How Clean is Clean? ~ Eco Tuesday
April is Earth Month, an expansion on the action-orientated principles of Earth Day, which was conceptualized in 1969. The basic idea is to protect our environment by being aware and conservative in our use of resources. This can take many forms, from eating healthy through local sources, supporting businesses that promote sustainable practices and realizing the options available to us as consumers.
When I'm cleaning my home, I cringe every time I have to dump a bucketful of chemical filled dirty water down the drain, knowing it could end up in our water system. Though most of our water gets treated to remove harmful particles before we use it again (our water is a process of recycling ya know), sometimes the water doesn't make it to the treatment plant. Sometimes, due to poor city infrastructure, it gets washed back out into our waterways during a heavy rain or seeps into the ground in our communities or overflows into our streets from clogged sewage pipes.
"As consumers we are bombarded with products that may look attractive and claim to be effective in what it does, but they cause harm to our health and that of the planet. Particles that don’t breakdown, animal testing, harmful ingredients and negative side affects should not be normal for items that we use on our bodies." The Story of Stuff, Anne Leonard.
Most commercial laundry soap contains harsh ingredients like ammonia, phosphorus and other chemicals that cause allergies, rashes, sinus problems & other unfortunate health issues. According to the FDA, these detergents & chemical based degreasers leave residue on “cleaned” clothes, which can be absorbed by skin. This can lead to buildup of toxins in our system (bio-accumulation) over many years and doses.
I started making natural products in 2001 while working as a preschool teacher. As I was cleaning my classroom one day it dawned on me that I was spraying harmful toxins into the air; covering the surfaces we played, eat and slept on with chemicals. I thought about the bleach- covered toys that the toddlers would put in their mouths when I wasn’t looking and decided to do something about it.
When I'm cleaning my home, I cringe every time I have to dump a bucketful of chemical filled dirty water down the drain, knowing it could end up in our water system. Though most of our water gets treated to remove harmful particles before we use it again (our water is a process of recycling ya know), sometimes the water doesn't make it to the treatment plant. Sometimes, due to poor city infrastructure, it gets washed back out into our waterways during a heavy rain or seeps into the ground in our communities or overflows into our streets from clogged sewage pipes.
"As consumers we are bombarded with products that may look attractive and claim to be effective in what it does, but they cause harm to our health and that of the planet. Particles that don’t breakdown, animal testing, harmful ingredients and negative side affects should not be normal for items that we use on our bodies." The Story of Stuff, Anne Leonard.
Most commercial laundry soap contains harsh ingredients like ammonia, phosphorus and other chemicals that cause allergies, rashes, sinus problems & other unfortunate health issues. According to the FDA, these detergents & chemical based degreasers leave residue on “cleaned” clothes, which can be absorbed by skin. This can lead to buildup of toxins in our system (bio-accumulation) over many years and doses.
I started making natural products in 2001 while working as a preschool teacher. As I was cleaning my classroom one day it dawned on me that I was spraying harmful toxins into the air; covering the surfaces we played, eat and slept on with chemicals. I thought about the bleach- covered toys that the toddlers would put in their mouths when I wasn’t looking and decided to do something about it.
Feeling good shouldn't be bad for you!
My products are one way that I like to contribute to a healthier planet. What are some things you can do? Start something new this Earth Month and make it a life-long habit in saving the planet.
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