A truly healthy home requires a good amount of cleaning. But the desire to keep things neat can often lead to the unnecessary release of toxins, excess energy use and excess use of water. Here we discuss the common myths regarding household cleaning and alternatives to keep our homes not only clean, but safe.

Myth no 1: You should use chemical air fresheners to freshen a room. Don’t be fooled by the sweet, artificial scent of many commercially-available air fresheners. Many of them contain substances, such as volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), which can be harmful to the respiratory system or may even cause cancer.  Exposure to 1,4-dichlorobenzene, a VOC related to the use of air fresheners, toilet bowl deodorants, and moth balls, at levels found in the US general population, may result in reduced pulmonary function.  This common exposure may have long-term adverse effects on respiratory health (Longnecker, Kissling, and London, 2006.) If you really want your home to smell fresh and clean, use safer alternatives like essential oils, cut citrus peelings or natural air fresheners like BabyGanics Breathin’ Easy Air Freshener & Odor Eliminator.

Myth no. 2: Using more detergent = cleaner clothes. Realistically, it’s the water that cleans your dirty laundry. You only need a small amount of detergent to clean your clothes. Using too much makes it harder to wash away excess soap residue. The reason soap is so good for cleaning is that it attracts dirt. This is great if all the dirt is rinsed away from the surface we were trying to clean.  But if all of the soap isn’t gone, the surface will continue to attract more dirt. BabyGanics Loads of Love Laundry Detergent is safe for the environment because it uses surfactants that are plant-based instead of chemical-based. All safe, all natural for your family and the planet!

Myth no 3: The amount of water you use while doing laundry is irrelevant because the water treatment facility cleans it anyway. Phosphates in detergent can actually disrupt the sewage treatment process. These phosphates can also be destructive when dumped into waterways, sewers, rivers and ponds because it can cause eutrophication or the enhanced growth of choking aquatic vegetation. It is considered “choking” because they soak up the oxygen needed by aquatic animals, causing them to die. Natural products that do not contain phosphates are great alternative to chemical-laden varieties.

Myth no. 4: Dry cleaning and carpet cleaners are totally safe. The next time you use a carpet cleaner or take your belongings to the dry cleaners, remember that perchloroethylene or PERC for short, is a potential carcinogen. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, “breathing PERC for short periods of time can adversely affect the human nervous system.  Effects range from dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and nausea. Laboratory studies show that PERC causes kidney and liver damage and cancer in animals exposed repeatedly by inhalation”. Opt for safer alternatives like organic carpet shampoos.

Myth no. 5: Bleach is the solution to all cleaning problems. Bleach is great for killing harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi. However, it can also carry a whole host of potentially harmful chemicals which can cause irritation of the respiratory system and the mucous membranes. Consider using gentler alternatives, like BabyGanics all-purpose cleanser The Grime Fighter!

By dispelling these myths, we can all `ensure much safer and healthier homes for our families.

References:Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Aug;114(8):1210-4. Volatile organic compounds and pulmonary function in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.Elliott L, Longnecker MP, Kissling GE, London SJ. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2233, USA.