Cleaning Products

Cleaning products. What better way to begin a new year than with a clean home? A new year always feels a little bit like a fresh, clean, new start to me. 

Would you believe that the cleaning products you use can have a major affect on your health? It's absolutely true. 

Doing inventory, not only on your food choices, but also on the cleaning products you use, is a healthy way to begin a new year. 

Growing up, weekly cleaning in our home usually happened on Saturday afternoons. Beginning around the age of 11 or 12, I was given some jobs to do in our home, such as: helping to clean up the kitchen and wash supper dishes on certain nights of the week, dust (my bedroom), vacuum (my bedroom and the entire downstairs), and clean a bathroom downstairs. The latter three usually happened once a week since I was usually in school Monday - Friday.  

As an adult, I've discovered that I like to do weekly cleaning on Friday afternoons. Who wants to clean on the weekend? Not me. It's a marvelous feeling to wake up on a Saturday morning with a bedroom that has been freshly dusted and vacuumed and a bathroom that is sparkling clean. 

Some things happen on a daily basis in our home (like washing dishes) while other things (like windows) are cleaned less frequently in our home. Regardless of when it happens, a clean home is always such a good feeling. 

The products you use for cleaning matter just as much as the products you use on your body. Like many body care products (which I recently wrote about on this blog), many cleaning products are also highly toxic containing harmful chemicals that can have a major affect on a person's health. Another sad truth.  

Sometimes, I marvel when I walk through a grocery store or Walmart or Dollar tree. So many of the cleaning products for sale in stores these days are incredibly toxic, and yet, many people use them on a daily or weekly basis to clean their homes with. It's not only sad, it's also a little scary. Most people use standard products to clean their home or business office with and don't think twice about the products they use. Sadly, many are clueless.

Growing up, my mom used a lot of standard cleaning products, except for bathroom cleaner. (for some reason, my mom always used a natural bathroom cleaner) My mom used regular cleaning products until a few years ago. 

When I discovered from some health minded, coworker friends of mine just how toxic many cleaning products and body care products are, I began mentioning some of this to my mom. (since she was the one who usually purchased cleaning products for our home) 

Slowly, but surely, my mom began replacing many standard cleaning products with more natural ones, including liquid dish soap for hand washing any dishes. I love the dish soap my mom uses now in comparison to what we used to use. It is so much better (and more gentle on hands) than the toxic dish soap we used. 

And the Windex? I love the natural one my mom gets now. It works just as well, and I don't find myself coughing when spraying it on bathroom mirrors, something I frequently did when I used Windex in the past. (which is highly toxic!)

Still feeling a little skeptical if something like cleaning products can actually have an affect on a person's health? I have two, quick stories to share. 

I have a friend who was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. (in her late 20's) After having surgery and recovering from cancer, she did some research. She discovered exactly what I'm sharing with you in this post. Along with diet and lifestyle, she also discovered the truth about toxic cleaning products and toxic body care products. Those things can (and do!) contribute to cancer. Just ask my friend. She will tell you in a heartbeat that things like cleaning products matter. 

About a year ago, my mom shared with me that someone she knew (a woman around age 60) died with lung cancer. As far as we know, this woman never smoked a day in her life. (smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer) This woman was also very health conscious with food. My mom was baffled, and after hearing about her, I couldn't help but ask my mom if this woman worked in an office or had a cleaning job. Why did I ask that? Because being exposed to toxic chemicals on a daily basis, like many people use to clean offices with, could also be a possible cause of lung cancer. You breathe those toxins in. Why do you think certain cleaning products recommend using them in a well ventilated area? The company knows just how toxic their cleaning product is. 

Just today, I ran into someone I know who, more recently, recovered from cancer. I couldn't help but briefly share with her about the danger of toxic chemicals found in standard laundry detergents, cleaning products, and body care products. She already knew about it being in our food. (which is why purchasing organic is much better for certain items)   

Cancer isn't the only health issue that chemicals can cause in the body. There are many other health issues and diseases caused by simply working with or being around toxic cleaners all the time. 

I know of people who were exposed to toxic chemicals or toxic cleaners frequently and, later on in life, developed certain cancers or diseases. They have passed away now. 

Obviously, we will all die someday unless God comes back for His people in our life time. But to see someone die at a younger age simply due to toxic chemicals is a sad fate.   

Are you beginning to get the picture? Chemicals are extremely bad for our health. 

Sadly, toxic chemicals are in most of our cleaning products today.  

Please, do yourself a huge favor by cleaning out and ridding your home of toxic cleaning products and replacing them with more natural ones. They can be found in health stores and in some grocery stores. I think you'll notice a positive change by doing this.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and I have no medical training. The things I share on this blog are simple, practical things that I've learned help with good health.