Autism’s Environmental Link?
Many studies are beginning to point to environmental causes for Autism, especially chemical exposure before birth and in the first few years of life. Children are less equipped to handle toxins and yet they receive the same (and sometimes more) exposure as adults. There are many ways you can reduce the amount of chemicals your child comes into contact with, and a great place to start is switching to all natural cleaning products.
For many people, however, green cleaners are more necessity than choice and waiting for a young industry to hit middle age isn’t an option. Finch actually started his business after witnessing strong chemical sensitivity in his daughter. She, like a growing number of Americans, had allergic reactions to different household cleaners that only dissipated when the family switched to natural products. In fact, most of his customers fall into this category, as well as people with health problems that cause them to be more sensitive to toxins in their environment. His company works with the non-profit Cleaning for a Reason which offers free professional housecleaning, and maid services to women undergoing treatment for cancer. These women need completely sanitized living conditions as their immune systems are either compromised or entirely shut down, and green cleaners are both effective and gentle enough to do the job.
Nervous about trusting some of the thousands of sites touting home recipes for green cleaners? While many of them may very well offer mixtures tested by time, sometimes peace of mind comes with tests by researchers such as the Toxics Use Reduction Institute. Established in 1989, the institute collaborates with businesses, community organizations and government agencies to reduce the use of toxic chemicals. One of the services they offer is the Green Cleaning Lab where they test home cleaning recipes to see which are effective and safe for in-home use. They even include a list of DIY home made household cleaner recipes with levels of effectiveness.
Early Chemical Concerns
Article on in-Home pollution from 1984:
http://tinyurl.com/3zueux3
The Shaklee Corporation, founded in 1956, is another great resource and was an early leader in the green product arena. In 1960 it made one of the first biodegradable household cleaners and was the first company in the world to receive Climate Neutral certification. Though it conducts its own lab testing, most of the company’s studies are published in peer reviewed journals. They offer eco-friendly products for the home including highly concentrated natural cleaning products to reduce waste. According to Shaklee distributor Theresa Bankert, “The only time people have problems with our products is when they don’t follow the directions on the packaging. They don’t realize that they’re more concentrated than they’re used to so they put in too much and it streaks or gums up. Then they assume that they just don’t work. Green cleaners take a little getting used to, but it’s worth it for better, safer products.”
Resources: Green Seal:
www.greenseal.org EPA (they have a list of recommended cleaners as well):
www.epa.gov TURI:
www.turi.org Natural Products Association:
www.NPAinfo.org EcoMaids:
www.ecomaids.com Shaklee:
www.shaklee.com
Bankert swears by the products and has used them exclusively for years. When asked if customers were ever concerned that green cleaners might not be effective, she said, “sometimes people are a little concerned, but that’s why I give free samples. Once they get the products in their hands and in use in their houses, they keep coming back.”
So do green cleaners make the cut? Many people would say so based on experience and private testing, but the industry is still young. With lack of regulation and federal standards, it’s difficult to wade through false claims and find truly eco-friendly products that actually get the job done and don’t drain your pocketbook. But the industry is catching up, and fast. And as the world gets greener, we can all look forward to cleaner, safer, more effective products. S
Recreating Nature
Biomimicry is the study of nature's incredible techniques and the recreating of them as modern technology innovations. Many people are looking toward biomimicry for broad applications in a wide array of industries and household cleaners are no exception. Is nature the future of clean?
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