Last weekend a friend was at an estate sale and spotted this on the shelf in the basement and said oh I have to send this to Karen — isn’t that just wild?

LOVE that she sent it to me!

Nowadays we use this product at full strength for an an industrial application!

When I first discovered green cleaning and started to share it with other folks we used Lysol from the aerosol can as part of our demonstrations.

Spray a bit of Lysol near a lit match and whoooosh it lights right up!

Spray our epa registered germicide and it will put out the fire started by the Lysol!

When I first saw this demonstrated the woman said, imagine where people spray this stuff?

Like everywhere.

Imagine the nursery. The play room.

She further shared how fireman can visually see the flammable trail Lysol leaves behind. Especially in children’s rooms.    Imagine wallpaper post a fire with a trail left from Lysol’s flammability  ( is that word?  flammabilty?  It is now!)

The thought of the reality of that horrified me.

I tested their spray on product versus the aerosol can and it too was flammable.

I have to say that it’s beyond me with all the issues we have regarding the environment and all,  how is it that aerosol cans are even being manufactured these days.

I mean at this stage of the game why?

Lysol to me has always smelled medicinal.  I never appreciated that.  Never wanted my home to smell like Lysol.  EVER.

Plus how effective is Lysol anyway??

Everything a germicide needs to do can be found in our germicide product without the blow torch.


flame flickr image

How do you celebrate Earth Day?
If you’re not cleaning green – what’s stopping you?

It’s a germy world we live in.  I’m not paranoid about killing germs but when I set out to get ‘em, I want effectiveness without an ounce of harm to the environment. Having an EPA registered germicide is reassuring to me.

What about Bleach??

Bleach is often not EPA registered.
Bleach’s residual effect is no more than an hour.
Bleach’s shelf life varies up to one year, and has pungent, noxious fumes.
One quart of bleach makes 7.5 gallons of cleaning solution.
Mixing with other cleaning compounds creates harmful gases
What does the label on your germicide say?  Is your germicide EPA registered?

Our Germicide vs. Bleach*

Our Germicide is indeed EPA registered. It’s residual effectiveness is up to 3 days after application ( tested in undisturbed laboratory conditions using E.Coli, one of the more resistant organisms in fecal material on linoleum tile ) This product is also Kosher certified.

The shelf life is up to 3 years. Its scent is fresh and clean. One quart makes 64 gallons of cleaning solution, it is safe to use with other cleaning products and it’s non corrosive when diluted.

This germicidal product also comes in a handy dandy wipes

Here is some of what is on our label:

Our germicidal product is effective at disinfecting and deodorizing inanimate environmental surfaces against bacteria, virus and fungi responsible for infections.

Among these are:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (associated w/ pneumonia),
Staphylococcus aureus ( nursery infections),
Salmonella Choleraesius ( gastro entritis) ,
and Trichophyton interdigitale ( foot fungus ).

This product is virucidal against:

Herpes Simplex (a member of the virus family that causes infectious mononucleosis),
Vaccinia ( representative of the pox virus )
and influenza A2 as represented by the strains commonly called Hong Kong Flu and London Flu virus

The broad spectrum of disinfectant effectiveness is shown by its germicidal action against the following organisms:

Escherichia coli

Salmonella schottmuellen

Klesbiella pneumoniae

Brevibacterium ammoniagenes

Aerobactoe aerogenes ( enterobacter )

Streptococcus faecalis

Shigella dysentariae

By following the simple use instructions found on this non-toxic germicidal label; homemakers, childcare facilities, animal care facilities, schools, hotels, those who work in food preparation, medical practitioners and more, can provide real disinfection at just pennies per gallon of solution.

General Uses and How to Mix: Mix ½ ounce (tablespoon) per gallon of water when using mop, cloth or sponge or Dilute ½ teas per 16 oz spray bottle in water – spray surfaces and wipe dry (change this solution every 30 days )

Bathroom – Floor, tub, shower, exterior of toilet bowl, toilet seat, faucet and wastebasket

Kitchen - Sink, floors and walls, electrical appliances, cupboards, drawers, garbage pails, refrigerators and freezer to eliminate food odors, rinse any surface that comes in contact w/ food.

