THUNDER BAY – Are teenagers right? It might be, according to EcoSuperior, “Here’s news people have been waiting for—housecleaning can actually be bad for your health!” Now that doesn’t mean carte blanche for people to start living like slobs. The reality is that many of the common household cleaners and products that people use are the real problem.
Many of the conventional products used to clean the average home contain toxic ingredients that are harmful to human health and to the environment. The amount of airborne chemicals indoors on cleaning day can be greater than that found outdoors in the most polluted of cities. That’s why EcoSuperior is inviting city residents to become a ‘greener cleaner’ by switching out expensive and toxic cleaning products for natural cleansers made from non-toxic ingredients.
EcoSuperior program coordinator Lucie Lavoie explains, “All sorts of chemicals are released into our homes when we clean with typical cleansers such as scouring powders, toilet bowl cleaners and deodorizers, furniture polishes, and floor cleaners and waxes. Not only do these substances affect our health when we slosh them onto our skin or inhale their fumes, but they also affect our water. When we rinse the tub-and-tile cleanser from our bath or sink, or empty a bucket containing dirty washing water, we send leftover cleaning chemicals into our wastewater system. Traces of these chemicals will find their way into Lake Superior.”
Companies are not required to list the ingredients found in their cleaning products, but some of the most common include carcinogens such as formaldehyde, a substance used in embalming fluid. Hormone disruptors such as parabens are widely used as preservatives in cleaning products, and neurotoxins such as methyl chloride are often used in spot removers. There are healthier alternatives to using toxic cleaning products.
EcoSuperior is inviting everyone to a Greener Cleaner Trade-In event until November 4. Bring one household cleaning product with a hazardous symbol to EcoSuperior’s office, and trade it in for a green cleaning kit absolutely free. The kit includes vinegar, baking soda, recipes to turn common household ingredients into effective non-toxic cleansers, and more.
EcoSuperior acknowledges financial support for this project from the Ministry of the Environment through the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.
For further information, contact program coordinator Lucie Lavoie at 624-2143 or luciel@ecosuperior.org