One of the most prevalent trends in consumer wellness right now revolves around educating homeowners about the potentially harmful or even toxic ingredients in the products that they are purchasing and using on a daily basis in their homes.
Consumer advocacy groups continue to expose products which may be using, shall we say, less than ideal ingredients.
The onus is now falling on the average consumer to go above and beyond to educate themselves on the healthiest, safest products to purchase for use in their homes, by their families.
The unfortunate reality is that the average homeowner with a family simply does not have the time to keep up with these consumer reports and probably remains utterly unaware that some of the products they are using every single day, including ones advertised as “healthy”, are actually anything but.
In today’s article, I will put the spotlight on two specific classes of homecare products that contain ingredients that you can live without despite being marketed while also proposing safer alternatives.
- Anti-Bacterial Hand Soaps & Dishwashing Liquids
In a congested space like cleaning products, companies will do whatever it takes to help separate their products from the competition.
Unfortunately this sometimes leads to practices that do more harm than good.
You may have heard about the concerns over the excessive use of antibiotics in the general population and how it could contribute to “super bacteria” in the future.
Well, the unfortunate reality is that the antibacterial compounds sometimes added to soaps and dishwashing liquids are part of the problem.
They also happen to be bad for the environment.
The worst thing, however, is that you are paying more for a product is not really proven to be a more effective cleaning agent.
The Solution: There is no evidence to support the need for anti-bacterial compounds to be added to soaps and detergents, so your best bet is to scrap them all together.
If you want a healthier choice for you and your family, stick to products in this category with very minimalist ingredients list and use Purell instead for hand sanitizing purposes.
- Products With A Fragrance
Despite their delightful aroma, fragranced products (including homecare products like air fresheners) often contain one of a group of compounds known as Phthalates, which may pose some health risks with long-term exposure.
Phthalates, that’s a real mouthful isn’t it?
If a product says “fragrance” on the label, there is a reasonable likelihood it contains these compounds, which we may come in contact with either via inhalation ( as in air fresheners) or
As convenient as they may be those plug-in air fresheners (or even the aerosol sprays) that you may love are really doing nothing for the air quality of your home.
Yes, they temporarily mask the scent but ultimately subtract from air quality in the long-term.
You’d actually be doing your home’s air quality more of a service by leaving the fan on in washrooms after use instead ( click here to learn more about improving indoor air quality).
The Solution: Bypass fragranced products like air fresheners and soap in favour of essential oils, fragrance-free products or those labelled as “organic” or “all-natural”.
Take Home Message
Health in the home can be a complicated subject, but it doesn’t need to be.
Although companies don’t always make it easy on consumers with some of the products they release, here at eieihome.com we will always strive to help homeowners achieve the healthiest home possible.
Keeping today’s simple tips in mind is yet another small step that you can take towards that ideal.