Family Room – Door handles, computer keys, telephone mouthpiece and working areas

Playroom – counters, toys (rinse), table tops, floors and walls

Pets – feeding, sleeping quarters, litter boxes

Nursery – beds, changing table, diaper pails, toys (rinse)

Humidifier – just a few drops added to the water to keep it clean

*Prior to the introduction of our germicide,  chlorine bleach has been used by pet care professionals to disinfect hard surfaces against canine parvovirus and feline leukemia – now there is an alternative for animal care too

the above is sourced from a field information sheet, not official company materials

*A word about Lysol another common main stream “kill all, besides not being a very good germicide — it’s extremely flammable.  A  fireman can actually tell where a homeowner has sprayed Lysol by the trail it left after a fire.  When demonstrating our germicide we would actually ignite lysol – again very flammable, and put out the fire out with our germicide.  Not flammable.

Hmmmmm —- which product would you prefer to use around your children?

Green Clean Cost Comparison

pipecleaner man flickr image credit

How do you celebrate Earth Day?
If you’re not cleaning green – what’s stopping you?

If the message has not filtered through to you yet, we really can’t clean this planet up by ourselves.

We need a collective force.

Please alert those that you might know to all that we have to offer regarding cleaning green.

Share.

People are more receptive than they have ever been before.

I want to spread the word.

Lets get that clean green feeling together? Will you help me?

Healthy You, Healthy Home, Healthy Planet

Discovering green clean for me was like discovering a non-toxic gold mine!! I want others to be as excited as I was way back in 1993. The company I purchased my non-toxic, highly concentrated and biodegradable products from has these ideals:

Safe Clean

We believe home should be the safest place in the whole world.

Powerful Clean

We believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice powerful convictions for powerful cleaners and vice versa.

Green Clean

We believe cleaning house shouldn’t involve dirtying the earth.

Smart Clean

We believe in saving you money, while we go about saving the earth.

Here are just FIVE small steps that can help make a difference for our planet:
ONE

Conventional Cleaning products can contain questionable chemicals in them. Why not choose a healthier alternative? Our products are sustainably sourced from natural sources, using activated enzymes and cleaning agents that biodegrade. Simply switching keeps toxins away from your family. Want a clean switch ? We can help.

It’s about getting the kit. The kit offers you an opportunity to go non-toxic all the way. Everything you need to wipe the toxic slate clean in your home and office is in the kit. With our 100% guarantee, you have nothing to lose, but a lot of dirt and a lot of toxins !!

TWO

Use the disherwasher. I didn’t know this statistic. The EPA says that an energy effecient dishwasher uses only 4 gallons of water per cycle compared to that of handwashing, as well as saves $40 in energy costs and 230 hours of washing time.

Our dishwasher concentrate was the very first phosphate free automatic detergents ever made. EVER made. Phosphates are a major source of water pollution

THREE

Stop using anti-bacterial soap. I never believed in that stuff myself, however I didn’t know that Triclosan, a very common ingredient in those types of products, ends up in our water source and is acutely and chronically toxic to aquatic life. Not to mention a host of other horrific concerns. Click the link – scary information.

If you create antibiotic resistant bacteria you actually weaken the use of currently useful antibiotics. Additionally you don’t get any additional illness protection from something anti-bacterial, when a good soap and water wash provides all the prevention you need.

A medical docter once shared – ALL soaps are antiviral and antibacterial. Soaps break the surface tension on the “bugs” and kills most of them. Specific antibacterial soaps are used mostly by the medical profession—they do contain chemicals that kill bacteria and bacteria can become resistant to these soaps. In my hospital we have four different scrub soaps. We are encouraged to rotate soaps each time we scrub to help prevent bacterial resistance.

Our remarkable plant sourced hand wash product is completely soap free, ph balanced, hypoallergenic and its surfactants are biodegradable. Not to mention anti-bacterial free.

FOUR

Bring your own bag.  I personally find this one a no brainer.

Thousands of years to decompose plastic ? Forget that.

Get a reusable bag that means something to you and spread the word about a company that walks it’s talk, if you have something to share don’t keep it a secret.

(you can’t beat the price of these either – 6 of them for like $9!)

FIVE

If your going to spend, choose to spend with a socially responsible company. Your consumer dollars are the power that foster more environmentally responsible actions and products.

Can you can name one other company that introduced a cleaning product before the word biodegradable hit the dictionary ?

Additionally our company was the very first in the entire world ever to obtain climate neutral certification and totally offset it’s greenhouse gas emmissions.

That commitment still stands.

It’s what we do.

natures monet in spring flickr image credit

The project asks you to evaluate your trash production and to look for ways to improve the way you manage your trash.

