The Clorox Bleach commercial that has been running recently has been driving me nuts. Well, seems I’m not the only one! While I was reading my blogroll today, I came across this post. So, instead of just yelling and shaking my head at the TV, I thought I’d blog about it too.
Here is some of my research I’ve done over the last few months on chlorine: * Toxic respiratory irritant that can damage the skin and other membranes * Listed in 1990 Clean Air Act as hazardous air pollutant * Very dangerous for children because they have higher metabolic rates and greater lung surface area * OSHA monitors exposure because it ranks 1st in industrial injuries and deaths in the U.S. * It is heavier than air, so it hangs around low-lying areas. Think kids…shorter than we are sucking in all that nastiness. * The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found dioxin (a toxic byproduct of chlorine) to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT * In 2000, U.S. Poison Control reported chlorine bleach was implicated in injures to 18,863 children under the age of 6 * Mercury is used to produce chlorine. Need I say more? * It’s by-products and compounds have been known to cause cancer and have been linked to liver disease. * The cumulative effects of dioxin (a by-product) in humans have been linked to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders and immune system breakdown. * Chlorine is a highly corrosive substance, capable of damaging skin, eyes, and other membranes. * Household bleach is the most common cleaner accidentally swallowed by children * It is considered an unclassifiable carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. * It is classified as a development toxicant, which means it can interfere with normal development of a fetus or child. Most people I know would not use bleach while they were pregnant, so why would anyone use it when the kids are outside the womb?Have I convinced you yet? I’m sure you can find a ton more on your own. I’m convinced not to use the nasty stuff.
Here are some common names of chlorine that you may see on your cleaners: chloramine, sodium hypochlorite, bleach, hydrochloric acid, trihalomethanes, disinfection byproducts.
Some alternatives:
* Use cornstarch to lift stains. * Use distilled white vinegar to clean the floors, toilet, fruit, etc. * Use a truly green product, like Seventh Generation or Shaklee. Not the greenwashed products that do not disclose all ingredients.I feel better now. Thanks for reading!
