(by 2 people)
Do you know what is in the glass?
The world can be a dangerous place, but most people lose sight of the fact that many of these dangers are lurking right where we spend most of our time and feel the safest...our own home. I want to bring your attention to some of the very real dangers of everyday household cleaners and hopefully prevent someone from being accidental harmed. I hope this site serves as a helpful reminder to some everday dangers.
Please feel free to email me with any comments or suggestions and read further to find out what is in the glass.
We are surrounded by poisons
Common cleaning products could be a ticking time bomb in your home or office!
A typical home or office has dozens of cleaning and personal care products that contain harmful chemicals. Please take a moment and count the number of cleaners under your kitchen and bathroom sink. How about your laundry room or garage? How many did you find? Most households and offices contain over dozens of cleaning products that consist of hundreds of hazardous chemicals. You should be shocked to know the potential of these products to harm or even kill your children, pets and you if they are not used with the utmost caution.
Could a tragedy happen in your home?
Sadly, the answer is YES. For example, a young child crawled over to the dishwasher while her mother was unloading the dishes. Before the mother knew it, the young girl had put her small finger in the detergent dispensing cup and ate a finger full of wet, but un-dissolved dish detergent. Within minutes her face was red and blistered, the inside of her mouth and tongue were burned white. Fortunately, the mother rushed her to a nearby hospital emergency room for medical attention and she recovered in a few days.
This is just one example of thousands of cases where unsuspecting children unwittingly ingest or are exposed to serious life threatening poisons.
The U.S. Poison Control Center has nearly 1.5 million reported cases of accidental ingestion of poisons every year with most cases involving children who were under 12 years of age.
However, the problem isn't limited to just young children or pets who don't know any better. Adults are also at risk. Have you ever wondered what the strong odor in the cleaners isle of your supermarket is? Ingestion is only one of three major ways that these products enter the body. Inhalation is even for more dangerous because when breathed in these harmful chemicals go directly into the blood stream and can quickly affect the lungs, heart, brain liver and kidneys.
By the way, that strong smell in your supermarket cleaner isle is caused by what industry experts describe as "out gassing". Out gassing is the vapors escaping from the "sealed" containers on the supermarkets shelves. Which obviously are extremely harmful to your health.
There are several things you can do to help prevent accidental poisoning in your home or office. One of the easiest is to simply reduce the number of chemical based cleaners in your home by using safe, all natural cleaners. Please see below for more things you can do to protect your family and pets.
Could a tragedy happen in your home?
Sadly, the answer is YES. For example, a young child crawled over to the dishwasher while her mother was unloading the dishes. Before the mother knew it, the young girl had put her small finger in the detergent dispensing cup and ate a finger full of wet, but un-dissolved dish detergent. Within minutes her face was red and blistered, the inside of her mouth and tongue were burned white. Fortunately, the mother rushed her to a nearby hospital emergency room for medical attention and she recovered in a few days.
This is just one example of thousands of cases where unsuspecting children unwittingly ingest or are exposed to serious life threatening poisons.
The U.S. Poison Control Center has nearly 1.5 million reported cases of accidental ingestion of poisons every year with most cases involving children who were under 12 years of age.
However, the problem isn't limited to just young children or pets who don't know any better. Adults are also at risk. Have you ever wondered what the strong odor in the cleaners isle of your supermarket is? Ingestion is only one of three major ways that these products enter the body. Inhalation is even for more dangerous because when breathed in these harmful chemicals go directly into the blood stream and can quickly affect the lungs, heart, brain liver and kidneys.
By the way, that strong smell in your supermarket cleaner isle is caused by what industry experts describe as "out gassing". Out gassing is the vapors escaping from the "sealed" containers on the supermarkets shelves. Which obviously are extremely harmful to your health.
There are several things you can do to help prevent accidental poisoning in your home or office. One of the easiest is to simply reduce the number of chemical based cleaners in your home by using safe, all natural cleaners. Please see below for more things you can do to protect your family and pets.
Did you know that...
>- The inside of a typical American home is ten times more toxic than outdoors?
- The EPA has found that airborne chemical levels in homes are as much as seventy times higher than outside and that Americans spend 80%-90% of their time indoors
- Over 1.5 million young children are poisoned in their own homes each year, and most of the time they are poisoned by a cleaning or personal care product
My Favorite Natural Cleaning Products
You can make your home safer too
Here are some great all natural environmentally safe cleaning products. Notice that these products are concentrated. That is, when you buy a quart, you do not just have a quart. When you dilute it to the appropriate concentration, you have a very large quantity of cleaning product.
- Natural Cleaning Products
- ARE YOUR CLEANSERS MAKING YOU SICK? Chances are, many of the traditional cleaners in your home's cabinets contain potentially dangerous toxins that promote illness, fatigue, and disease. Eliminate this deadly risk and get rid of stubborn dirt and grime with these environmentally- and family-safe cleansers.
- Veriuni Safe Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
- This is a top seller! Cleans any surface. Ideal for use on tile floors, marble, terrazzo and walls.
- Automatic Dishwashing Gel
- An effective, inexpensive automatic dishwashing detergent made entirely of earth-replenishing minerals and plant-based, biodegradable ingredients.
- Basin, Tile & Tub Cleaner
- Rapidly cleans and removes soap scum and lime from shower walls & doors, sinks, ceramic tile, fiberglass, vinyl, porcelain and stainless steel. Deodorizes as it cleans without generating noxious fumes.
- Window and Glass Cleaner
- Works on contact to remove fingerprints, soil, grime, water spots, etc. with minimal wiping all while leaving no residue.
- Hand Dishwashing Detergent
- A super concentrated, all-natural Dishwashing Detergent that cleans and degreases--even in cold, greasy water--without harsh ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin.
- Laundry Detergent/Softener
- A environmentally safe laundry detergent with built-in fabric softener for fresh, clean, and soft clothes and linens.
- Furniture Protector and Polish
- A favorite, this unique formula cleans, polishes and protects finished wood, polished metal, finished stone, fiberglass, vinyl, polished stainless steel and all laminated surfaces. Use on furniture, cupboards, countertops, appliances, car interiors, file cabinets, computer equipment and office furnishings.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Pleasant-smelling, non-fuming, mild-acidic cleaner. Cleans, descales, and makes porcelain fixtures sparkle.
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Studies and Articles on the Dangers of Household Cleaners
- If you can't pronounce it, should you use it?
- A CBC News report on household cleaners
- Sources of Indoor Air Pollution - Organic Gases (Volatile Organic Compounds - VOCs)
- A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency article about indoor air pollution.
Things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Here are several things you can do to help protect yourself and your loved ones from the potential hazards of household cleaners.
- Reduce the number of harmful chemical cleaners in your home or office by substituting them with natural environmentally- and family-safe cleaners
- Keep cleaning products in their original containers or clearly marked to prevent accidental misuse. The contents in the glass (pictured above) is drain opener which could easily be mistaken as a glass of water by a child or an adult who is in a hurry.
- Ensure all caps and lids are secured tightly to prevent spills and leaks
- Keep containers clean and free of any residue from spills or drips
- Keep cleaners in a plastic tub or container to contain any leaks
- Keep cleaners in a locked or child-proofed cabinet
- Use protection! Wear rubber gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes.
- Keep your local poison control center number posted near the phone (program it into your cell phone) or use this one: The National Capitol Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222
A Bitter Pill
One family's tragedy becomes plea to secure household poisons
Another example of the dangers lurking in our homes. I ran across this article by Capt. Amy Sufak, 21 Space Wing Public Affairs
6/15/2006 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- "With a knock on the door, my entire life changed. At 11:45 p.m. one of my night sergeants dressed in desert camouflage stood outside my trailer door clutching a note, my heart skipped a beat. He said I needed to call home now, something was wrong," said 1st Lt. Kevin Lombardo. "When I heard the sound of my wife Billie's voice, I knew it was serious."
While deployed to Iraq, Lieutenant Lombardo, an operations officer for the 21st Security Forces Squadron here, learned his 3-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, were being rushed to the hospital after climbing into a kitchen cabinet, prying open a child resistant heart prescription bottle and swallowing the medicine.
"Knowing the twins were in comas and I still had a two-day journey home was the hardest thing for me," he said. "I couldn't be there for my family."
It is a difficult task to get home from Baghdad. They loaded up a HUMVEE with weapons to safeguard against roadside threats and traveled the dangerous route in the war-torn country to board a 2 a.m. jet to Qatar. It took five connecting flights and 36 hours before the anxious lieutenant finally set foot in the United States.
He arrived 16 minutes after his little girl died.
"No one ever expects something like this will ever happen to them," Lieutenant Lombardo said. "It just didn't seem real when I was told she was gone."
