DIY Household Cleaners Instead of Toxic Chemicals

This article originally appeared on Children of Vietnam. Author Kelly L. Derricks

Considering the world that we live in, its prudent to cover things that many people hardly think about, or consider them benign. They actually are not benign. And many of these common household and beauty items are highly toxic. If there were any doubt about why cancer rates have skyrocketed over the past 30 years, this list might just gives us an idea of how this has happened.

You consider your dish cleaner, glass cleaner, carpet freshener, aerosol fragrances, fragrance candles, furniture polish, bathroom cleaners, etc. mostly safe right? Many do not blink before buying a bottle or a can of some cleaning product. But when you factor in just how harmful these chemical are to your body, endocrine system and immune system, spending ‘less’ for safer, equally or better natural cleaning products rather than the ‘other stuff’, you’ll be glad you considered an alternative.

You could get your children involved with supervision and help them to learn what to do for their own future. Give them the power of self-sufficiency.

If you say well I do not have time then you really have to ask yourself some questions:

• Do you have time to get ready go to the store and go out purchase what you need every time you run out?
• Do you have the gas money to continually go purchase more chemicals that could be causing health problems in your home?
• Do you have the money to invest in your health that could be avoided if you just made your own instead?
• Do you have the money to take your children or your pets to the hospital or the vet?
• Wouldn’t it be easier to just plan ahead, buy what you need in a larger amount and make it yourself?
• Would you truly be better off doing what you have always done?

Your health and that of your loved ones is more important than a company making money off of something that you can produce yourself. You can make it from ingredients that are not so worrying, such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, orange oil, borax and castile soap. All champions of cleaning!

Consider what is in most cleaning products in the stores today.

1. Carcinogens – Carcinogens cause cancer and/or promote cancer’s growth.

2. Endocrine disruptors – Endocrine disruptors mimic human hormones, confusing the body with false signals.  Exposure to endocrine disruptors can lead to numerous health concerns including reproductive, developmental, growth and behavior problems. Endocrine disruptors have been linked to reduced fertility, premature puberty, miscarriage, menstrual problems, challenged immune systems, abnormal prostate size, ADHD, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and certain cancers.

3. Neurotoxins — Neurotoxins alter neurons, affecting brain activity, causing a range of problems from headaches to loss of intellect

4. Pesticides – One of the most counter-intuitive health threats is that of products that disinfect. Common sense tells us that killing household germs protects our health. However disinfectants are pesticides, and the ingredients in pesticides often include carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Pesticides are fat-soluble, making them difficult to eliminate from the body once ingested. Pesticides, including disinfectants, may also include alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs).

5. APEs – APEs act as surfactants, meaning they lower the surface tension of liquids and help cleaning solutions spread more easily over the surface to be cleaned and penetrate solids.  APEs are found in detergents, disinfectants, all-purpose cleaners and laundry cleansers.  They are also found in many self-care items including spermicides, sanitary towels and disposable diapers.  APEs are endocrine disruptors.

6. Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde is commonly known as a preservative. Many people do not know that it is also a germicide, bactericide and fungicide, among other functions. Formaldehyde is found in household cleaners and disinfectants. It is also present in nail polish and other personal care products. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen.

7. Organochlorines – Organochlorines result from the combination of hydrogen and carbon. Some types are highly deadly, such as DDT. OCs are bioaccumulative and also highly persistent in the environment. OCs are present in pesticides, detergents, degreasers and bleaches. OCs are also present in dry cleaning fluids. OCs are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

8. Styrene – Styrene is a naturally occurring substance derived from the styrax tree. Styrene is most commonly used in the manufacture of numerous plastics including plastic food wrap, insulated cups, carpet backing and PVC piping. Styrene is also found in floor waxes and polishes and metal cleaners. Styrene is a known carcinogen as well as an endocrine disruptor. Exposure may affect the central nervous system, liver and reproductive system.

9. Phthalates – Phthalates are most commonly used in the manufacture of plastics. Phthalates are also used as carriers for perfumes and air fresheners and as skin penetration enhancers for products such as moisturizers. These chemicals are classified as inert and as such no product-labeling requirements exist for phthalates. They are endocrine disruptors and suspected carcinogens. Phthalates are known to cause hormonal abnormalities, thyroid disorders, birth defects and reproductive problems.

10. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – VOCs are emitted as gases suspending themselves in the air. VOCs include an array of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects, and are present in perfumes, air fresheners, disinfectants and deodorizers. VOCs commonly include propane, butane, ethanol, phthalates and/or formaldehyde. These compounds pose a variety of human health hazards and collectively are thought to be reproductive toxins, neurotoxins, liver toxins and carcinogens.

Do these sound like something you want anywhere near you or someone you love? Again, these are in many readily available products in your grocery.

How to protect yourself from harmful chemical cleaners

READ ALL LABELS. Learn everything and if you do not recognize an ingredient, then put the bottle or jar or box down. What you choose to bring into your home is going to affect you and your family. If you are already ill then these chemicals can only make things worse. The idea is to remove as many toxins as you can from your home. Remove them and give your body a chance to heal itself. Again if you say you do not have time, then you must consider: do you have time for health problems that could arise from using these harmful chemicals?

Vinegar and orange oil is probably one of the best overall cleaners you can make yourself. It is not hard to do at all. Get two jars and fill one mostly with vinegar. Leave some room for orange peels or orange oil. Being frugal and safe — what a concept!

Buy oranges and eat them, and as you finish them, save the skins and put them into the jar. Close the jar and continue on in your day. Do this for two weeks and remove the vinegar and put it into a spray bottle. Then throw out the peels. Normally you will create a few bottles of this cleaner. I use mine to clean windows, surfaces anything that i can use to spray and wipe down. Yes it does smell like vinegar at first but once that fades you will have a clean surface. That is important and you have no lingering toxic cloud of perfume. Usually if it has a strong perfume it isn’t good for you or your lungs.

DIY Cleaner Basic Ingredients

If you’re starting a DIY green cleaners pantry, the following are the top ingredients you’ll want to have around. Some combination of these ingredients will make you almost all of the recipes you find below!

• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Borax
• Essential oils, like tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, or lemongrass oil
• Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s)
• Fresh herbs, citrus, or citrus peels
• Olive or vegetable oil
• Water

How To Make Your Own Bathroom Cleaners

How to Make Your Own Kitchen Cleaners

How To Make Your Own Wood Polish

5 Ways To Get Great Smelling Laundry Without Softener

A DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

For more DIY natural recipes, visit Apartment Therapy.

Are the costs worth it? Have you price the cost for cancer?

None of these are difficult to make and if you sit down and consider the annual cost of those chemicals that you are using. Now consider spending that money on items that are healthier i think it is worthwhile. You could go online and search for a bulk purchase store in your area. You could go to a grocery store and buy a big bag of baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. Yes essential oils are expensive but you only need a few drops to make a quantity of cleaner. Well worth it i think compared to the chemical concoction sitting under your sink.

I do think however that if you consider the time that you have more carefully and make them yourself you will end up in the long run spending the same that you would on common cleaners from the store. If you purchase them from eco friendly websites and store you may end up paying a bit more. So why not do it yourself? You can do that and tell your friends and encourage them. See taking the power into your own hands can make you feel good. You are in control of what goes into your home. Take that power back!

You will be amazed at what you can accomplish if you just stop and consider what you can do instead of focusing on what you cannot do. The power is in your hands to change your life. I believe that anyone can make a change in their lives for the better. So take some time and consider what you really are putting into your home.  Think about the effect it is having on your family. We all know the environment in the home is much more toxic than outdoors. So doing what I am suggesting can help to reduce that toxicity and give you fresher air to breathe.

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About the author: Kelly L. Derricks is the daughter of deceased Vietnam Veteran Harry C. Mackel Jr.  Harry died in 1982 at the age of 37 after being exposed to Agent Orange while serving two tours in Vietnam in addition to a tour on Johnston Island. Kelly was only seven years old when her father died. In January 2012, Kelly Co-founded (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC. with Agent Orange Activist & Survivor Heather A. Bowser.  Together,  they work tirelessly remedying the lack of services and support for all of us living with the aftermath of a war that continues to devastate millions internationally.