Children and Asthma

Everyday we clean our homes, offices and cars.  We purchase the name brands from the local grocery store, big box store or wholesale stores without even looking at the labels.  The pictures on the front promise fresh, spring like scents with no germs left behind!  But what do those ingredient labels really say, the ones with the Warnings about exposure, not breathing fumes, not to expose to skin, and such.  

Here are some facts about the chemicals we use without thinking about the consequences:  81,000 CHEMICALS REGISTERED WITH THE EPA IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, and fewer than 20% have been tested for toxicity!

FACT:  90% of all poison exposures occur at home
FACT:  218,316 reported poison exposures in 2005 were from household cleaning products    
FACT:  90% of our time is spent indoors. EPA reports that air pollution is up to five times higher inside than outside
FACT:  Indoor pollutants come from all sorts of chemicals we use to make our lives easier every day—paints, carpets, furniture, household cleaners, personal care, among others
FACT:  EPA studies indicate that elevated concentration of household chemicals persist in the air. Long-term exposure to chemicals inside our homes may be harmful to us and our families

FACT:  Some 20 million Americans have asthma
FACT:  An average of one out of every 13 school-aged children has asthma
FACT:  Asthma rates in children under age five have increased more than 160% from 1980-1994 
FACT:  Common household cleaners and appliances give off fumes, which can potentially increase the risk of children developing asthma

“We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children’s children are the experimental subject”     Dr. Herbert Needleman Pediatrician and Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Are you living in a Toxic Home?

Did you know that the average home in the USA generates more than 20 pounds of hazardous waste each year?

Did you know: The following household cleaning products are designated as household hazardous waste by the EPA, and “improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health”?

What is under your Sink?

Chlorine Bleach is the chemical most frequently involved in household poisonings in the U.S.
Degreasers may contain petroleum distillates, which can damage lung tissues and dissolve fatty tissue around nerve cells.
Glass Cleaners may contain ammonia. Ammonia fumes can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system.
Oven Cleaners can be one of the most dangerous cleaning products, which can cause severe damage to eyes, skin, mouth, and throat.
Toilet Bowl Cleaners can be extremely dangerous cleaning products, which can be harmful just by breathing the fumes—and fatal if swallowed.

What can you do?

Get educated on what is under your sink, Visit:   http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm  to get the information you need to make a wise decision about those products.

But don't despair, there are products that really work that don't have warning labels. Check out Shaklee's Get Clean products as non-toxic alternatives that really work!  Shaklee's Get Clean products are Always Safe, Always Work and are Always Green.  Shaklee believes that Home Should be the Safest Place in the World.

Get Clean gives you cleaning choices that are nontoxic and natural and don’t contain any of these harmful ingredients: 

Volatile organic cleaning compounds   Kerosene
Phenol                                            Cresol
Lye                                                Hydrochloric acid
Sulfuric acid                                    Sulfamic acid
Petroleum distillates                        Ammonia
Sodium hydroxide                            Butyl cellosolve
Phosphoric acid                               Formaldehyde
Morpholine
For more information and to purchase Shaklee's Get Clean products for your home, office, boat, car, RV, summer home, workshop and more use this safe link.

Safe for You, Your Home and the Planet! Even safe for your pets!

 
 
Cleansing and Disinfecting Your Home

Cleaning our homes and work spaces is an ongoing project. It is a reward to look at our sparkling clean kitchen or bathroom for that minute or two before some decides to cook another pot of spaghetti sauce or take a long hot shower! So much for our sparkling looks now. But looks can be deceiving. We have heard that one before. But with clean it is true.

The advertizing people have done a good job of convincing us that clean must smell like something, pine, floral, lemon or the breeze. What does a breeze smell like? Cleaning and disinfecting are two different processes. Most products on the market do one or the other. Some do both.

I have discovered a type of cleaning and disinfecting products that are effective in killing germs and cleaning surfaces at the same time. These cleaners are called Quartenary Ammonium Compounds. Long name, but they are effective.

These Quartneary Ammonium Compounds or “Quats”, cleaning products disinfect as well as clean the surface. Chlorine bleach disinfects but you have to clean the surface separately adding another expensive step to the process. Quats are also have a neutral ph so they do not damage surfaces being cleaned and disinfected like chlorine bleach. They are also effective order control agents when used according to label instructions. For more general information on Quats see an article by Roger McFadden who is Technical Director for Coastwide Laboratories.

I am excited since I only just realized that I have been using a Quats for years. I knew the product worked well around my house, especially with the kitties. But I never really understood how amazing the product is! I have been using Shaklee’s Basic-G® Concentrated Germicide. It is a registered EPA germicide and is effective against 56 pathogens comprised of viruses, bacteria and fungi. Since Shaklee’s Basic G carries the EPA registration number on its label you can be certain that is has been proven, under scientific conditions to be effective against various bacteria and other pathogens listed on the label. MSRA and Influenza A are just 2 of the pathogens that Basic G is effective against.

Since chlorine bleach has so many negatives, it is easy to see why the Basic G type products are so popular with consumers. Remember, chlorine bleach products may be cheap in upfront costs, but they are not detergents so they don’t clean, only disinfect. Chlorine bleach products react with other chemicals that might be present when cleaning to product toxic gases. Attack hard surfaces causing damage especially on flooring. And worse, they have unpleasant orders and while they lose their strength rapidly make them not so cheap after all.

