The start of the New Year usually heralds a time of intense cleaning and purging for many. But with the holidays just over, you may be wondering where to start… Here is a two-for-one deal that you should not pass up. Cleaning out some of the below items from your bathroom cupboard will not only help you clear out space, but also help you be healthier overall. Read on!
- Toss the baby powder!
In a lawsuit over baby powder, a St. Louis jury awarded a woman with over $70 million. The plaintiff’s case was just one of many cases where talcum has been shown to increase the risk of ovarian cancer in women. There are other safer alternatives to Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder. So go ahead and throw this out, and replace it with Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder. Or try California Baby Non-Talc Calming Powder or Avalon Organics Cornstarch Baby Powder. All of which are talc-free.
- Check on Your Toothbrush Turnover
How old is your toothbrush? If you can’t remember the last time you replaced it, now is the time. Toothbrushes have a definite shelf life of about 3 months. After which, its bristles become ineffective at keeping your teeth clean. If you are someone who has difficulty remember what you bought yesterday, much less the age of your toothbrush, here is an idea for you. Next time you buy a toothbrush, add a sticker to the handle with the date of when you bought it. Or create a tri-monthly shopping list. And make it habitual that January, April, July, and October are toothbrush replacement months. Easy, right?
- Make Friends with Natural Air Fresheners
The smell is nice, sure. But inhaling a deep breath of chemicals? Not so much. Air fresheners often contain harmful chemicals, for instance 2 5-dichlorophenol. Chemicals that have been linked to breast cancer, early onset of puberty, and other conditions. Go for natural air fresheners instead. Try a diffusion of essential oils. For example, one drop of lavender in a spray bottle filled with water. Shake and use as you would other fresheners of the chemical variety. You will get great results, with none of the risk.
- Can the Commercial Cleaning Sprays
Commercial cleaning sprays have the same problems as the air fresheners mentioned previously. First, there are the surface irritations, such as irritation of the eyes or throat, as well as mild headaches. On a deeper level, however, some chemical based cleaning supplies can cause more severe illnesses.
There are plenty of safer alternatives, however. Here’s a list to get you started on cleaning your house using natural alternatives.
- Lemon juice
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Liquid castile soap
- Organic essential oils
Or, if you still want to buy something with industrial strength cleaning power, look for the Safer Choice label when shopping. This label was created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. And cleaning products with this label are deemed safe for you and the environment.
- Hair Relaxers Not So Relaxing Afterall
Heard of that lawsuit against L’Oréal Optimum Amla Legend No-Mix, No-Lye Relaxer? The product had promised a fuller head of silky hair. What it delivered was breakage, hair loss, scalp irritation, blisters, and burns. And it wasn’t just one instance. There are over 100,000 cases of women who claim L’Oréal’s hair relaxer caused hair loss. The moral of this story is more to do with going natural than shunning a certain product. Even though beauty companies do have a process of testing products, things fall through the cracks. And certain problems only come to light after the product has hit the market. Natural alternatives are really the safest for those who find stories like this worrisome.
Clear out your bathroom cupboard of these potentially risky products for a healthier home in 2017.
clear all these dirty things