What about?

I said in my last post that this post would be about parabens; however, I wanted to post some thoughts and observations quickly tonight. A paraben post is coming soon, I promise. Okay,so my observations:

• Have you noticed in the malls any of those nail salons?  Have you noticed that the employees wear face masks?!  If the fumes are bad, why don't they hand the masks out to the customers, too?  Do they offer them? I wonder... 
• I know of a person that has a child with a peanut allergy.  He even reacted one time because he was riding in the shopping cart and holding onto the  handle.  A previous cart user had touched peanuts and then the handle.  Now that's another reason to wipe off your cart handle!
• If people are allergic to latex, I wonder how many businesses hand out or use latex-free pens on their counters?  I've seen some packaged and sold at the local office supply store, so that got me to thinking.  Think about the banks and restaurants where you may be likely to use the business' pen.  That would be an easy and considerate change we could all do.  And think about all the free pens we give away for marketing purposes!
• How many people have small first-aid kits in their offices - you know the small ones with a few adhesive bandages and wipes?  How many people have latex-free kits?  Now, presumable a person with such an allergy would know not to accept a bandage, but what do they do it they really need one?  Where is one to be found? 
• What kind of cleaners do you use in your office?  Are they strong industrial cleaners?  Are they really needed?  How many people off the street come into your business each day?  Could they be having a reaction and you not know it?  Are the employees having to endure toxic chemicals for over 40 hours a week? Can a few of those cleaners be changed to healthier cleaners?  Are we creating sick building syndrome by trying to kills germs to stay healthy?  Makes me appreciate my office window!
• I know a person that will have an asthma attack after a mechanic has driven his car.  You know that smell when you get back into your car after a mechanic has been in it?  Not so good for some people.  I haven't figured out an alternative for that one.  

Just some thoughts.  What have you noticed?

Go Green for Better Health

Being green is better for your health. In Sara Snow's Fresh Living, Snow explains:

In 1995 the National Toxicology Program tested four hundred of the eighty thousand different chemical compounds currently in use for carcinogenicity. Based on results, researchers estimated that somewhere between four and eight thousand chemicals currently in use are likely to trigger cancer. Another study found that women who work in the home have a 55 percent higher risk of developing cancer or other chronic respiratory disease than those who work outside of the home.” [bold added]

They say our indoor air is much worse than the air outside. They aren't kidding!

A friend told me about a story she saw on he Veria television station. A young woman was sick until the age of 18. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong with her. Her mom kept the house clean from germs, what could be the problem after all the serious problems were ruled out? The girl went off to college and was the healthiest she had ever been. She graduated college, got an apartment of her own, and started her new, exciting life. Except she started getting sick again. This time, they were finally able to figure out what was wrong. When the young woman moved into her own apartment, she started cleaning like her mom had. The cleaners were making her sick.

Now, I'm a fan of a clean home! When I was in college my roommates would tease me because I was always vacuuming. (I would argue that they just never wiped their feet!) Anyway, what are some easy things to do and products to use to keep that clean home but that does not add to the toxicity levels in your home? Take your shoes off at the door... especially if you have your yard treated! Do you really want to track in all those petroleum products onto your floors where the kids play, toys go into mouths, and pets roam? I admit, I like really warm feet, so I'm not really good at this in the winter time if I don't have slippers handy.

Castille soap, vinegar, and tea tree oil can clean just about anything, I'm learning. This will also save you money, because a little of these items goes a long way. I think everyone has heard about vinegar to clean windows and the shower head. A few drops of Castille soap and tea tree oil in a spray bottle can be used to clean counters, door knobs etc. I've used it to dust, too. If you want specific recipes, I can direct you to those.