- The following information is intended to help you
make an informed decision about the types of household cleaning
products you choose to use for yourself and your families.
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- You are what you eat, digest and absorb. What you
absorb includes what is absorbed through inhalation and the skin,
which happens to be the largest organ of the body. When the liver is
overworked, the skin takes over with the elimination of toxins.
Unfortunately, many toxins are not that easy to eliminate.
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- Since WWII more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals have
been invented. Most have been created from petroleum and coal tar for
the purposes of chemical warfare. The sad thing is that hardly any of
these substances have been tested for safety, but have been added to
our food, water and cleaning products without our consent and most
often without informing us of any dangers. There is a lot of
intentional suppression in this industry that adds approximately 1000
new chemicals each year.
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- According to the National Research Council, "no
toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in
everyday-use products. Less than 20% have been tested for acute
effects and less than 10% have been tested for chronic, reproductive
or mutagenic effects." More than 4.5 billion chemicals are known and
50,000 are commercially distributed. Whatís worse is that tests are
only done on single chemicals. There is never any testing done on
combinations, which weíre exposed to on a daily basis. Imagine what
your lifetime exposure is.
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- It requires a team of scientists, 300 mice, more
than $300,000 US, and 2-3 years to determine whether one single
suspect chemical causes cancer. These mice have much higher immune
systems than we do. Governments are at the mercy of economic agendas.
Industry interests almost always win over issues regarding health or
government regulation. Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on
labels. This is mainly because the products donít make any claims
about safety. Companies can also classify them as "trade secrets" to
avoid listing them. Many of the ingredients labelled "inert" are
actually more toxic than the active ingredients. If you donít know
what it is, donít use it.
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- The chemical companies spend billions of dollars
each year brainwashing us. Ninety-one percent of the population
applies 300-million pounds of these poisons annually, often indoors.
City dwellers use more chemicals per acre than farmers and spend more
than $1 billion annually.
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- The first agent of chemical warfare was chlorine.
The war ended with an abundance of this cheap chemical. In the name of
huge profits, it was added to our water supply and many other
products. Chlorine is the number one cause of breast cancer and can be
lethal. Scientists wonít handle chlorine without protective gloves,
facemasks, and ventilation, yet it is in most store-brand cleaners,
including dishwasher detergents. The harmful effects are intensified
when the fumes are heated, as in the shower. Itís in our drinking
water, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and more
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- Fluoride is worse, but space limits its discussion
here. Do your own research and avoid it. Itís one of the biggest scams
of all time. It has no benefits whatsoever. Itís extremely
poisonous!
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- Most household cleaners contain toxic chemicals.
Ammonia is in almost all of them and is lethal if combined with bleach
(forming chloramine). Industry requires readily accessible information
about chemicals used in the workplace that includes the effects of
combining chemicals. The main manual, Workplace Hazardous Materials
Identification System (WHMIS), contains Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS). Have a look at this manual. You may be surprised at how
dangerous some products are that you use, unsuspectingly, in your home
on a regular basis.
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- The government acknowledges that these cleaning
products are hazardous, but regulation only requires labels to
indicate if they are: combustible, corrosive, poison, caution,
etc.
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- One Million poisonings in Canada each year are due
to household cleaner ingestion. Some are fatal. The #1 cause of
household poisoning is dish detergent. What kinds of chemicals are in
those products? These statistics were given before the recent hype
over anti-bacterials, which are even worse.
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- Certain types of bacteria are necessary and
beneficial. They eat decaying debris and keep the "bad" bacteria in
balance. Nature is always safest and was never intended to destroy,
like chemicals are.
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- Each time you wash your dishes, some residue is left
on them. The residue accumulates with each washing. Your food picks up
part of the residue -- especially if your meal is hot ñ and you ingest
it.
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- Dishwashing liquids are labelled "harmful if
swallowed." Most contain Naphtha, a CNS depressant, diethanolsamine, a
liver poison, and/or chlorophenylphenol, a toxic metabolic stimulant.
Do you want to be using harmful products to clean dishes that you and
your family are going to be eating off of?
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- A few times I unsuspectingly used anti-bacterial
soap while visiting and suffered from side effects each time. They
include: rough, dry hands, a feeling in my nose as if it had been
sanded with coarse sand paper until raw, and the strong smell of
ammonia. These effects lasted at least 20 hours after exposure.
