Here are some steps that will help protect you and your family during this cold and flu season:
Opening a window in your home. During the winter, the windows are usually kept closed to keep warm and save energy, but this also keeps immunotoxicants trapped inside your home. Opening a window occasionally will let toxic fumes out and fresh air in.
Avoid spraying disinfectants. It is very common to reach for a disinfectant to kill cold germs and flu viruses, but disinfectants only make things worse. Disinfectants contain the immunotoxicants cresol, phenol, ethanol, and formaldehyde, which reduce the ability of the immune system to fight the germs they are killing. To kill germs, try using hot water or tea tree oil.
Opt for water-based markers. Permanent ink markers contain contain the solvents cresol, toluene and xylene, which are all powerful immunotoxicants.
Opt for water-based markers, soy crayons, or colored pencils instead.
Avoid non-stick cookware. Questions have been raised about the safety of non-stick cookware, mostly because of environmental concerns about perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)—also known as C-8—a chemical used to bond the nonstick coating to the pan.
Try using cast iron, porcelain enamel, glass, clay, or one of the new PFOA-free “green pans” instead.
Use untreated cotton or linen sheets. All polyester/cotton and permanent-press cotton sheets are treated with a formaldehyde finish which cannot be washed out. Common symptoms from this immunotoxicant include runny nose, itchy eyes, and other cold and flu symptoms.
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com. For more information on “Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer”, please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.
