DIY Natural Living - Simplified
Immediate effects of exposure to cleaning products can include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as exacerbated symptoms of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Long-term effects include endocrine disruption, respiratory diseases, heart disease, and worse.
Household cleaning products get into your body because they are breathed in and absorbed through your skin.
In the case of laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets, the chemicals they contain often stay on your clothes, allowing for great exposure through your skin. The chemical residue evaporates and lingers around the home as it gives off gases throughout the day.
Almost all household cleaning products are poured down the drain, thrown in the trash or cleaned out of rags and sponges in the laundry. This means that the chemicals enter our water supply. We cook with, drink, and bath in water saturated with cleaning chemicals.
Non-toxic homemade cleaning products aren’t only better for us, they can also help save us money and protect the environment. Making your own products cuts down on packaging waste and reduces the release of household chemicals that can contribute to air and water pollution. Even better, the majority of the most powerful cleaning ingredients may well already be in our cupboards and pantry!
