nails.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Dry hands well and launder hand towels often in hot water.

Clean surfaces with hot, soapy water (with lots of suds). Scrub surfaces well to loosen microorganisms, which can form a slimy layer resistant to detergent alone.

Wash sponges frequently. They can breed and spread germs, so wash regularly in soapy water. Rinse the sponges well, wringing them out well. Then let dry thoroughly, and replace often.

Disinfect selectively:

• Objects that come into contact with raw meat, fish, or eggs, such as cutting boards, utensils and counters:
  
  Use a dishwasher instead and be sure it reaches 171 degrees F, and choose an environmentally friendly detergent.
  
  Spray cutting boards and counters with white vinegar and then with 3% hydrogen peroxide (available in drug stores). Keep the liquids handy in separate spray bottles. It doesn't matter which one your use first, but both are much more effective than either one alone.
  
  See The Partnership for Food Safety Education for more tips on safe food handling practices.


• Diapers: After rinsing out cloth diapers, keep them soaking in a solution of 1/2 cup borax per gallon of water until they go into the washing machine.
  
  Wash diapers separately from other clothes. The heat of the dryer will fry germs.


• Sponges and rags: Microwave for 30 seconds on high power if dry, longer if wet-sponges for one minute, and rags for three minutes.


• Bathrooms and kitchen hard surfaces: Borax disinfects but is milder than bleach. It's also effective on mildew, especially combined with vinegar. Borax can found in the laundry detergent aisle in the supermarket, but keep it away from children. You can make a cleaning solution by adding 1/2 cup to each gallon of water.
  
  Hydrogen peroxide will reduce microorganisms on surfaces. It's the active ingredient in Seventh Generation Kitchen Cleaner and Bathroom Cleaners, and other products found in the Healthy Child Healthy World Marketplace.
  
  By selecting a variety of least-toxic supplies and mixing them into one all-purpose disinfectant, you can increase the efficacy of your cleaner. Use this recipe:
  
  1 t. borax
  2 T. white vinegar
  2 c. hot water
  1/4 t. lavender essential oil
  3 drops tea tree essential oil
  
  Mix all ingredients together and stir until dry ingredients dissolve. Pour into spray bottle for long-term storage and use. Spray as needed on any surface except glass. Scrub and rinse with a clean damp, cloth.

Keep surfaces dry and the humidity in your home low. Bacteria and fungi love moist, warm places.

Other Resources: Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA)