Clean and Green   
By Michelle Allen

Have you ever cleaned your bathroom or oven and almost passed out from all the fumes? The toxic chemical cocktail  used in many cleaning products is not only very damaging to our health but also the environment.

This is one of the passions of Ecocleanse. To help educate and provide consumers with an easy choice with a researched line of products for every aspect of their lives.

Consumers may find it overwhelming or time-consuming to research all of the ingredients in the cleaning products under their kitchen sink.  In general however, product warning labels can be a useful first line of defence. Cleaning products are required by law to include label warnings if harmful ingredients are included. From safest to most dangerous, the warning signals are:
1 Caution – 30 to 500ml may be harmful or fatal to a 80kg male
2. Warning – 5 to 30ml may be harmful or fatal to a 80kg male
3. Danger - One taste to 5ml is fatal to a 80kg male

How can consumers make healthier choices for their homes and families?
It is truly amazing that all these harmful ingredients are present in products that are supposed to improve our quality of life. Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, household cleaners are the only household products for which manufacturers are NOT required to list all ingredients. Certain ingredients (such as fragrances) are considered trade secrets and government regulations are designed to protect proprietary information. Without full disclosure, consumers can unknowingly submit themselves and their families to unhealthy exposures to these chemicals.

The safest course of action a consumer can take is to inform themselves.

Here are some suggestions:
1. Read product labels. Don’t use products with a signal word stronger than ‘Caution’.
2. Research the chemicals listed on product labels through the Household Products Database www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov and the Cosmetics Database
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
3. Avoid products with fragrances. A clean home should smell like nothing at all.
4. Use homemade cleaning solutions made from good, old-fashioned common
ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, lemon juice and borax.
5. Interview cleaning services and hire ones that use toxic free products or microfibre cloths. Many national cleaning services and local cleaning companies are now making the switch to green products, but ask exactly what they are using.
6. Make sure the cleaning supplies that are used by your cleaning service or by you are recognised as being free of toxins.

The chemical overload we face daily does not begin or end with cleaning products but it is a good (and cheap) place to start implementing change.

You might just find that you will not only feel better physically but the environment and your bank account will thank you.

For more info Phone: 0409 854 559