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- Washing your hands with cold water inhibits the
spread of bacteria and germs. Hot water encourages growth of unwanted
organisms. But in most cases, the bacteria are much safer than the
chemicals used to kill them. You can use plain vodka or vinegar as a
disinfectant if you are uncomfortable using payphones, washrooms,
shopping carts, etc. in public places. Remember, people are
organisms.
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- I spilt some Brand X dish soap on the grass, which I
immediately soaked with water until there were no more suds. About a
week later the grass was dead. If it kills the grass, what is it doing
to us?
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- Many household products contain harmful chemicals.
For example, formaldehyde is in almost all cleaning products,
including laundry detergents, toothpaste and shampoo.
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- Laundry detergents contain phosphorus, enzymes,
ammonia, naphthalene, phenol, sodium nitilotriacetate and countless
others. These chemicals can cause rashes, itches, allergies, sinus
problems and more. The residue left on your clothes, bed sheets, etc.
is absorbed through your skin, as is everything else you touch. Thus,
the success and popularity of transdermal patches. Donít fall prey to
the bombardment of advertisements strongly suggesting that you
absolutely need these products. You donít, but their profit margins
do. If declining health is what you desire, use these products.
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- Disinfectants are usually phenol- or cresol-based
and deactivate sensory nerve endings. They attack the liver, kidneys,
spleen, pancreas, and the central nervous system (CNS) and it takes
over a year to eliminate the unhealthy effects of spraying 2 ounces,
even with heavy cross ventilation.
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- Oven cleaners are one of the most toxic products
people use. They contain lye and ammonia, which eat the skin, and the
fumes linger and affect the respiratory system. Then thereís the
residue thatís intensified the next time you turn your oven on. Use
sea salt and baking soda instead.
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- Air fresheners interfere with your ability to smell
by releasing nerve-deadening agents or coating nasal passages with an
oil film, usually methoxychlor, a pesticide that accumulates in fat
cells and over-stimulates the CNS. Dryer sheets fall into this
category. They are extremely toxic. Avoid them. (The only reason you
require fabric softeners is because the chemicals in laundry soap
create the static. It may take several washings with chemical free
detergents to eliminate the chemical residue static. Your patience
will be well rewarded.) Some other common ingredients include:
P-dichlorobenzene, naphthalene and formaldehyde. Fresh, organic citrus
juices, vinegar, spices, and essential oils will do a better job, risk
free.
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- Pesticides are dangerous. They are responsible for
asthma, bronchitis, eczema, migraines, death, hives, joint and muscle
pain for 16 million people in this country and the numbers are
growing. Antibiotics are pesticides. You may be surprised to find out
just how many everyday products contain pesticides, such as toothpaste
and shampoo. Most public buildings are sprayed with pesticides on a
regular basis. Donít count on your doctor to inform you of this.
Medication and treatment for the effects of these chemicals is a very
lucrative business. Doctors serve the pharmaceutical/chemical
industry, not you.
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- Pesticides are the #2 cause of death by poisoning in
this country. They can linger for more than 30 years. Inhalation can
lead to nausea, cough, breathing difficulties, depression, eye
irritation, dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, twitching,
convulsions and more. They are stored in body fat. Long-term they
damage liver, kidneys, lungs, and lead to paralysis, sterility, immune
suppression, brain haemorrhages, decreased fertility, sexual
dysfunction, heart problems and coma. Diazanon is a carcinogen,
teratogen (serious birth defects), mutagen (genetic damaging) and it
causes death. Pests are not life threatening.
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- Flea collars are pesticides and release a continuous
supply to the pet. In addition to the great harm caused to your pet,
it is absorbed through your skin every time you touch your pet. Leave
your pet a dish of brewerís yeast; it will instinctively eat it as
needed and repel fleas naturally. Please donít let the vet turn your
pet into a drug addict because of chemical exposure and unnecessary
vaccines.
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- Lice shampoo is a pesticide and is absorbed into the
brain. Lindane, the main ingredient, causes convulsions, seizures,
cancer and death. You can use your favourite shampoo several times a
day, every day. The lice will be gone in less than a week. Lice are
not dangerous.
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- Regular shampoos contain harsh chemicals. Baby
shampoos advertised as gentle and "no tears" contain some of the worst
chemicals, including anesthetizing agents to cover up the burning
sensation that would otherwise be caused when the chemicals contact
the eyes. Imagine what effect these agents have on the eyes and brain,
especially after repeated uses.