Are you producing trash ??

In our home we got better at our garbage sorting to the point of having much more recyclables at curbside than trash in the can. The landlord we had at the time had a barrel composter of which I could add my veggie scraps and that reduced my wet garbage tremendously. I thought that was pretty cool.

Now as an empty nester, I still follow similar habits.

It takes me two sometimes three weeks to fill a brown paper bag with garbage that goes the curb. I worm compost now – right in my very own basement. It’s so cool! All my fruit and veggie scraps get blended and added to the bin. The worms are digging it

I’ve added more awareness regarding purchasing items with less packaging, but have a way to go in that department.

One thing I know I could do would be to make my own yogurt. I haven’t tried. Other food type things are just challenging as heck.  Cheese in plastic wrappings, prepared stocks or tomato in tetra packs, salad greens when not purchasing from the farmers market etc …

To me the ultimate goal to me would be to not have curbside recyclables at all!!

The truth is I am still producing garbage.  We all are.

What does your trash look like ??

What are your local resources for those odd things you want to recycle? The wiggly light bulbs? Batteries? The project encourages you to check that out and to be more mindful.  Collectively every little bit does help

Among these are Pseudomonas aeruginosa (associated w/ pneumonia), Staphylococcus aureus ( nursery infections), Salmonella Choleraesius ( gastro entritis) , and Trichophyton interdigitale ( foot fungus ).

This product is virucidal against Herpes Simplex (a member of the virus family that causes infectious mononucleosis), Vaccinia ( representative of the pox virus ) and influenza A2 as represented by the strains commonly called Hong Kong Flu and London Flu virus

The broad spectrum of disinfectant effectiveness is shown by its germicidal action against the following organisms:

Escherichia coli

Salmonella schottmuellen

Klesbiella pneumoniae

Brevibacterium ammoniagenes

Aerobactoe aerogenes ( enterobacter )

Streptococcus faecalis

Shigella dysentariae

By following the simple use instructions found on this non-toxic germicidal label; homemakers, childcare facilities, animal care facilities, schools, hotels, those who work in food preparation, medical practitioners and more, can provide real disinfection at just pennies per gallon of solution.

General Uses and How to Mix: Mix ½ ounce (tablespoon) per gallon of water when using mop, cloth or sponge or Dilute ½ teas per 16 oz spray bottle in water – spray surfaces and wipe dry (change this solution every 30 days )

Bathroom – Floor, tub, shower, exterior of toilet bowl, toilet seat, faucet and wastebasket

Kitchen - Sink, floors and walls, electrical appliances, cupboards, drawers, garbage pails, refrigerators and freezer to eliminate food odors, rinse any surface that comes in contact w/ food.

Family Room – Door handles, computer keys, telephone mouthpiece and working areas

Playroom – counters, toys (rinse), table tops, floors and walls

Pets – feeding, sleeping quarters, litter boxes

Nursery – beds, changing table, diaper pails, toys (rinse)

Humidifier – just a few drops added to the water to keep it clean
Our Germicide vs. Bleach*

This Germicide is EPA registered, it’s residual effectiveness is up to 3 days after application ( tested in undisturbed laboratory conditions using E.Coli, one of the more resistant organisms in fecal material on linoleum tile ) This product is also Kosher certified.

It’s shelf life is up to 3 years. It’s scent is fresh and clean. One quart makes 64 gallons of cleaning solution, it is safe to use with other cleaning products and it’s non corrosive when diluted.

Note the astounding cost savings and the remarkable concentration:

Toilet Bowl Cleaners:

Lysol .41
Clorox .49
Seventh Generation .69
Our Germicide .26

per use price
varied 4 – 6 oz per toilet, ours used 1 TBLS
4, 6, 8 per container – ours 64 uses

Disinfectants:
Lysol 44.69
Clorox 13.96
Seventh Generation 21.96
Our Germicide .27

cost per gallon comparison
usage is straight – ours is concentrate uses 3/8 of a tsp per 6 oz of water
theirs makes 1/4 -1/10 of a gallon – ours makes 64 gallons

More Green Clean Cost Comparisons

Bleach is often not EPA registered. It’s residual effect is no more than an hour. It’s shelf life varies up to one year, and has pungent, noxious fumes.  One quart makes 7.5 gallons of cleaning solution.  Mixing with other cleaning compounds creates harmful gases

*Prior to the introduction of our germicide, chlorine bleach has been used by pet care professionals to disinfect hard surfaces against canine parvovirus and feline leukemia – now there is an alternative for animal care too

*A word about Lysol, besides not being a very good germicide it’s extremely flammable – a fireman can actually tell where a homeowner has sprayed Lysol by the trail it left after a fire. When demonstrating our germicide we would actually ignite lysol – again very flammable, and put out the fire out with our germicide. Not flammable.

