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Natural Household Cleaners (better for immune system)
I don't know if anyone knows about how typical chemical household cleaners can hinder the immune system. I am not an expert but that is my understanding from what I have read.
It seems logical to me that if we want to avoid getting the avian flu or any other illness one important factor is to boost our immune system.
I feel this can be done in two areas in our personal lives.
1) reduce exposure to chemical cleansers which can hinder our body's immune system (or other body systems);
2) change our nutrition to boost our body's immune system (I will post on that topic separately).
For a year I have been using homemade natural household cleansers. Books with recipes usually have chapters on the problems with using common household cleansers and their negative health impact.
I remember when I was working at an immediate medical care facility and two workers came in very sick from having breathed in a floor cleaning product, when they opened the door to the janitor's closet. They ended up very sick with chemical pneumonia and had to be hospitalized in the long run. The doctors had to use a reference book to look up the product they had inhaled to learn about that product and to see what the ingredients were. Afterward, I looked at the book, and was shocked to learn that common items sold in grocery stores are actually considered toxic. For example one very popular surface spray product which made me cough and has given me a sore throat when I spray it and breathe it in, was listed as a toxin that should never be breathed in. I was surprised as it is near impossible to use the product without a mask on and not inhale it! Who knew that this common product was toxic? How could it be so popular yet be toxic?
A common surface and floor cleaner with a bleach base that my friends and relatives use gives me instant headaches. This inspired me to try to make my own household cleansers. (Before this I was buying expensive natural cleansers made by small companies. One woman with a cottage industry business told me the products were simple to concoct. I then thought why should I buy their easily concocted product if I can make my own? For example the main ingredient in the glass cleanser seemed to be vinegar, why could I not make my own glass cleanser with vinegar?)
So I have been using recipes made from the book "The Naturally Clean Home" (an inexpensive book). There are more recipes in this book than I will ever need. For a year I have been making these and am surprised that:
1. I am saving a lot of money (spending under $2 per month on laundry for a family of four for example)
2. they work fine
3. they smell great
4. I have had no problems when using them such as sore throat, headache, nausea, etc.
Let's say you are a lurker, or you are even doubtful about avian flu. It couldn't hurt to reduce your exposure to chemicals through use of natural househould cleansers. If you are a person who really feels you will be quarantined, then doesn't it make sense to have products in your home that are not toxic? Do you want to be trapped in your house with chemicals? Wouldn't you rather use products that actually help heal the body?
The recipes use natural essential oils which have different properties such as tea tree oil which hinders growth of fungus and mildew (which are sold at health food stores or over the internet). These essential oils can also be used for aromatherapy and other uses which can aid in healing or just to make the house smell nice. Another example is the use of lemon essential oil in a diffuser (plugged into an electrical outlet or hand sprayed with an atomizer) to help disinfect the air when someone in the house is sick. Eucalyptus oil can help with respiratory illnesses or with stuffy noses, etc.
I have been using cleansers to wash the floor, carpet powders, surface washers, glass cleansers, and bathroom/toilet cleaners. I also use the recipes for laundry detergent. I use straight vinegar as a fabric softener as some chemical fabric softeners or dryer sheets are considered to be damaging to the neurological system and thought to be linked to Cancer by some.
My recommendation is to start small by using just a few essential oils. You can make a lot of different things with lemon essential oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil. (The essential oils are thought to be expensive by some people.) (If you want to get fancy later with other citrus oils or cedar oil then feel free!)
The other main ingredients are baking soda and vinegar (buy both in bulk at Costco). Liquid castille soap (a natural soap) from Trader Joe's or a health food store (or Dr. Bronner's brand, on the internet) is also needed. With just that stuff and water, you can make a lot of different recipes.
If you want to read a bit more that I wrote over six months ago on this topic, you can view the entry on my blog, here:
http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.co...g-natural.html
There are other books on the market for natural cleansers as well. However, how many recipes do you need? Example: there is a book on all the stuff you can make with baking soda, another on vinegar. I think owning and using one book is enough.
Beware free recipes on the internet that say they are natural as some contain chemicals including Fels Naptha soap, for one example.
These natural cleansers are also better for the environment, which kind of goes without saying...
