As a parent, it may feel like danger is lurking around every corner.
It's your primary job to keep your kids safe at all times and to make sure that they're happy and well-rounded to boot.
For many parents, it's shocking to find that common household products like detergent and cleaners could contain more toxins than manufacturers advertise.
Although you may be doing everything in your power to keep your kids safe, you could be exposing them to toxic levels of chemicals in countless over-the-counter products.
A recent report tested more than 20 household cleaners and revealed that a number of top-selling name brand products, including Tide and Simple Green, contained levels of toxic chemicals that weren't disclosed to customers.
Some chemicals were linked to birth defects, pregnancy complications, and even cancer.
The good news is that you can keep your family safe by becoming a savvy consumer.
Here are four ways to steer clear of toxic chemical use around the house: 1.
Limit your use of over-the-counter pesticides.
As any experienced Alabama pest control company will tell you, homeowners are likely to overuse and even abuse store-bought pesticide sprays.
Even though you may be using a pesticide spray for the simple purpose of killing a bug, it can leave harmful chemical residue in your house to affect young children and pets.
To control a bug problem indoors, it's best to contact a skilled exterminator who knows how to use the correct volumes of professional insecticide in a house.
2.
Research the products that you buy.
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, some name brand products don't disclose levels of toxic chemicals that could be harmful to customers.
Nonetheless, you can do your research to choose safer, non-toxic alternatives to chemical cleaning products that will be gentle and less damaging when used around the house.
In most cases, if a product contains words like "caution" or "warning" on the label, it is highly toxic and should be avoided.
3.
Use pump spray cleaners.
Although this may seem like a minor difference, using a pump spray cleaner instead of an aerosol cleaner will eliminate the release of unnecessary volatile organic compounds into the enclosed environment of your house.
In addition, pressurized aerosol cleaners and beauty products create a fine mist that is easy to inhale; pump spray products are best used around pets, young children, and the elderly.
4.
Clean with natural remedies.
Yes, you can achieve the same results when cleaning with common ingredients found in your kitchen instead of chemical cleaners.
In most cases, soap and water work well enough to remove bacteria from a surface.
You can also use an ingredient like baking soda to clean showers, sinks, and toilets.
Vegetable oil mixed with lemon juice works well to spruce up wood furniture.
Try to keep a mixture of vinegar and water in a pump spray bottle on hand to use instead of Windex for cleaning chrome and mirrors.
Having a supply of natural cleaning remedies will help to keep your house spic and span without compromising your family's health!