Simpler, Safer, Healthier, Greener!
Chemical-Free Living
Amma asks us to protect Nature as our very own Mother. So you are willing to take the next step… for Amma, the Earth, for yourself. Maybe you’ve already switched to organic foods or added more fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet. Perhaps you’ve chosen to filter your own water, decreased your consumption of processed foods, and you exercise. Bravo! These changes are the most important place to begin. Controlling the daily “constants” in your life – food, water, personal care and laundry products (the products we never take a break from) - will give you the fastest results, both for your health, as well as for the health of the Earth. Remember that the byproducts of everything we ingest and use on a daily basis end up in the water we need for life and sustainability of our planet. The PBS Frontline show Poisoned Waters, Frontline, 2009 states that we do not have the technology to filter out all the chemicals we are putting into the water; this has broad ranging effects on aquatic health as well as our own.
Some interesting findings
The typical products we use and trust contain many poisons which are absorbed into our skin, lungs and blood. We are all affected; adults, children, even pets. These toxins are then passed from our waste into our water supply.
Consumer products release nearly twice as many hydrocarbons - a key precursor to
ozone - than all of the SUVs and light trucks operating in California. The offending
items include detergents, cleaning compounds, glues, polishes, floor finishes, cosmetics,
perfume, antiperspirants, rubbing alcohol, room fresheners, car wax, paint and lawn
care products.
[Polakovic /LA Times 9mar03]
Six best-selling products (three air fresheners and three laundry supplies) were
analyzed chemically. Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified,
and of these, ten are regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws. Three
(acetaldehyde, chloromethane, and 1,4-dioxane) are classified as Hazardous Air Pollutants
(HAPs).
[Steinemann AC, Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients, Environ
Impact Assess Rev (2008) doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2008.05.002.]
What We Choose MATTERS!
Making your own products from commonly known natural ingredients can save you quite a bit of money, while purifying your home environment. You can also buy “green” products, but be sure to read the labels; not everything marked “green” always is. For example, some “green” laundry detergents contain fragrance derived from petrochemicals.
Personal care products
The cosmetic safety database offers helpful overview of products that are safer and “less toxic” for you and the environment.
Laundry
One of the biggest blind spots we have as a nation is in the area of laundry products. Even committed environmentalists will use brand names like Tide or Bounce, unaware that fragrances and surfactants in laundry products are made from petrochemicals. Even most essential oils are distilled with solvents, which are toxic. By modifying your use of everyday products (fewer VOCs and HAPs), you’ll be amazed at the benefits to your health and mental clarity! Check out the alternatives:
Least Toxic Alternatives: ½ cup borax mixed with ½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (if you need soap, try grating and mixing in your favorite unscented vegetable-based soap). A small amount will get the job done; one tablespoon for light loads, two for heavier loads. You may use ¼ - ½ cup Hydrogen Peroxide for whitening. Or try Soap Nuts, from the Amma Store
Less Toxic Alternatives: 7th Generation Free and Clear, Ecos Unscented, BioKleen, Trader Joe’s Unscented.
Conventional Alternatives: Tide Free, All Free and Clear, Arm & Hammer Unscented
Fabric Softener: ¼ - ½ cup white vinegar in rinse cycle, or ½ cup baking soda into wash cycle.
How Green is Your Home?
Evaluate the “Health” of your home from an Earth-Friendly point of view.
Do You Know Enough about Fragrances?
An emphasis on “fragrance-free” products in this pamphlet is made for the following reasons: An increasing number of individuals are becoming fragrance sensitive; fragrances can contain up to 400 chemicals, most of which are not required to be disclosed or regulated; and “second –hand” fragrance has been found to be more toxic than “second-hand” smoke. Did you know that products labeled as “unscented” often have a chemical additive that masks their fragrance? Only products labeled “fragrance-free” are truly free of fragrance!
Ready to make a change?
1. Finish your old products and recycle all possible containers, or
2. Donate your unused products to a group or individual not yet ready for change, or call your waste management company for proper disposal methods of all unused products.
Want to learn more? Check out the following resources:
Less Toxic Alternatives by Carolyn Gorman, long term Health Educator for the Environmental Health Center of Dallas. This book covers every aspect imaginable of chemical free living, including renovation.
Gorgeously Green Eight Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life by Sophie Uliano. This book is funny, practical, hopeful, and full of excellent ideas.
Debra Lynn Dadd has been a strong advocate for toxic-free living for at least 20 years. You can find her suggestions and free newsletter.
National Resources Defense Council.
Green America: (formerly Coop America). They have a great natural cleaning guide