One of the most frequently asked questions regarding the effects of cleaning is whether cleaning products kill germs, or in what extent micro-organisms can be aniquilated by these products. The misconception comes from the amount of disinformation arriving to us by a variety of media.

Even some cleaning products advertising claim that the products kill bacteria, or germs, or whatever. By doing a quick research on the Internet I have found sentences like:

“Most soap will adequately kill germs” …. This concept is clearly WRONG!

The right sentence would be: Most soap will adequately remove germs. Soap isn’t designed to kill bacteria.

Disinfectants contain antimicrobial agents, such as pine oil, sodium hypochlorite, quaternary ammonium compounds or phenols, which kill bacteria and viruses on surfaces. A surface should be free of heavy soil for effective disinfection.

Disinfectant cleaners contain surfactants and builders to remove soil in addition to antimicrobial agents to kill germs. Therefore, they are effective at cleaning surfaces as well as killing germs. Label instructions must be followed to assure disinfectancy.

In order to make disinfectancy claims, disinfectant products must be tested for efficacy and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Disinfection: treatment to destroy harmful micro-organisms.

Disinfectant: An agent, such as heat, radiation, or a chemical, that destroys, neutralizes, or inhibits the growth of disease-carrying micro-organisms. Disinfection reduces the number of harmful bacteria to safe levels.

Cleaning: the act of making something clean. Cleaning means the removal of soil, food residue, dirt, greases and other unwanted materials. In order to clean properly, energy has to be applied in the form of heat energy (hot water or steam), chemical energy (detergents) or physical energy (manual labor). Usually a combination of two or more forms of energy is used.

Disinfectants do not have cleaning properties. It is necessary to clean items or surfaces before using disinfectants, mainly because disinfectants are inhibited and neutralized in the presence of organic substances. Even more, many people go wrong when cleaning as they do not carry out disinfection properly or they re-contaminate disinfected surfaces, for example by using dirty cloths to rinse.

Antibacterial cleaning products abound, from soaps and lotions to kitchen and bathroom cleaners. A recent survey has shown that more than 75% of all liquid hand soaps and nearly 30% of bar soaps for sale nationally contain antibacterial agents. This may seem like good news, but recent research has suggested that some antibacterial agents contained in soaps may facilitate the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Not all products are equal. Some products contain an actual antibiotic, while other products such as household cleaners contain chemicals, most often bleach or quaternary ammonium compounds that kill bacteria but don’t necessarily select for multi-resistant germs.

Reading the product label to determine the active ingredient will give you an idea of the directions and of the safety precautions as well. While most people may guess that “active ingredients” are the things that make the product do its job, like killing germs or weeds or disinfecting surfaces, have you ever wondered what “inert” or “other ingredients” are? They aren’t just water, and they don’t just sit there and do nothing. They may include solvents that dissolve other additives; emulsifiers, which keep other ingredients suspended in a liquid so that they will apply evenly; fragrances and perfumes, to make them smell more attractive; and a host of other things, like surfactants and detergents, designed to make the product stay where you put it and work better when it is applied.

Those “other ingredients” can be part of the reason that a product carries a signal word to encourage you to use it with care, and some of the first aid or precautionary language may be there to help prevent those ingredients from contributing to risk of injury or damage.

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I have a client with fibromyalgia who mentioned to me one day that she felt she was full of poison. I think her intuition was probably right on!

This can be one of the keys to your fibromyalgia and to your recovery. The personal care products you use, the cleaning products you try, the air pollution you breathe, the chemicals you drink: all of these are literally bombarding your body with foreign toxins from every direction, all the time.
These chemicals do not go away. They don’t biodegrade. They just accumulate.

You know that pollution in the air goes into our lungs. Every time you are using a cleaning product that smells very strongly, you are breathing those fumes (chemicals) into your lungs. And what happens when you breathe something into your lungs? It gets pulled into your bloodstream the same way inhaling a cigarette will transfer nicotine into your bloodstream.
I’m sure you are aware of how a person’s skin absorbs the nicotine from a patch. Many more drugs are being administered this way these days. This is because anything that touches your skin is going to be absorbed into your body at some level, whether it’s the laundry detergent and dryer sheets you are using or the make-up and lotion you apply. Any toxins that touch your skin will be absorbed into your body, effectively putting a strain on your immune system to get rid of these toxins.