Happy cleaning!
ChristineMM
www.thethinkingmother.blogspot.com
It seems logical to me that if we want to avoid getting the avian flu or any other illness one important factor is to boost our immune system.
I feel this can be done in two areas in our personal lives.
1) reduce exposure to chemical cleansers which can hinder our body's immune system (or other body systems);
2) change our nutrition to boost our body's immune system (I will post on that topic separately).
For a year I have been using homemade natural household cleansers. Books with recipes usually have chapters on the problems with using common household cleansers and their negative health impact.
I remember when I was working at an immediate medical care facility and two workers came in very sick from having breathed in a floor cleaning product, when they opened the door to the janitor's closet. They ended up very sick with chemical pneumonia and had to be hospitalized in the long run. The doctors had to use a reference book to look up the product they had inhaled to learn about that product and to see what the ingredients were. Afterward, I looked at the book, and was shocked to learn that common items sold in grocery stores are actually considered toxic. For example one very popular surface spray product which made me cough and has given me a sore throat when I spray it and breathe it in, was listed as a toxin that should never be breathed in. I was surprised as it is near impossible to use the product without a mask on and not inhale it! Who knew that this common product was toxic? How could it be so popular yet be toxic?
A common surface and floor cleaner with a bleach base that my friends and relatives use gives me instant headaches. This inspired me to try to make my own household cleansers. (Before this I was buying expensive natural cleansers made by small companies. One woman with a cottage industry business told me the products were simple to concoct. I then thought why should I buy their easily concocted product if I can make my own? For example the main ingredient in the glass cleanser seemed to be vinegar, why could I not make my own glass cleanser with vinegar?)
So I have been using recipes made from the book "The Naturally Clean Home" (an inexpensive book). There are more recipes in this book than I will ever need. For a year I have been making these and am surprised that:
1. I am saving a lot of money (spending under $2 per month on laundry for a family of four for example)
2. they work fine
3. they smell great
4. I have had no problems when using them such as sore throat, headache, nausea, etc.
Let's say you are a lurker, or you are even doubtful about avian flu. It couldn't hurt to reduce your exposure to chemicals through use of natural househould cleansers. If you are a person who really feels you will be quarantined, then doesn't it make sense to have products in your home that are not toxic? Do you want to be trapped in your house with chemicals? Wouldn't you rather use products that actually help heal the body?
The recipes use natural essential oils which have different properties such as tea tree oil which hinders growth of fungus and mildew (which are sold at health food stores or over the internet). These essential oils can also be used for aromatherapy and other uses which can aid in healing or just to make the house smell nice. Another example is the use of lemon essential oil in a diffuser (plugged into an electrical outlet or hand sprayed with an atomizer) to help disinfect the air when someone in the house is sick. Eucalyptus oil can help with respiratory illnesses or with stuffy noses, etc.
I have been using cleansers to wash the floor, carpet powders, surface washers, glass cleansers, and bathroom/toilet cleaners. I also use the recipes for laundry detergent. I use straight vinegar as a fabric softener as some chemical fabric softeners or dryer sheets are considered to be damaging to the neurological system and thought to be linked to Cancer by some.
My recommendation is to start small by using just a few essential oils. You can make a lot of different things with lemon essential oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil. (The essential oils are thought to be expensive by some people.) (If you want to get fancy later with other citrus oils or cedar oil then feel free!)
The other main ingredients are baking soda and vinegar (buy both in bulk at Costco). Liquid castille soap (a natural soap) from Trader Joe's or a health food store (or Dr. Bronner's brand, on the internet) is also needed. With just that stuff and water, you can make a lot of different recipes.
If you want to read a bit more that I wrote over six months ago on this topic, you can view the entry on my blog, here:
http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.co...g-natural.html
There are other books on the market for natural cleansers as well. However, how many recipes do you need? Example: there is a book on all the stuff you can make with baking soda, another on vinegar. I think owning and using one book is enough.
Beware free recipes on the internet that say they are natural as some contain chemicals including Fels Naptha soap, for one example.
These natural cleansers are also better for the environment, which kind of goes without saying...
Happy cleaning!
ChristineMM
www.thethinkingmother.blogspot.com