Outdoor pollution is illegal in some states because it’s bad for all of us; one cup is thrown on the ground, rainwater carries it down to the sewers, and it can eventually end up in our freshwater rivers and lakes. But what can be equally bad for us and our environments is indoor pollution – pollution caused by toxins inside our homes. Indoor pollution includes some obvious no-nos, such as mold/mildew and cigarette smoke. But one of the biggest things polluting our homes today is the toxic chemicals present in commercial cleaners.
Consider ammonia, for example, which is one of the most commonly-used chemicals in modern cleaning. Inhalation of large amounts of ammonia can cause burning to your nasal glands and even to your esophagus and throat. Ammonia present in the air can also burn your eyes. And swallowing ammonia can cause burning in your mouth, throat, and stomach.
These are all just effects that ammonia can have on the human body, but it doesn’t stop there. Disposed ammonia products can make their way into our soil. The ammonia reacts with the soil over time and can make it acidic and, therefore, unable to grow more plants.
Ammonia is only one example of a cleaner. Bleach and lye can also be harmful with prolonged contact to the human body. Even worse is the effects produced when you combine two of these chemicals. For instance, combining ammonia and bleach together forms the toxic chloramine gas which can cause respiratory troubles or injury, or even severe lung damage. Furthermore, many of the chemicals found in cleaning products are known as potential carcinogens (meaning they may contribute to the development of cancer) or hormone disruptors.
For years, our rationale for using these toxic cleaning and scenting products has been that a small amount won’t harm us, or that it’s worth the risk if we take safety precautions that ensure we don’t swallow these chemicals. But consider this: according to the 2012 Annual Report of the US National Poison Control Center:
- cleaning supplies and sprays accounted for 193,802 calls, or 7.21% of the total calls.
- 80.1% of calls received in 2012 were due to unintentional ingestion.
- 6.18% of all incidents involved a child from 6-12 years of age.
With the potential side effects of unintentional ingestion of these terrible chemicals – especially if you have children in your home – is it truly worth the risk of having these chemicals?
We at Sea Foam Trading co. don’t think so. The total number of poison control calls has been decreasing in recent years – perhaps due in part to the push for chemical-free, organic living. We want to be part of that decreasing trend by offering you only organic and toxin-free products!
We specialize in hand made all natural bath & body products, and natural chemical free scented products for the home. Here is a quick recipe for an all-natural window cleaner that works better than any chemical based product we have tried.
Glass Cleaner
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
5-10 drops lemon or eucalyptus essential oil
Cleans and shines better than commercial cleaners with a little extra elbow grease!!
Check out our website for more all natural scented products for your home