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- Sodium laurel sulfate and other forms of this
substance lower brain acuity and attribute to blindness, yet they are
commonly used in shampoos, toothpastes and other personal hygiene
products.
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- Everything that touches your scalp is absorbed into
your brain first, so think twice before choosing to bleach, dye, or
perm your hair. Use natural alternatives, if you must.
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- Effects of these toxic chemicals include: illness,
allergies, asthma, ear infections, learning disabilities, nervous
disorders, respiratory difficulties and more. The American Cancer
Society stated "environmental pollution causes cancer, Alzheimerís,
Parkinsonís, coughing, asthma, nervous disorders, emphysema, wheezing,
nasal congestion, burning eyes, headache, burning, tingling, skin
flushing, muscle aches, irritability, mental confusion,
unco-ordination, hyperactivity and other debilitating
illnesses."
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- The EPA depends on industry-sponsored tests for
approval. In 1981, one company was found guilty of falsifying over 90%
of more than 2000 studies. Those products are still readily
available.
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- The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Chemicals
Commonly Found in Homes identified 150 as linked to allergies, birth
defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities. Ten percent cause
high blood pressure (HBP) and migraines and 20% are responsible for
mental disturbances.
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- Indoor air in the home has been found to have five
times higher toxic chemical concentrations than outdoor air. This is
also true in rural areas. A five-year study conducted by the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed many indoor air samples
to be 70 times more toxic. Could this be why almost everyone is sick,
especially children and those working in public buildings with no
fresh air intake?
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- A scientific paper at the "Indoor Air Conference" in
1990 in Toronto stated "because of household cleaners, housewives have
a 55% higher risk of contracting cancer."
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- With all these dangers well-documented and
well-known, industry still spends millions of dollars each year to
convince us that we need these products. It is much more dangerous and
expensive to dispose of these toxins in hazardous waste dumps, which
are few and far between.
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- Exposure to toxins has synergistic and cumulative
effects. They are known as xenobiotics (foreign to the body). The body
was not designed to eliminate them, so it accumulates them. Doctors
usually treat these toxic overloads with more poisons. Is it any
wonder our healthcare costs are skyrocketing while we keep getting
sicker and sicker? There are huge profits being made at the expense of
our health.
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- The main ingredient in most weed killers is 2,4-D
(dichlorophenoxyacetic acid). When combined with 2,4,5-T
(trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) it forms "Agent Orange." Use of these
products creates more resistant weeds while harming us. These
chemicals eventually end up in our water table and in edible crops
planted in the vicinity. When was the last time you saw bees,
butterflies, dragonflies or ladybugs? They are almost extinct because
of the overuse of these and other similar chemicals and pesticides.
Are we next on the endangered species list? The effects of these
chemical poisonings are often given names and treated as new diseases.
We know differently. Treat your lawn with dish soap, coke & beer,
diluted with water every month or so and use a mulching mower. Longer
grass shades weed seeds. Plant basil to keep mosquitoes and other
pests away. There are many books available about companion planting
and beneficial insects, to keep the unwelcome ones away without
compromising you
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- You, your pets and children walk on and absorb the
harmful chemicals applied to lawns and gardens. Avoid them. Weeds grow
where soils are barren and deficient in certain nutrients -- the very
ones that these weeds provide. They have longer roots that reach lower
into the ground to provide those hard-to-reach nutrients, while
preventing soil erosion. If you donít want them to spread, at least
cut off the buds/flowers. Itís usually the chemical dependent lawns
that attract the weeds and produce larger ones.
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- These chemicals affect your lawn the way drugs
affect you. The more dependent you are on drugs, the sicker you become
and the more drugs you take. Itís a never ending, vicious cycle of
addiction. The less drugs a person takes the stronger their immune
system is, and the healthier they are. Itís best to avoid them all.
The same goes for your lawn. It may take a couple of years for the
"withdrawal symptoms" to subside, but the wait will be more than worth
it. There is an entire ecosystem below the surface that works
interdependently to ensure your soil, and your crops, flourish. The
chemicals also kill all these beneficial microorganisms, worms, etc.
Nature is our friend, treat it as such.