Hmmmmm which product would you prefer to use around your children?

This product also comes in a handy dandy wipes also.

pipecleaner man flickr image credit

In honor of Earth Day, I would like to tell you about the most amazing “Green” cleaner available, Shaklee’s Basic H2. Why is it so amazing? Other than the fact that the WHITE HOUSE uses it, Oprah promoted it as one of her favorite products, and shows like Rachel Ray and Good Morning America have featured it, it is an amazing product because…

1.  It is the most concentrated non-toxic cleaner on the market, so it will literally (and there are studies to prove it) save your family THOUSANDS of dollars over traditional cleaners AND any other “Green” cleaners available.

2.  It protects your family!!!!  Studies continue to show the harmful effects of the chemicals in traditional cleaners on our bodies, especially our respiratory systems, which could result in increased Asthma and Allergies and other health issues.  This harm is compounded in our children because of their smaller bodies. There are NO harmful ingredients in Basic H2.

3.  It works as well and even better than the other cleaners on the market (traditional and “Green”).  And yes, there are clinical studies to prove this as well.

4.  I use it to wash my fruits and vegetables (it is that safe) but I also use it to…

Clean my hardwood floors

Clean my tile floors

Clean my vinyl floors

Clean my wood cabinets

Dust my grandmother’s antique wood table

Dust all my furniture

Clean my kitchen counters

Remove spots from our carpet

Clean my bathroom

Wash my fine washables

Clean our windows and mirrors

Use as a mosquito repellant

Use to soothe and treat burns

and many other uses!  I know this is hard to believe.  But it’s true!

Let’s add one more final fact.  Basic H2 was created FIFTY years ago! Wow!

I am absolutely excited for you to save money, protect your family, and get the best green clean possible!

flickr image credit

Sure is a popular topic,  isn’t it?

Have you noticed that  “everyone”  is profiting, touting or advocating their almighty greenness?

I hope I don’t sound pompous.

I  am glad that the wave is catching on.

I just think there’s a LOT of misguided greenness going on.

In my opinion, earth day is the time to see how your doing regarding that green thing.  It’s a chance to reflect greenly!

“Our feverish planet badly needs a cure. Climate Change is caused by lots of things, and it will take a lot of people to fix it.  There’s a role for big thinkers, power players, those with deep pockets —-and the rest of us.”

Time Magazine’s 2007 global warming issue.

What category are you?

I feel like I am part of the “rest of us” category.  I follow my basic reduce-reuse-recycle etiquette.  I make conscientious choices all the time. I use cloth rags and wash them instead of using paper towels, I use cloth napkins every single day, I have an almost virtual office.  Always striving for paperless options.  I reduced my file cabinets by 50%!  When I can I walk instead of drive.  I reuse my paper grocery bags.  I wash full loads of laundry in cold water. I turn off my lights.  I do many of the things that are being touted in all the press right now as the things to do this month, our Earth Day Month.  I do these things everyday and have done them for many years.  Each year I add new green goals to my list. I believe strongly in these choices.

How about you?

I sell a product designed by a man who I believe was a big thinker.

Dr. Forest C. Shaklee was a pioneer.    He said “one household at a time – we can make a difference!” He created the green power I use in my home today to clean.

He  speaks to my  sense of personal and earthly sensibility.  He also wanted to change the planet

Discovering an alternative cleaning product that actually worked for me was like discovering a non-toxic gold mine!!

Basic H2  is the most remarkable green cleaning product ever.

It is a highly concentrated, economical non-toxic, all plant based, extremely effective,  all purpose – 1001 use cleaning product.

How’s that for a testimony!

He created Basic H2 BEFORE before the word biodegradable was even in the dictionary!

He did this in 1960, for gosh sakes!

Why would he do such a thing?

Why in the era of spam, frozen dinners and velveeta cheese was he looking to the earth and nature? I believe he did it  because he had vision,  he predicted the pending issues and I mostly I believe he created Basic H2 because he cared.

In recent years the original already perfect formula was reformulated.