People assume that cleaning products have been tested, and people believe that they are safe. This is not the case! A great resource is the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) which allows you to look up your personal care products and find out their level of safety or toxicity.
What happens if your immune system is fighting off toxins all the time? It can’t put attention to fighting off other things like viruses. What happens if all of your nutrients go to help the immune system fight off toxins? There are no nutrients left to build healthy cells.

Look at choosing healthier cleaning and personal care products. Do you know where to find safer cleaning and personal care products? Do you have to give up quality in order to have safer cleaning and personal care products? Do you have to make a special trip to the store?

Not at all. I use cleaning products that are very effective, while none of the smells from them bother me. They are also shipped directly to my door and are so concentrated that they save me money, too. There are safe products available, so take the time to do the research and find those that are healthy alternatives to the products that are not supporting your health and are in fact, adding to the toxins your body must defend against, and thus, are preventing your all-important healing.

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6 Spring Cleaning Safety Tips for a Healthy Family

Playdate Kids need to live in safe and healthy homes. Here are some spring cleaning chores that you can do to keep your family safe and improve their health:

1. Change the batteries in your smoke detector and make sure you install a carbon monoxide detector if you haven’t already.

2. Dust your home thoroughly and always remember to clean or replace your air conditioning filters. This will decrease your family’s exposure to pollens among other dander and allergens. Also, remember to vacuum regularly.

3. Check your garage and other storage areas for paint, thinners and other forms of “toxic” products that are dangerous to have around your home. Find a waste drop-off center near your home. Do not throw these toxic materials in your trash can.

4. Organize your medicine cabinets. Throw away any expired medications (some say you can be safe as long as they are not over 3 months old) and old prescription medications that are no longer needed. This will lessen the chances of you or your children taking something they shouldn’t and you will also gain more space for new products and medications.

5. Clean all mold and mildew with non-toxic cleaning products. Mold and mildew are very harmful to your health.

6. Assess the products under your sinks and cabinets for expired or toxic cleaning products. They are harmful and dangerous– dispose of anything that is unsafe for your children and family.

Visit Playdate Kids Publishing at: www.theplaydatekids.com.

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Most people may find it very difficult to clean their house after a long winter time. Generally, a major cleaning session is time consuming and stressful. To minimize problems, follow some of these household cleaning tips to make the most of your time.

1. Never become a scavenger. Unused things like old, worn out clothes must be removed. Usually, people are keeping it because of the thought of using it in the future. But this is not a good idea unless they have a specialized database or tracking system that can list down each item that they possess. It is advisable to sell it on garage sale or just donate them. Besides earning money, somebody may be able to use it.

2. Top to bottom cleaning process. It’s good to begin cleaning the topmost areas of the house before proceeding downwards. You can start from the ceiling, walls, windows, and floors before dusting off sofas and other furniture. Simultaneous cleaning can be done if many people are doing the job. Never forget to do the final sweeping or vacuum the floors and furniture as the final touch.

3. Family involvement. Remember that other members of the family can help you. Cleaning can be fun if there are others involved. However, if you prefer to do it alone, then you need to expect that the chores can really stress you out and take some time.

4. Chores assignment. Designate specific chores to every person who will join you in cleaning the house. It is much better if you would individually ask them about what they like to do. It includes cleaning the floors, washing the dishes, tending the garden, cleaning the windows, organizing the garage, and others.

5. Avail of commercial or contract cleaning services. There are many companies which offer their services to domestic clients. Professional cleaners can do the job faster because they already know how to operate the cleaning equipments and use various cleaning products.

These household cleaning tips are simple and easy but it can make a big difference. After all, the house is one of the most important investments most people have. So, cleaning and maintaining it really matters a lot.

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