See my post on the Top 10 Killer Household Chemicals to learn more about keeping toxins out of your home. Go through your home and gather up all the toxic cleaners, bug sprays, etc and dispose of properly. You cannot throw these in the regular trash. You will have to call your local sanitation department and ask them where to take them so they are disposed of properly. Most cities have a location where you can drop them off. I suggest gathering them all so you only have to make one trip.

The International Association for Research on Cancer classifies PERC as a probable carcinogen. Every time you bring dry cleaning home or wear anything that is dry cleaned you are getting a healthy dose of PERC. Personally, for a number of years I did not dry clean anything or buy anything that needed to be dry-cleaned. I just started washing everything that said dry clean only (other than coats or jackets which do not really need cleaning very often) and not one thing got ruined. Recently, I found dry-cleaners that uses eco-friendly solutions and uses a process called “wet-cleaning.” If you live in San Antonio the name of the dry cleaners is Clothesline and they have numerous locations. Not only does wet cleaning not use perc it uses less energy and the machines cost less than traditional PERC machines and the cleaner does not have to have toxic waste hauled away. PERC has been banned in California and hopefully will be banned entirely some day. If you do not live in San Antonio then do a search in your area for green dry cleaners and ask them if they use the “wet-clean” method. Just type in green dry cleaners and your city under search or keyword on your computer and hopefully you can find one near you. If not, let your local dry cleaner know that you won’t be dry cleaning anymore and why.

There is also something called the “Teflon flu” where after inhaling these particles the person gets flu like symptoms such as headache, chills, backache and a temperature between 100 and 104 degrees. It is temporary. Anyone with birds know that you cannot keep birds anywhere near the kitchen if you cook with non-stick because if they inhale these particles it is fatal to them. In light of all this, I have made a choice to not cook with non-stick pots and pans.

There are several good pans that do not have this coating. The one’s that I use now are called Green Pans from Thermolon and you can order them off of  www.hsn.com  I like them because they are a certified “green” product from the way they are manufactured to cooking with them. You can also buy Green Pan from Thermolon at Target. I have the set that first came out and I have had a few problems like after a while things started sticking. They say to not use non-stick spray and I think this happened (I have several persons in/at my household besides myself who use the pans). Also, they cook much faster and you do not need to use high heat and I think that this also happened.

I found another set of green cookware at  www.mercola.com  and I just ordered it. It is a ceramic material (much like the coating on the Green Pans) that is not supposed to leach anything into food. They have frying pans, pots and bakeware. You have to be a little bit more careful with it because even though it won’t crack or break from high temperatures it can break if dropped.

Apparently even stainless steel can have problems with things like nickel leaching into food. Even if you do not have concerns about Teflon, if you are going to buy pans then buy pans that are safer for our environment. By the way, Dupont plans to phase out Teflon by 2015 since the chemicals used to manufacture it are highly toxic to the employees of their plants and to the environment. The workers in the plant in Virginia have had major health problems and children with deformities. It is funny how they keep telling us it is safe but yet plans to discontinue making Teflon.

TOP TEN DEADLY HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

AIR FRESHENERS: Most air fresheners interfere with your ability to smell by coating your nasal passages with an oil film, or by releasing a nerve deadening agent. Known toxic chemicals found in an air freshener: Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen. Phenol: When phenol touches your skin it can cause it to swell, burn, peel, and break out in hives. Can cause cold sweats, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma and even death.

AMMONIA: This is a very volatile chemical, it is very damaging to your eyes, respiratory tract and skin.

BLEACH: It is a strong corrosive. It will irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. It may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested. WARNING: never mix bleach with ammonia it may cause fumes which can be DEADLY. Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), available alone and in detergents and other products, is toxic to fish and can bind with organic compounds in water to form organochlorines, which break down slowly in the environment and accumulate in the fatty tissues of wildlife. Chlorine is especially toxic to organisms that live in water and soil.

CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOO: Most formulas are designed to over power the stain itself, they accomplish the task but not without using highly toxic substances. Some include: Perchlorethylene: Known carcinogen that damages liver, kidney and nervous system damage. Ammonium Hydroxide: Corrosive, extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages.

Dishwasher Detergents: Most products contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated. # 1 cause of child poisonings, according to poison control centers.

DRAIN CLEANER: Most drain cleaners contain lye, hydrochloricacid or trichloroethane. Lye: Caustic, burns skin and eyes, if ingested will damage esophagus and stomach. Hydrochloric acid: Corrosive, eye and skin irritant, damages kidneys, liver and digestive tract. Trichloroethane: Eye and skin irritant, nervous system depressant; damages liver and kidneys.

