Lauren RashapBy Lauren Rashap

Having a clean home should never cost you something as valuable as your health, but that’s exactly what you’re putting at risk when you use household cleaners and laundry detergents filled with many of the hazardous chemicals on the market today.

The problem is, when the chemicals in these common household products hit your skin and lungs, they go directly into your bloodstream, bypassing your body’s natural defense system against toxins (the liver and kidneys).

This type of indoor pollution is particularly harmful to your health because just one application of a typical household cleaner can leave dangerous chemicals lingering in your indoor air for hours at a time. For people who spend a large amount of their day indoors, this can amount to a frequent chemical attacks on your lungs.

So, which Ingredients are Toxic?

Some of the ingredients in common household cleaners, laundry detergents, and even “green” cleaners that can create a toxic indoor environment include:

Glycol ethers– Widespread use in paints, perfumes, soaps, cosmetics and foods. Cause fatigue, lethargy, nausea, and possible liver and kidney damage.

Phthalates– Cause reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, cancer, organ damage.

Perfumes– Cause headaches, sinus problems, asthma, may cause intoxication and “addiction.”

Phosphates- Manufacturers have reduced eliminated phosphates from laundry products, but no action has ever been taken on dishwasher detergents. Causes widespread environmental damage.

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), a common ingredient in laundry detergents and allpurpose cleaners, is banned in Europe, and known to be a potent endocrine disrupter. It’s already thought to be the cause of male fish transforming into females in waterways around the world!

Formaldehyde, found in spray and wick deodorizers, is a suspected carcinogen.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including 1,4-dichlorobenzene – Cause nose and throat irritation, dizziness, asthma.

Petroleum solvents in floor cleaners may damage mucous membranes.

Ammonia– irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.

Chlorine– irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- skin irritant, eye irritant, potential cancer causer.

Lauren Rashap is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Mediation Instructor, Eco Home Consultant and Skin Detox Expert. Visit http://www.laurenlivinghealthy.com