How to Do Chemical-Free Housekeeping

June 27th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Health Research

When the majority of us clean the house, we use a lot of different chemicals. Most of us have cleaning products like bleach and ammonia under our sinks and other products with chemicals we can’t even pronounce or know nothing about. While the chemical-filled cleaning products might do a good job of keeping our house clean, they might also be harming you and your family.

It is possible to get your house clean without using dangerous chemical. Chemical-free housekeeping can be done by using products with natural ingredients. This will allow you to have the clean house you want without exposing your family to danger. Here are few ideas:

  • Instead of using furniture polish, use a quality microfiber cloth that you can use, wash and use again. These are costlier than just making rags out of old clothes but are great for dusting and will leave your wood and other surfaces shiny, clean and dust free.
  • Use the power of steam. You can get your carpets and furniture clean and fresh smelling with a steam cleaner and it will be chemical-free. Other things that can be cleaned with a steam cleaner include wood floors and counters. You will have a damp but not wet surface when you use a steam cleaner so it will dry quickly.
  • A new technology you can use is UV-C devices that remove germs from your home by using ultraviolet light. There are vacuum cleaners, air cleaners and wands that use UV-C technology.
  • Instead of bleach, use hydrogen peroxide because it is as good at cleaning but less toxic. A little hydrogen peroxide in the wash will keep your whites white and even treat mold that may be in your home.
  • Always have baking soda handy. Baking soda is used in many recipes but it is also a good cleaning product. It can help you get out stains from clothing and other fabrics and keep odors away from fabric, carpet and more. Baking soda will help you get even the grimiest dishes sparkling clean and is great for scrubbing counter tops. You can add baking soda to your dishwasher or washer instead of regular detergents. The baking soda in your fridge that keeps it odor-free can later be used for cleaning.
  • Use vinegar to disinfect almost any surface in your home and get rid of mold and bacteria. Vinegar is great for keeping glass and mirrors sparkling clean and can be used along with baking soda to clear up clogs in your drains. Vinegar is also used to disinfect your dishwasher and clean things like coffee pots that are hard to get into.

It is going to end up saving you money and time in most cases if you do chemical-free housekeeping. While you pay upfront for technology like UV-C items and steam cleaners, you save money in the long run on the chemicals you no longer have to buy. You already have a kitchen with all the cleaning products you would ever need, you just don’t realize it. Chemical-free housekeeping is not as hard as it sounds.

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Dangerous Mercury and Lead in Electronics

June 26th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Health Research

There is so much new technology in our society that it is hard to keep track of and more are coming out every month. In the recent past, it was a big deal to have a color TV. Now the average home has several HDTVs, DVD players, computers and a few different gaming systems. Everyone wants to have the newest and most advanced technology so we end up disposing of our old electronics to make room for the new and improved ones.

It can be difficult to safely dispose of electronics. Usually people throw their old electronics in the trash can and they are taken to the landfill. This creates a dangerous situation. Electronics of all sizes are full of mercury and lead so putting them in the landfill can be dangerous to the environment.

Mercury is a very dangerous metal even in small doses. Exposure to large amounts can be fatal, and exposure to even small amounts of the chemical can lead to kidney damage, liver damage, immune system problems and damage to the nervous system. Pregnant women should never be exposed to mercury because it can harm the baby. There is mercury in many electronic parts including LCD displays, batteries, switches and circuit boards.

Lead, on the other hand, can cause problems with the development of a child’s brain. It is also linked to kidney damage, damage to the nervous system and reproductive problems. There is lead in most televisions and in many computer monitors. There can be up to 8 pounds of lead in a television or computer monitor. Circuit boards and batteries also contain lead but in smaller amounts.

How to Prevent Mercury and Lead from Getting Into Landfills

There is not likely going to be a decrease of electronics being thrown out for new, more advanced items anytime soon. That doesn’t mean we have to keep filling the landfills up with our old electronics. Many of the items otherwise thrown away can be reused or possibly recycled if they no longer work properly.

Instead of throwing out your old computer, you can simply upgrade your machine to include new technology. The problem is that not all computer manufacturers produce computers that are easily upgraded. Often, they make it hard to upgrade their machines so consumers will have to buy a new one. Consider this when you are thinking about getting a brand new computer and make sure your new machine is easily upgradable.

Your old electronics can be very useful at schools, churches and for the less fortunate. You can find many organizations and schools that are willing to take your old electronics to use in their facilities and you can get a tax write off for donating your old electronics. You are doing good for others and the environment because you are extending the life your electronics and keeping them out of landfills.

If you have electronics that are no longer any good, you should recycle them instead of throwing them in the trash. You may have to do a little searching to find a place that recycles electronics but it is worth it to protect the environment. Another option may be to return the equipment to the manufacturer if you were able to lease it instead of buy it.

The increased levels of mercury and lead that are filling up our landfills are a dangerous trend. If we all were more responsible with how we got rid of old electronics, it would make a big difference to our environment and health.

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What You Need to Know About Mammograms

January 26th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

Mammograms aren’t all that much fun so a lot of women put them off and don’t get them on a regular basis. Women, especially those who are over the age of 40, need to educate themselves about the where, why and how often mammograms are needed.

Mammograms are done to look for lumps or other irregularities in the breasts that may go unnoticed otherwise. Mammograms are similar to X-rays. Often, the lumps are tested and turn out not to be dangerous at all. Mammograms are also fairly reliable in detecting cancerous growths. For women, mammograms are essentially their first line of defense when it comes to early detection of breast cancer.

Doctors do not all agree on the age at which you should start getting mammograms. Some doctors think that you should get them at a young age but mammograms are expensive and often women end up getting needless tests due to false positive results. The younger you are, the more likely mammograms are to find something that turns out to be nothing. The testing that happens then can be stressful and expensive.

Most doctors will tell you to start having a mammogram when you hit 40 to establish a base for doctors to compare to future mammograms. This allows doctors to notice small changes in your breasts. After your first mammogram, which should be before you turn 50 at the latest, you should have a yearly mammogram done or at least have one every other year.

There are some women who should get a mammogram at an earlier age. For instance, if you have a family history of breast cancer and your mother, grandmother or other close relatives have had breast cancer, you should get a mammogram earlier. Also, if your doctor detects any lumps in your breasts during a routine physical exam, she might suggest you have a mammogram earlier.

Digital mammograms are a new technology that takes the same pictures as regular mammograms but processes the images faster since the pictures are digital and not on film. While this is a great improvement, it doesn’t mean that you are not getting as good of a mammogram with a regular machine. One benefit of digital mammograms is that the pictures during surgery can be used to make more precise and accurate incisions during surgery.

Mammograms are only part of maintaining good breast health. All women should get regular breast exams from their doctor and do their own breast self-exam each month as well. If you’ve never done a self-exam before and don’t know how, ask your doctor and she will show you how to do it.

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