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4 Things You Should Avoid Bringing Into Your Home


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4 Things You Should Avoid Bringing Into Your Home

These Common Items May Be Doing More Harm Than Good

Home is where the heart is, and it’s important to keep our homes clean and safe for our loved ones.

But according to one report, indoor air in homes can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air!

With how much time we spend indoors, it’s important to monitor the chemicals and pollutants we bring into our homes on a regular basis.

Here are a few commonly used products that you should avoid bringing into your home in order to keep your family safe from toxic chemicals.

fresh1. Air Fresheners
No one enjoys a stinky home, but air fresheners may not be the solution you need to remove bad odors. Many air fresheners use harmful chemicals to simply mask smells instead of actually removing them.

According to the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council), some of the dangerous ingredients that are commonly found in air fresheners include everything from allergens to hormone-disrupting phthalates and cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde.

Rather than exposing your family to these chemicals, try a more natural alternative like cleaning with baking soda and using natural essential oils to keep your home smelling more fragrant!

soap2. Antibacterial Soap
Throughout the day, your hands can quickly get dirty and unsanitary, and it seems natural to wash them with antibacterial soap to remove lingering germs.

Unfortunately, one of the most common ingredients in many antibacterial cleansers—triclosan—may alter hormone regulation, creating other health risks such as infertility and obesity.

So, what’s the best way to wash your hands? It turns out that the classic combination of regular soap and water could be sufficient for cleaning your hands. According to one report, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) has found no evidence that washing with antibacterial soap containing triclosan is any more effective than using regular soap.

bleach3. Chlorine Bleach
If your wardrobe contains white clothing, it may be tempting to reach for the bleach to keep your clothes bright and clean. But just because chlorine bleach can be found in nearly every supermarket doesn’t mean that it’s the safest choice.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) exposure to chlorine may cause symptoms such as blurred vision, burning sensations in the nose, throat and eyes, coughing, breathing difficulties and nausea.

To keep your family safe from unnecessary exposure to bleach, try these 7 bleach alternatives that will keep your clothing their brightest and whitest!

oven4. Oven Cleaner
After a few uses, your oven can get pretty mucked up with baked-on food residue. But if you think chemical oven cleaners are the perfect solution, you may want to reconsider.

According to the Natural Institutes of Health, many oven cleaners are filled with corrosive chemicals that can lead to health issues such as breathing difficulties, skin irritation, vision loss, abdominal pain and even severe organ damage for those who are exposed to them.

If you have a dirty oven to clean, don’t risk it! Try this natural cleaning method to help you avoid and protect your family from toxic chemicals!

Can you think of any other products you try to avoid bringing into your home? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the Comment section below!

Resources:

Greenguard Certification: Indoor Air Quality
Treehugger: 8 Things to Never Bring Into Your Home
NRDC: Toxic Air Fresheners?
Consumer Reports: 5 Reasons to Skip Antibacterial Soap and It´s Risks
CDC: Facts about Chlorine
Moms – 7 Bleach Alternatives That Whiten Laundry
Mother Nature Network: Lemon Juice, Salt and the Sun Work Together to Fight Stains
Medline Plus: Oven Cleaner Poisoning
Mother Nature Network: How to Clean an Oven Naturally

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Brittany
Brittany
8 years ago

Also the cleaners ppl use for cleaning bathrooms. They are not good for environment. More reasons to stick with Norwex Products!!!!!

Moderator
Admin
Moderator
8 years ago
Reply to  Brittany

Good point, Brittany! Typical bathroom cleaners can contain toxic ingredients like phthalates, triclosan and petroleum-based fragrances that are linked to health issues including everything from allergies to severe respiratory problems.

Hope Beach
Hope Beach
8 years ago

No to all 4! I’m so thankful for Norwex so I am not harming myself or my family anymore with these products. My kids keep a few around but for the most part, just about everything is gone from my home!!

Linda Grunberg
Linda Grunberg
8 years ago

I’m sharing these posts on Facebook. If one person changes than it will have been worth it.

Amy Hepfner
Amy Hepfner
8 years ago

I love this post…there are a lot more than 4 things that should never come into your home but these 4 are big ones!! I love sharing these with friends and family over social media too. Thanks so much!

Rebekah Parks
Rebekah Parks
8 years ago

YIKES!!

Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones
8 years ago

Sharing! Thankfully I don’t use store bought oven cleaners and hardly ever use bleach, small footsteps

Leslie Martinez
Leslie Martinez
8 years ago

I just love that Norwex has a solution to all these bad chemical products that are harmful to our health. Get your “clean” on while being “green” with Norwex! 🙂

Louise Page
Louise Page
8 years ago

My mom and I were cleaning an oven once and had to leave the house and come back the chemicals were so bad and we couldn’t stop coughing. Thank you Norwex for the answer I love your oven cleaner.

Leah Rissien
Leah Rissien
8 years ago

I definitely stay away from these four. I would add a fifth one: Dryer sheets/fabric softener. Now I use wool dryer balls; they keep my clothes soft AND reduce dry time!

Moderator
Admin
Moderator
8 years ago

Good point, Leah. Scented laundry products often contain fragrances that include dozens of toxic chemicals like phthalates, a known hormone disruptor.

Beverly Cadiente
Beverly Cadiente
8 years ago

Exactly why I use chemicals to a minimum in my house, very hazardous to our health and the planet! I shared this so my friends will start thinking more about switching to Norwex for safer alternatives! Thanks!

Lorie Ann Aldrich
Lorie Ann Aldrich
8 years ago

It is challenging to reprogram peoples thoughts about cleaning. Theses chemical do so much damage. Green IS the new Black….pass it on 🙂

Hope Beach
Hope Beach
8 years ago

Ugh…scented anything!! Since starting with Norwex and my Doterra essential oils, I can’t even handle smelling any chemical products!

Kristie Zemlicka
Kristie Zemlicka
7 years ago

Ugh! I hate that Clorox commercial in which the actress touts, “I know what clean smells like.” (Insinuating clean smells like bleach.) I want to scream at the TV “Clean doesn’t have a smell, Lady!” And those air fresheners?! Every time I smell that fake stuff, I wonder what smell some one is trying to hide! I am so sensitive to smells I can’t even be in the next room when some one sprays the stuff without sneezing.

Sharon Campese
Sharon Campese
7 years ago

So happy I found Norwex. I feel so much better with the lack of chemical use in my home. Making a difference one home at a time.

Leigh-Ann Ross
Leigh-Ann Ross
6 years ago

I can absolutely avoid these products- SO thankful for the smarter and healthier solutions that Norwex has introduced me too!

Gingi Freeman
Gingi Freeman
6 years ago

Excited to give my oven cleaner the boot and try the Norwex product!

Kim Metzger
Kim Metzger
6 years ago

I don’t use the dry cleaners anymore. That ‘dry cleaner fresh scent’ is everything but clean. Most of the clothes with a label saying dry clean only can me washed. It takes some research on the fabric content, but I haven’t had a problem yet.

Dawn
Dawn
6 years ago

Wow I had no idea about the antibacterial hand soap

Anne Birch
Anne Birch
5 years ago

Just about anything in an aerosol can, such as pledge dusting spray.

Angela Casstevens
Angela Casstevens
3 years ago

Toilet Bowl cleaner is the worst!