Is A Clean Home a Healthy Home? Not Necessarily

Keeping our families happy and healthy is a top priority for most Westchester parents. That’s part of the reason we devote so many hours to housework – after all, keeping things spic and span is one of the essential steps to protecting our family from harmful germs and pathogens, right?

Well, not necessarily. While maintaining a clean environment, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, play areas and other living spaces, is important, it turns out that there are toxic elements in many common household cleansers that can actually do our family’s health more harm than good.

Beth Greer, author of Super Natural Home, and an expert on toxin-free living, says that the average American home contains more than 60 toxic chemicals. Many of these chemicals are manifest in household cleaners, including the products we use to clean the oven, the bathroom and more.  The chemicals have been linked to many health problems, including asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity.

It’s important to understand that health problems can be caused by direct exposure – you or your child actually coming in skin to skin contact or inhaling fumes from the chemicals as they’re being used – as well as indirect contact, which can include you or your child encountering the residue these chemicals leave behind after they are used.

So far, we’ve been talking about the toxins in regularly available household cleaners most of us use for everyday cleaning. But what happens when you have a huge mess that needs to be cleaned up, such as the aftermath of a fire, flood or other household catastrophe?

Disaster response is not a do it yourself job. Smoke damage, soot, grime, and the mix of materials left behind after a flood can be extremely hazardous to your health. Sometimes they even contain carcinogenic components! That’s why professional Westchester disaster response companies exist. However, not all disaster response companies will clean your home in the same way. Before you call for help, you want to do your research, and here’s why:

The products used by some professional Westchester disaster restoration companies are incredibly harsh, containing many toxic components. During the normal course of use, these cleaning products leave behind a residue that remains on your walls, carpeting, and other surfaces in your home. People who have chemical sensitivities, or children, who tend to have more skin-to-skin contact with interior surfaces than adults do, are most vulnerable to health complications secondary to exposure with this toxin-laden residue.

There is an alternative! By working with a Westchester disaster restoration company that uses green products and methods, you can eliminate the risks that come with toxic chemical exposure. Today’s green cleaning products are incredibly effective – they meet or even surpass the standards set by the government for hospital disinfection – while being totally safe for everyone in your family to be around. There’s no toxic residue to worry about, which is great news for anyone who has chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, or other common health concerns.

You can have a clean and healthy home! For everyday cleaning, Beth Greer’s book is one of many helpful guides that provides information on safer products you can use. In the unfortunate event of a disaster in your home, choose a Westchester disaster restoration company that uses green products and methods to bring your home back to normal. You’ll be so glad you did.