The Dangers of Bleach

We've all used bleach for making our whites whiter and for sterilizing and disinfecting our homes. But have you ever taken a look at the chemical behind it all. This is a huge eye-opening to actually realize how toxic and dangerous this chemical really is. Even the label on the bleach bottle says "DANGER: Corrosive. May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and skin...Avoid breathing vapors and use only in a well-ventilated area."

The most common time and/or area that these chemicals will come into contact with each other is when your are cleaning your bathroom. Since you usually have something for the toilet, something else for the sinks/counter tops, and of course the shower and that dreadful soap scum. The bathroom is one of the few places in your home that has a vent in it.

The main active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite which reacts with ammonia, drain cleaners and other acids. The combination of these two common household chemicals can release chlorine gas, a cousin to the chemical warfare used during World War I. When bleach and ammonia are mixed together, toxic gases called chloramines are produced, which can cause: coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, nausea, watery eyes, irritation to the throat, nose and eyes and pneumonia and fluid in the lungs. There also have been reports that some people are so allergic to chlorine, that they need an epiPen when they are exposed to a concentrated does of vapors. When bleach and acid combine, chlorine gas is given off. At low levels this exposure almost always irritates the mucus membranes (eyes, throat and nose), and causes coughing and breathing problems, burning and watery eyes, and a running nose. Higher levels of exposure can cause chest pain, more severe breathing difficulties, vomiting, pneumonia, and fluid in the lungs. Very high levels can cause death.

So if you still want to use bleach, then you may want to switch out your other chemicals to natural products. Ones that do not use toxic chemicals which can harm you, your children, and your pets. There are quite a few choices out there, I'm still working on what I think is the best. Does anyone have any suggestions?


Sami

What’s Really in Those Cleaning Products?

Now, when it comes to our children, we take every precaution necessary. But do we really take those strict precautions when it comes to our cleaning products, especially the ones that we use around our children? It’s amazing how many harmful and toxic chemicals are in regular cleaning supplies. There have been recent studies stating that there is a link between some cleaning products and asthma and reproductive harm. It’s just not each individual cleaner that is the problem, it when you combine them.

Let’s say the bathroom; you need something for the toilet, the floor and counters, and for the shower. Now each of them separately is fine, but when you mix them this is where the concern is. You end up in a small space with many toxins exposed to each other. These solutions are highly concentrated mixtures of chlorine, formaldehyde, and sodium hypochlorite, which irritate your eyes, lungs, and skin. Even when these chemicals go down the drain, they can mix with others chemicals and create dangerous compounds like chlorine gas that can work its way back into your house.

There are safe solutions out there. But you do need to watch what is in each bottle. Yes, there are many kinds of “green” cleaners now, but not all of them are truly “green”. Some are still made with toxins; therefore they are still causing harm to people and the environment. There are others that still have toxins in them, and are either not labeled properly, or they are using different names to hide what they truly are. This is where we need to take some action; we need to tell our representatives for Congress that they need to create a bill that requires that all companies to disclose all ingredients in household cleaners on product labels and to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives.

We need to step up and help each other in creating a healthier and non-toxic planet, before there isn’t anything left to save!

Sami