FURNITURE POLISH: Petroleum Distillates: Highly flammable, can cause skin and lung cancer. Phenol: (see Air fresheners, Phenol.) Nitrobenzene: Easily absorbed through the skin,extremely toxic.

MOLD AND MILDEW CLEANERS: Chemicals contained are: Sodium hypochlorite: Corrosive, irritates or burns skin and eyes, causes fluid in the lungs which can lead to coma or death. Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen. Irritant to eyes, nose, throat, and skin. May cause nausea, headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, memory loss and shortness of breath.

OVEN CLEANER: Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): Caustic, strong irritant, burns both skin and eyes. Inhibits reflexes, will cause severe tissue damage if swallowed.

ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANERS: may contain: Triclosan: Absorption through the skin can be tied to liver damage.

LAUNDRY ROOM PRODUCTS: Sodium or calcium hypocrite: Highly corrosive, irritates or burns skin, eyes or respiratory tract. Linear alkylate sulfonate: Absorbed through the skin. Known liver damaging agent. Sodium Tripolyphosphate: Irritates skin and mucous membranes, causes vomiting. Easily absorbed through the skin from clothes.

TOILET BOWL CLEANERS: Hydrochloric acid: Highly corrosive, irritant to both skin and eyes. Damages kidneys and liver. Hypochlorite Bleach: Corrosive, irritates or burns eyes, skin and respiratory tract. May cause pulmonary edema, vomiting or coma if ingested. Contact with other chemicals may cause chlorine fumes which may be fatal.

OTHER NASTY THINGS THAT ARE AROUND YOUR HOME:

PESTICIDES: Most pesticides have ingredients that affect the nervous system of insects. Imagine what these extremely poisonous chemicals do to your body… or your baby's. Dimpylate: Better known as Diazinon, extremely toxic. Impairs the central nervous system. Chlorinate Hydrocarbons: Suspected carcinogen and mutantagen. Accumulates in food and in fatty tissue. Will attack the nervous system. Organophosphates: Toxic and poisonous. If you can smell it, your lungs are absorbing it.

FLEA POWDERS: Why put toxins on "man's (or woman's) best friend." Carbaryl: Very toxic, causes skin, respiratory and cardiovascular system damage. Chlordane: Accumulates in the food chain, may damage eyes, lungs, liver, kidney and skin. Dichlorophene: Skin irritation: May damage liver, kidney, spleen and central nervous system.

LICE SHAMPOO: Especially vulnerable are children. Lindane: Inhalation, ingestion, or ABSORPTION through the SKINcauses vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and circulatory collapse. May cause liver damage, stillbirths, birth defects and cancer.

CAR WASH AND POLISH: Petroleum Distillates: Associated with skin and lung cancer, irritant to skin, eyes, nose and lungs. Entry into the lungs may cause fatal pulmonary edema, most marked Danger, Harmful or Fatal.

TAR AND BUG REMOVER: Contains XYLENE and PETROLEUM DISTILLATES. Xylene affects the central nervous system.

  If you are not familiar with any of this, do not go in to overwhelm. Even if you just start replacing one product at a time with something more natural, you are on the road to getting toxins out of your home. Going green can take some time. “Going Green" is a phrase referring to the pursuit of knowledge and practices that lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, thus helping protect the environment and sustaining its natural resources. I would not try to memorize all the chemicals listed above, or try and check labels for these ingredients.

Just start out with taking a general category such as laundry detergent and then chose a laundry detergent from one of the brands I have recommended. Laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent are the first two things I would replace with a more natural and eco-friendly brand. Phosphates, found in dishwasher and laundry detergents, cause algae bloom, which kills fish and aquatic plants, and produces chemicals that are toxic to animals and people who drink the water.

I would also get rid of all air fresheners including scented candles since these are a major source of irritants. Brands like Seventh Generation, Ecover, Sun and Earth and Mia Rose can be trusted. There are a lot of brands that claim to be natural, but they really aren't. Seventh generation products can be found at most chain grocery stores. If you really want to go green and cheap, you can use distilled white vinegar for just about anything. You can go to  www.vinegartips.com  and see their list of 1001 uses for distilled white vinegar. By eliminating toxic household products and eating certain organic fruits and vegetables (see my list of the top 10 foods that you should always buy organic) you can significantly reduce the amount of harmful toxins that you are exposed to without having to go to extremes.