Our bodies exposure to chemicals in every day life is something that we rarely think of

From the chemicals used in the manufacture of our clothes to the food we eat, not to mention household cleaners, cosmetics, and even wall paint, we are in constant contact with chemicals, albeit in small quantities. Increasingly, children are intolerant to their environment with a huge rise in asthma and allergies amongst the young.

Health problems such as asthma are often blamed on poor cleaning routines (i.e. a prevalence of dust mites). Unfortunately, many experts fail to correlate a dust free environment and the subsequent improvement in a persons health with the parallel fall in the amount of chemicals as "dust" residue. That is, cleaning reduces both dust mites (the supposed cause of asthma) as well as chemical residue in the form of dust.

Conventionally manufactured cotton and other household textile products contain hundreds of chemicals many of them hazardous. By purchasing sustainable textile products (organically grown and manufactured) you immediately reduce your exposure to harmful pollutants.

Formaldehyde is used in clothing and bedding to fix the shape and keep out wrinkles. It takes a minimum of ten washes to clean the formaldehyde out and during that time your body will absorb trace amounts. For children this exposure can lead to eczema and other skin complaints.

Ensure that cotton textiles are made to sustainable standards and are dyed with AZO/heavy metal free dyes.

Carpet underlay can be a major polluter in your home. Try using a natural fibre such as coconut matting.

Next time you decorate check that the paint you use is free from heavy metals and solvents and where possible use ecological friendly paints as they will not release harmful gasses into your house. (Conventional paints give off gas for some time after application). www.ecospaints.com/eco-paint/index.htm

Household cleaning products are choc-a-bloc full of chemicals. But cleaning your home need not be a chore with green alternatives such as Ecover, Sonett, and Bio-D offering a range of products for everything from the dishwasher to bleaches.

A good, safe and cheap alternative to hazardous cleaning products is vinegar and hot water.

If you are allergic to chlorine in your tap water, invest in a good water filter (ensure before you buy that it will filter out heavy metals and chlorine.)

Your skin is highly porous and will happily absorb most things it comes into contact with. Ensuring that the beauty products and soap/shampoo you use are free from harmful ingredients is important not only for your own health but also for the sustainability of the environment.

Weleda, Dr Haushka and many others have a fantastic range of products available.

Sanitary products made from cotton can contain a cocktail of chemicals for your body to absorb. There are organic alternatives which are similar if not identical to what you are used to.

Bring the garden indoors. Houseplants help to clean the air, control humidity, and provide a pleasant atmosphere in which to live.

Gardening without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers may be more work. But the long term health effects of many common garden products are unproven. Play safe, protect your self and the environment.

Organic gardening will encourage natural pest control and has been shown to increase bio-diversity even at a very local level. Organically gardened soil is also far more productive in the long term and costs you less to maintain (as you don't need to buy expensive chemicals to artificially maintain the soil.)

Where practical use a push mower; good for you as it will provide you with a full body work out, and good for the environment as there are no carbon emissions from an engine.

Finally, many of the dyes used in processed food preparation are a problem. Try buying locally un-processed food (so minimising food miles and ensuring freshness).

Alternatively organic and bio-dynamic products are a safe way to minimise your exposure to chemicals


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