I thought why mess with something so great?

Yet Dr. Shaklee said, “Science never ever stands still”.

The new formulation is even better! Better then it already was !!!

Can you imagine?

Here is a little more about what this company believes:

Safe Clean
We believe home should be the safest place in the whole world.

Powerful Clean
We believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice powerful convictions for powerful cleaners and vice versa.

Green Clean
We believe cleaning house shouldn’t involve dirtying the earth.

Smart Clean
We believe in saving you money, while we go about saving the earth.

So how about if we get that “green” clean feeling together ?

Vinegar left my home smelling a lot like a salad, I happen to like the smell of a salad, but not as a part of my  everyday decor.  I always thought to myself – there has to be a better way.  As I experimented with cleaning products on the market, I found myself still applying way too much determination to my green cleaning efforts, seemingly these products just didn’t work very well either.

When I discovered my organic cleaner, the signature product from a wonderful very established  wellness company. I felt I had finally found something that cleaned beautifully! As a matter of fact it simplified my cleaning tasks dramatically with its ease of use. I was astounded by the mutiple ways this product could be used actually defining multi-use to a new level.

An online discussion thread shared by Sue was very interesting. Sue’s biochemist husband verified the difference between vinegar and this amazing product. Thanks Sue.

Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid, added to water it’s main effect is to lower the pH of water and make it more acid.  As a cleaner, it is not particularly effective except that it dissolves soil, which by the way so does water, and /or makes the pH low enough to distress bacteria on surfaces.

The product I adore is a surfactant. It performs like a detergent to break up soil of various kinds so that they can be washed away.  In addition, because of it’s surfactant properties it will dislodge bacteria trapped in residue on surfaces so they can be washed away.  Also it disrupts the cell wall of bacteria ( which contains lipids ) and makes them very sick or dead.  While we are not clear how it might do on virus’s, it’s fair to say that as effectively as it removes residue from surfaces it stands to say that more virus’s would be washed away than with a less effective cleaner

Our product does everything vinegar does plus WAY  more.  Without the smell of a salad!

Regulations limit us to say that this product is a germicide, this is also true of vinegar, it is utter folklore that make people believe that vinegar is an effective cleaner/germ killer.  In fact, plain old soap will disrupt the germs of any surface.

A reminder of the advertising ploy of anti-bacterial products on the market. Don’t go there.

Note also that all green cleaners are not created equal.

As a matter of fact some are down right harmful.

green beads of clean flickr image credit

How do you celebrate Earth Day?
If you’re not cleaning green – what’s stopping you?

Ms. Latham was responsible for helping our company become the first Climate Neutral Certified Company in 2000 to offset 100% of C02 production.

Since 1950, at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment. Only a fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity. We are, by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicology trial, and our children and their children are the experimental animals.

[Source: Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]

150 chemicals found in the home are connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders.

[Source: Consumer Protection Agency (CPA)]

3 groups of people are primarily affected by indoor chemical concentrations because they spend more time indoors and their immune systems are weaker. The 3 groups are: Infants and toddlers, Chronically ill, Elderly

[Source: 1988 EPA, 5-year study]

Liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six (over 2.1 million accidental poisonings per year). Most brands of liquid dish soap contain Formaldehyde and ammonia.

Of the chemicals found in personal care products: 884 are toxic, 146 cause tumors, 218 cause reproductive complications, 778 cause acute toxicity, 314 cause biological mutations, 376 cause skin and eye irritations

[Source: United States House of Representatives Report, 1989]

Out of 2,435 pesticide poisonings in a one-year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home.

[Source: State of California Study]

Most laundry detergent contains a form of NTA. NTA is a substance we may reasonably anticipate to be a carcinogen.

[Source: The Merck Index]

Household Chlorine bleaches which claim to disinfect are classified as pesticides under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Inadvertently mixing bleach with other cleaners that contain ammonia produces a toxic chloramines gas. These toxic gases can cause coughing, loss of voice, a feeling of burning or suffocation, and even death.

[Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home, Household Hazardous Waste Project, 1989]

Women who work in the home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home.

[Source: 17- year EPA study]

As more toxic chemicals have been introduced to our everyday environment in greater amounts over the last 20 to 30 years, the level of toxins stored in dipose tissues (fat cells) of our bodies have risen. Bioaccumulation studies have shown that some toxins store in our bodies for life. Greater and greater amounts are being stored at younger ages. One study showed that in the fat of 100% of the people tested was 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, a chemical found in most household deodorizers and room fresheners. Some products release contaminants into the air right away, others do so gradually over a period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year. These contaminants, found in many household and personal care products can cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, eye/skin/respiratory tract irritations and some cause cancer.