Dec. 27 had been a typical day at the Lombardo's home. Just two days after Christmas, all four children were in and out of their rooms, watching television and playing with new toys.
Billie walked into the kitchen and Chloe said, "Mommy I sick." The experienced mother of four glanced at the clock; 12:30, time for lunch. With one of her toddler twins resting on the bed in a nearby bedroom and another sitting quietly at the kitchen table she began making sandwiches. Chloe suddenly passed out at the table.
Lexie, the Lombardo's ten-year-old daughter called 9-1-1. Chloe went into convulsions. Billie found a half-spilled bottle of medicine and knew then that her other toddler who had been resting on the bed, was lethargic from also swallowing medicine. The terrified mother waited desperately for help to arrive. Firefighters and an ambulance arrived within minutes and transported the twins separately to Memorial Hospital.
(continued)
6/15/2006 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- "With a knock on the door, my entire life changed. At 11:45 p.m. one of my night sergeants dressed in desert camouflage stood outside my trailer door clutching a note, my heart skipped a beat. He said I needed to call home now, something was wrong," said 1st Lt. Kevin Lombardo. "When I heard the sound of my wife Billie's voice, I knew it was serious."
While deployed to Iraq, Lieutenant Lombardo, an operations officer for the 21st Security Forces Squadron here, learned his 3-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, were being rushed to the hospital after climbing into a kitchen cabinet, prying open a child resistant heart prescription bottle and swallowing the medicine.
"Knowing the twins were in comas and I still had a two-day journey home was the hardest thing for me," he said. "I couldn't be there for my family."
It is a difficult task to get home from Baghdad. They loaded up a HUMVEE with weapons to safeguard against roadside threats and traveled the dangerous route in the war-torn country to board a 2 a.m. jet to Qatar. It took five connecting flights and 36 hours before the anxious lieutenant finally set foot in the United States.
He arrived 16 minutes after his little girl died.
"No one ever expects something like this will ever happen to them," Lieutenant Lombardo said. "It just didn't seem real when I was told she was gone."
Dec. 27 had been a typical day at the Lombardo's home. Just two days after Christmas, all four children were in and out of their rooms, watching television and playing with new toys.
Billie walked into the kitchen and Chloe said, "Mommy I sick." The experienced mother of four glanced at the clock; 12:30, time for lunch. With one of her toddler twins resting on the bed in a nearby bedroom and another sitting quietly at the kitchen table she began making sandwiches. Chloe suddenly passed out at the table.
Lexie, the Lombardo's ten-year-old daughter called 9-1-1. Chloe went into convulsions. Billie found a half-spilled bottle of medicine and knew then that her other toddler who had been resting on the bed, was lethargic from also swallowing medicine. The terrified mother waited desperately for help to arrive. Firefighters and an ambulance arrived within minutes and transported the twins separately to Memorial Hospital.
(continued)
A Bitter Pill (continued)
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Friends quickly arrived to stay behind with Lexie and her 7-year-old sister, Lidia. In the hospital, Chloe's tiny body could no longer fight the poisonous medicine. What little strength she had left seemed to transfer to her twin brother, he miraculously survived the accident.
At 12:29 p.m., Dec. 29, Chloe Bella died.
The hospital nurses let her mother and grandmother give her a bath and wash the long chestnut curls of her hair. The other children got to hold her hand. For the next 14 hours extended family arrived to grieve their loss. "When I finally saw her she looked like a perfect angel," Lieutenant Lombardo said.
The day before the memorial service in their Cleveland, Oh., hometown, the family viewed her tiny body in the coffin. Peering into her open casket her twin brother said "Coco's sleeping."
The priest who, several years earlier, baptized the twins presided over Chloe's funeral.
The family also held a local memorial service at the Peterson chapel. The responding fire and rescue crews came as well as Chloe's nurses from the hospital. The nurses gave Lieutenant Lombardo a handmade paper box that contained a perfect replica of his daughter's hand they had made from a plaster mold while preparing Chloe's body for burial.
Memorial Day kicked off the "101 Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign. Children will be home for the summer, and more household accidents may occur. The Lombardo's want to share their story to help others avoid the heart breaking loss they experienced.
"This happens every day in America," Lieutenant Lombardo said. "They tell you to keep medicine out of reach of your children, but really, it needs to be locked up. Now, my son
has to grow up without his best friend, his twin sister," he said.
