Allergies are on the increase and currently affect around 40% of children and 30% of adults in the U.S. In fact, allergic disease is one of the top five chronic diseases affecting people of all ages. All sorts of things can trigger allergies including pollen, dust mites, foods, and preservatives.
Children can be particularly sensitive to chemicals found in our everyday cleaning products, especially if they already have asthma or other allergies. After all, they spend up to 90% of their time indoors.
Managing Allergies
When your immune system reacts to a foreign substance, it creates allergies. It can be something you’ve eaten, inhaled, or touched. There might be no cure for allergies, but you can manage them. One way is by keeping a clean home. But some cleaning products can trigger allergy symptoms.
The cleaning product itself is unlikely to trigger an allergy. However, it can be an irritant which causes the same symptoms as an allergy. Most of us purchase well-known brands without thinking of them as dangerous to our health. But they can contain toxic ingredients that could be triggering your allergies.
Toxic Ingredients
Looking at the ingredients on the back of a cleaning product probably won’t reveal much to the average person. In fact, many people have no idea what these ingredients really are, never mind what they can do.
Many of the big-name cleaners contain a dangerous level of toxicity. Some products cause immediate reactions like headaches, but continuous exposure could lead to serious disease. So, removing chemicals from your household routine and even from your cosmetics and toiletries, could go a long way in preventing serious allergies.
What Products Should You Use?
If you suffer from allergies, look for products that are non-toxic. But even some eco-friendly products can contain irritating substances so check the label carefully.
You can easily and cheaply make homemade cleaning products that are just as effective as the big-name brands. White vinegar and baking soda make excellent cleaners and are much safer.
Other DIY alternatives include:
· Vinegar and salt mixed together can make a surface cleaner
· Mix baking soda with water to clean baby bottles
· Remove bad odors from carpets with baking soda
· Combine either lemon juice or olive oil with vegetable oil for a furniture cleaner
Reducing Allergens in the Home
It’s not possible to completely remove all allergens in the home. But regular cleaning like vacuuming carpets, putting bed linen through a weekly hot wash, keeping counters clean and dry and storing food in sealed containers will all help.
By doing just a few simple things each day, you and your family will hopefully feel the difference.
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I use vinegar and water as a cleaner. I used to clean for a woman who had COPD so her lungs couldn’t handle the harsh chemicals in the air. I was so impressed with how well it worked at her house that we started using it in our home as well. Safer AND cost effective!
That is awesome! Glad it works so well for all of you.
This is a great timing for me to run into this post, used some cleaning products and my son’s asthma started up. Going back to ones I make on my own now, but never did vinegar and salt. Thanks 🙂
No problem!
Thanks for sharing these ideas. We have some allergy issues in the house, and I think this might be a good way to help with that.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I had no idea that cleaning products could cause allergic problems.
This is interesting! I have allergies but never thought to check my cleaning products. Such a great tip! Thanks for sharing
My husband and son have horrible allergies so I love learning new ways to help then. Thanks for the tips.