[American Lung Association]

Asthma was once a very rare disease. Now the condition is extremely common, the asthma rate has tripled in the last 20 years with nearly 30 million Americans currently afflicted.

[Source: Consumer Federation of America, 1997]

In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals.

[Source: Center for Disease Control]

Childhood asthma has increased by more than 40% since 1980.

[Source: Environmental Health Perspectives, June 1997; 105 (6)]

Asthma death in children and young people increased by a dramatic 118% between 1980 and 1993.

[Source: Environmental Health Threats to Children, Environmental Protection Agency 175-F-96-001, September 1996]

The average child visits the doctor 23 times in the 1st 4 years of life, with the most common complaint being respiratory ailment.

[Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 1997]

Developing cells in children’s bodies are more susceptible to damage than adult cells that have completed development, especially for the central nervous system. During the development of a child, from conception through adolescence, there are particular windows of vulnerability to environmental hazards. Most disturbing until a child is approximately 13 months of age, they are virtually no ability to fight the biological and neurological effects of toxic chemicals.

[Source: Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]

Today, children have chemical exposures from birth that their parents didn’t have until they were adults. Because children are exposed to toxins at an earlier age than adults, they have more time to develop environmentally triggered diseases, with long latency periods, such as cancer.

[Source: Environmental Policy and Children's Health, Future of Children, Summer/Fall 1995; 5(2): 34-52]

Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance. It is a known cancer-causing agent. It damages the neurological connectors in the body. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause: skin reactions, ear infections, headaches , depression, asthma, joint pain, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, disorientation , phlebitis , fatigue, Vomiting, sleep disturbances, laryngitis

One in five people are sensitive to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is commonly found in: drugs, mouthwash, hairspray, cosmetics, cleaning products , perfumes , waxes, hair setting lotions, shampoo, air fresheners, fungicides, fingernail polish, floor polishes, dry cleaning solvents, toothpaste, laundry spray starch, Anti-perspirants, just to name a few…

Due to the increase in toxic buildup in our bodies, including the toxic buildup of formaldehyde, dead bodies are not decomposing as fast as they used to. Bodies now start to decompose within 7 to 10 days after death. During the Vietnam War, Vietnamese bodies started to decompose within 24 to 48 hours. However, Americans didn’t start to decompose for 4 to 5 days. Twice as much formaldehyde was needed to embalm a person 20 years ago compared to today.

How many of these names would you have recognized as formaldehyde? Formalin, Methanal, Methyl Aldehyde, Methylene Oxide, Oxymethylene, Bfv*, Fannoform*, Formol*, Fyde*, Karsan*, Methaldehyde, Formalith*, Methylene Glycol, Ivalon*, Oxomethane, Formalin 40, Formalin, Formic Aldehyde, Hoch, Paraform, Lysoform*, Morbocid, Trioxane, Polyoxmethylene, * denotes trade name

Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion.  90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.

Do you still want to use products in your home that contain formaldehyde?

Phenol is an extremely caustic chemical that burns the skin. Absorption of phenol through the lungs or skin can cause: central nervous system damage, pneumonia, respiratory tract infection, heart-rate irregularities, skin irritation, kidney and liver damage, numbness, vomiting, and can be fatal

Phenol is a very common chemical and is regularly found in the following common products: air fresheners, aftershave, bronchial mists, chloroseptic throat spray, deodorants, feminine powders & sprays, hair spray, decongestants, mouthwash, aspirin, solvents, acne medications, antiseptics, calamine lotions, cleaning products, detergents, furniture polish, hair setting lotions, lice shampoo, polishes, cold capsules, all-purpose cleaners, aerosol disinfectants, anti-itching lotions , carnex , cosmetics, disinfectant cleaners, hand lotions, lip balms, sunscreen and lotions, insecticides, cough syrups, just to name a few…

Do you still want to use products in your home that contain Phenol ?

Alternative Cleaning Products

Plant Based Personal Care Products

Plant Based Skin Care

Mineral Based Cosmetics

image sourced from flickr.com – thanks ever so much

If you’re not cleaning green – what’s stopping you?

Could you celebrate Earth Day everyday?