According to the American Association of Poison Control, poison centers handle an average of one poison exposure every 14 seconds, totaling more than 2 million exposures in the United States annually. The association reports that most poisonings involve everyday household items such as medicine, cleaning supplies, cosmetics and personal care items.
Mrs. Lombardo has found strength in sharing her message of securing household poisons. Standing in front of a locked wall cabinet filled with all of their household cleaners and medicine she explained "I tell people I don't even know they need to lock up their medicine. Kids are curious."
"Through the story of her death, Chloe is saving the lives of of other children"
At 12:29 p.m., Dec. 29, Chloe Bella died.
The hospital nurses let her mother and grandmother give her a bath and wash the long chestnut curls of her hair. The other children got to hold her hand. For the next 14 hours extended family arrived to grieve their loss. "When I finally saw her she looked like a perfect angel," Lieutenant Lombardo said.
The day before the memorial service in their Cleveland, Oh., hometown, the family viewed her tiny body in the coffin. Peering into her open casket her twin brother said "Coco's sleeping."
The priest who, several years earlier, baptized the twins presided over Chloe's funeral.
The family also held a local memorial service at the Peterson chapel. The responding fire and rescue crews came as well as Chloe's nurses from the hospital. The nurses gave Lieutenant Lombardo a handmade paper box that contained a perfect replica of his daughter's hand they had made from a plaster mold while preparing Chloe's body for burial.
Memorial Day kicked off the "101 Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign. Children will be home for the summer, and more household accidents may occur. The Lombardo's want to share their story to help others avoid the heart breaking loss they experienced.
"This happens every day in America," Lieutenant Lombardo said. "They tell you to keep medicine out of reach of your children, but really, it needs to be locked up. Now, my son
has to grow up without his best friend, his twin sister," he said.
According to the American Association of Poison Control, poison centers handle an average of one poison exposure every 14 seconds, totaling more than 2 million exposures in the United States annually. The association reports that most poisonings involve everyday household items such as medicine, cleaning supplies, cosmetics and personal care items.
Mrs. Lombardo has found strength in sharing her message of securing household poisons. Standing in front of a locked wall cabinet filled with all of their household cleaners and medicine she explained "I tell people I don't even know they need to lock up their medicine. Kids are curious."
"Through the story of her death, Chloe is saving the lives of of other children"
Poison Control Center Links
Here are links and phone numbers to several poison control centers.
- APCA - Animal Poison Control Center
- Best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hotline number is 1-888-426-4435.
- National Capitol Poison Control Center
- Good site for more information on preventing accidental poisoning.
- Alabama Poison Center
- 1-800-462-0800
- Alaska
- Serviced by the Oregon Poison Control Center
- Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center
- 1-800-222-1222
- Arkansas
- 1-800-376-4766 (1800-3POISON) and 501-686-6161
- California Poison Control System
- 1-800-876-4766 (1-800-8 POISON)
- Colorado (Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center)
- 1-800-222-1222
Deaf Access/TTY: 1-303-739-1127 - Connecticut Poison Control
- In a poison emergency, call 1-800-222-1222.
Hearing impaired, call 1-866-218-5372. - Delaware
- Served by The Children's Hospital of Philadephia
- Florida Poison Control Network
- Links to Florida's Poison Control Network
- Georgia Poison Center
- In Metro-Atlanta: 404-616-9000
Outside Metro-Atlanta: 1-800-222-1222
Teletype for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired ONLY: 404-616-9287 (TDD)
My Favorite Safe and Natural Personal Care Products
- Hair and Body Shampoo
- Leaves your skin and hair feeling silky clean. Conditions as it cleanses for tangle-free hair.
- Hand Soap
- A super-concentrated hand and body soap gentle enough for babies and safe for most skin types.
- Pet Shampoo
- Here's something for your pet. This all-natural, tearless and enriched pet formula helps relieve itching and dry, flaky skin. Conditions and moisturizes, leaving your pet's coat silky, smooth and shiny.
Sources for more information on the hazards of household cleaners
Books from Amazon discussing more on the hazards of everyday household cleaners.
Toxics A to Z: A Guide to Everyday Pollution Hazards
Amazon Price: $27.16 (as of 09/08/2008)
List Price: $31.95
Living healthy in a toxic world: simple steps to p
Amazon Price: (as of 09/08/2008)
List Price: $12.95
