April is Earth Day, officially April 22nd, but let’s start honoring and celebrating the earth and your health right now.
You might be asking “what does my health have to do with honoring Mother Earth?!” Let’s zoom into your home. Did you know your home can be one of the most toxic places?
Home Toxicities
The home contains two to five times the pollution compared to outdoor air pollution! Given this information determined in a 1986 Harvard University study, I encourage you to clean up your home environment.
Having your home be somewhere to rest, restore, and relax – a sanctuary – not a toxic environment, is foundational for a healthy life and earth.
Let’s take a look at what’s causing this increased level of pollution.
A large part is due to modern home construction using more efficient insulation, weather-stripping, and caulking. These products make the home less drafty and unable to “breathe” fresh air, resulting in toxic chemicals lingering in the home.
In addition, the average home generates 25 pounds of toxic waste per year through a combination of cleansers, pesticides, automotive products, and other miscellaneous waste.
- Many chemical cleaning products contain ingredients known to cause human health or environmental problems.
- Chemical cleaning manufacturers are under NO legal obligation to determine the health effects of their products.
THE GOOD NEWS
The majority of these products can be switched to non-toxic alternatives!
Taking the time to clean up your home environment will make a significant impact on the health of you and your family as well as Mother Earth. If you have toxic products to dispose of please contact your waste management company to determine the best option.
When switching over to earth-friendly, non-toxic products consider these areas:
- Cookware & kitchen products
- Household cleaning products
- Yard & garden products
- Personal care and makeup products