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- When Congress passed the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (the legal basis for the EPAís
regulation of disinfectants), it assumed that they were all toxic. No
guidelines were created for identifying non-toxic agents. In other
words, they are all toxic and to be avoided.
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- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
standards require testing a chemical to a specified amount listed in
the regulation. If it kills half of a group of test animals, the
chemical is toxic by this definition. If the test animals survive
after being exposed to an amount greater than that listed, the
chemical is non-toxic. The tests are done orally, transdermally and by
inhalation. Not very strict or reassuring in my opinion. And where are
the tests for long-term exposure, or on humans?
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- Beware of toxic chemicals. The danger doesnít end
with their use. Everything that goes down your drain eventually ends
up in your drinking water supply. This is multiplied by what your
neighbours and every other person and industry put down their drains.
More than four million pounds of household cleaning chemicals go down
Canadian drains each year.
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- Everything that goes down our drains and toilets
ends up at the water treatment plants where they are mixed with even
more toxic chemicals, recycled and returned to us via our water taps
(including drugs and poisons we ingested, inhaled and absorbed, then
eliminated). Eventually there will not be enough water to dilute all
these chemicals and we will end up with pure chemicals coming from our
taps. Hence the huge market for bottled water and point of use filter
systems. Avoid distilled and "drinking" water.
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- The remaining sludge is extremely toxic and is
marketed as "natural fertilizer" called "bio solids." Itís used on
farms that supply produce to our supermarkets and the livestock
industry.
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- Whatever goes down the sewers on the streets goes
directly into the rivers. What we do to the planet, we do to
ourselves. If a product is not friendly to the environment, it cannot
be friendly to us.
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- If a product requires special handling or
ventilation, donít expose yourself or your environment to it. This is
where you, your family and friends have to live and breathe. Next time
you or someone you know feels ill, instead of rushing off to the
doctor to get medicated (poisoned), why not look for the cause in a
household chemical or food additive and eliminate it? This can save a
lot of grief and more toxic overload, which will probably be labelled
as some type of serious illness without looking for the cause.
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- Children are at higher risk when playing on floors
with the residue from formaldehyde, asbestos and pesticides from
common household cleaners. Their respiration rates are three times
higher than adults, and their detoxification systems are not fully
developed and cannot filter these toxins out. Have you noticed how
many children are on inhalers lately? This is akin to putting the fire
out with gasoline. The older you are, the more years of accumulation
of these toxins you will have in your system. There are tens of
thousands of chemicals in use, but if you ever get tested, they will
usually only test for 150 or so, and those are probably not the worst
ones. Thatís only about .002%. Itís a joke really.
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- Personal care and cleaning products are very toxic.
Prior to WWII they didnít exist, homes were clean, and people had
fewer health problems. Do we really want to compromise our health so
the chemical companies can become wealthy? How many toxic bombs are
lurking in your home? There are many safe, chemical free cleaning
products on the market today, or if you prefer -- use the basics;
baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar and water. Youíll be amazed at what
a wonderful job they do.
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- Please do your own research and use the products
that are the safest and best for your families. There are numerous
books on these subjects. Donít leave your fate in the hands of
multibillion-dollar chemical industries whose only concern is profit.
Your shopping habits create a demand for the products you buy. If you
donít like what is contained in the products offered in your stores,
let it be known and switch products. Encourage industry to be
responsible for their products, as we must be with our purchases.
Educate your friends, neighbours and loved ones. Donít ever give
anyone authority over your body or your health. Itís your
responsibility to be informed. What you donít know can harm you, and
even kill you. Once the damage is done, it may be too late.
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- ___
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- Lorie Dwornick is a researcher, educator and
activist living in Winnipeg, MB. She found out first-hand about the
corruption in "the system" through cover-ups, fabrications and
deception affecting her own health. This started her trek to get the
answers she'd been denied. When she learns of something she feels
others need their eyes opened up to, she makes it known so they don't
have to go through the kind of ongoing ordeal that's been imposed upon
her since becoming the victim of an accident many years ago. Victims
are being treated like criminals. Lorie -- like many researchers --
uncovered all sorts of things she wasnít even looking for. As the
saying goes, "the lies are hidden in plain view." She believes that
eventually enough people will be aware of these things to expose the
corruption to the extent that some, if not all, of it can be halted.
The truth is almost always the opposite of what the propaganda machine
(mainstream media) tells us. It is about mass manipulation and
control.
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