The one quart container of Basic G from Shaklee dilutes to 64 gallons of non-toxic cleaning solution when diluted according to directions. In its concentrated state it is a toxic substance and must be handled as such. But once diluted properly, Basic G has cleansing functionalities along with the disinfecting so there is no need to mix with other solutions.

So when you really need to clean your home, purchase some Shaklee Basic G along with the accompanying Spray Bottle for dilution, read the label carefully and clean, disinfect and deodorize your home. I am careful around the kittes, but use the diluted spray around their litter boxes making certain the solution is dry before the kitties return. I also use Basic G in my vacation home, when I travel in staying in a hotel room or cruise ship cabin. Shaklee even has some wipes that you can carry with you as you fly to help keeps the germs away. The wipes are from the Get Clean line and are called Germ Off Fragrance Free Disinfecting Wipes.

Stay safe as you travel and have a safe, germ free home. Use one of the above links to make your purchase and enjoy a different kind of clean!   

 
Toxic Chemicals Invade our Lives

Each day we are bombarded with chemicals that have adverse effects on us, our children, our pets and the planet.  Over 80,000 chemicals are used each day and the EPA has required testing on less than 500 for their toxicity. 

Each Day 42 BILLION pounds of chemicals are produced or imported to the USA.

And there is a lot more.  What to do?

Watch this short video to get some ideas on what we face.  Remember Shaklee is the leader in the environmental movement, offering products that are Always Safe for you and well as the planet, Always Work better or as well as the leading brands, and are Always Green since Shaklee has been green from the very beginning when green was just a color and biodegradable was not a household word.

Do something nice for yourself and the planet, try Shaklee's Get Clean products today.  You deserve the best.

 

 
 
Is your Dishwasher Detgergent Phosphate Free?

Laws in 17 States Limit Phosphates in Automatic Dishwasher Cleaning Agents

Is your State one of those that is concerned about the environment?

When Shaklee first launched our patented, phosphate-free Basic-D® in 1991, we were way ahead of trend in making available a high performing phosphate-free automatic dishwash concentrate. It wasn't until 1994 that phosphates in laundry detergents were restricted nationwide, but until recently, automatic dishwasher detergent manufacturers could include phosphates without concern for environmental regulations prohibiting or limiting the use of phosphates. There simply weren't any.

Well, that time appears to be coming to an end. As of this year, 17 states have enacted laws regarding phosphates in automatic dishwasher cleaners, 15 of them in 2010 alone.

Why the concern about phosphates? Phosphates in bodies of fresh water like lakes, streams, rivers, and creeks, act as a nutrient to organisms like algae, encouraging their growth to an extent that they can harm or threaten plant and fish life.

Now is a great time to assure you that Shaklee Get Clean® products do not contain phosphates, and never will. And for those who are concerned about performance, Shaklee Get Clean Automatic Dish Wash Concentrate is a patented, highly concentrated, phosphate-free automatic dishwash cleanser, backed by the 100% Shaklee Satisfaction Guarantee, and selected as a 2008 recipient of the PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) seal of approval. Its enzyme-activated formula removes tough stains without pre-rinsing, dissolving quickly and completely, without residue.

Here are the 17 states in which phosphates in dishwash detergents are now regulated. Is your state one of them?
 Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon,  Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, Virginia

And even if your state isn't among these, shouldn't everyone you know be using a phosphate-free dishwash concentrate that leaves dishes sparkling clean? I personally use the Shaklee Get Clean Automatic Dish Wash Concentrate weekly and have had clean dishes each week and no worries about chemicals that will hurt the planet, my pets or me!  Use this safe link to purchase and get more information.  Shaklee Get Clean products are Always Safe, Always Work and Always Green.

 
How Toxic is Your Home

Just How Toxic is Your Home?

Have you ever used a cleaning product and coughed a lot from the fumes?  Do you ever wonder why your hands turn red and itch while you are cleaning? Your nose runs and your eyes water don’t they?  Why do we use such stuff?

Did you know that working at home, doing the carpet commute was hazardous to your health?  How can that be?  Well, according to a 15-year study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference, women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The study concluded that this was a direct result of the increased exposure to toxic chemicals, many of which are found in common household products.

Would you have ever imagined that more than 9 out of every 10 suspected poison exposures occur at home with household products?

How about the dramatic increase in Asthma rates among women in the past 10 years are believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to  household chemicals?  Sounds like we are making ourselves sick while cleaning!

Could you name the 150 Chemicals found in the home associated with allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders?  Me neither, but those chemicals are there none the less, affecting our families daily.

When you read the label on your toothpaste and there is a warning to call your physician if swallowed do you worry?  I do!

Home is not looking too safe is it?!?!?! How does your home rate?  Dare we look in the cabinets to see what scary things we have lurking in the dark?  How can we make positive changes and not sacrifice a clean home?

Take a look at the products in your home.  Do they have the words “toxic”, warning”, and such? 

Begin to slowly remove those products that have warnings and the like.  Look for products that have words like Biodegradable, non-flammable, and contain no ammonia, acids, alkalis, solvents, phosphates, chlorine, nitrates or borates.  Just because a product claims to be “Green” doesn’t mean it is “Green”.  You have to read the label!

Products from Shaklee offer safe, green and environmentally friendly home cleaners that work.  Visit for the whole story on how you can keep your home clean and your family safe.  Stay Well!

 

 
 
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