Why “It’s No Big Deal” Doesn't Cut It Anymore – Common Household Toxins and Safeguarding Your Babies From Them

Research has shown that toxins in homes are not only abundant, but also are “*bio-accumulative” and because the substances are carried by various products that are commonly found in the home, it makes exposure to them much more hazardous and harmful to our health at a faster rate. 

Babies, Pets and Children alike will be more prone to exposure to such harmful chemicals, as their body sizes are smaller than an adult human. Thus the labeling “keep out of reach of children” is more significant than any of us may realize, as it doesn't imply a child has to consume something for it to be harmful to him! Even just the amount of aerial contamination after we've cleaned our homes from top to bottom with common household bought brands, is a significant source of concern for all of us! And the surface contaminants on tables, chairs, counter-tops, floors and carpets can be overwhelming control.

Not only cleaning agents, but external and contaminants that already exist in our home, such as lead based paint and stale inside room air can contribute to the daily dose of exposure. 

     Keeping this in mind, and without trying to panic, I've started to think more with the consequences of how the chemicals I use affect our general health, and how to reduce their use inside our home.
Here are some simple tips to reduce your home toxicity that I've found to be helpful.

• Take off and leave shoes that you wear outside and leave them by the door and wear inside shoes in the home only. This reduces a large amount of pollutants being walked into your home, including one of the most dangerous ones- lead. Ask visitors to do the same.

• Open your windows or skylights at least once a day to allow fresh air to flow through your house.
• 
  

• Reduce the amount of harsh bleaching agents in your home by using simple less harmful chemicals to aide you in your cleaning, using white distilled vinegar with hot water, lifts grime and stuck food off the floor. I then mop floors once again with my favorite natural floor cleaner. 

• Use baking soda and hot water to remove even really stuck grease from counters, stove top and pots and pans. 

These are just some of the simplest things that come to mind, but hopefully they will send you on a search for more toxic free solutions.

*   *Something which causes bioaccumulation- or accumulation of a substance in the organism. See Bioaccumulation.

     **Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost.