A Lean, Green, Cleaning Machine...

Deirdre Imus Talks to EBy Brita Belli Deirdre Imus (not to be confused with the Imus she’s married to) may not do her own house cleaning, but she knows the chemical makeup of name-brand cleaning products and the environmental and public health dangers they can cause. And her new book: Green This! Volume One: Greening Your Cleaning (Simon and Schuster, $15.95), is a readable, practical how-to book on ridding your home of toxins.


One of the scariest sections of Green This! focuses on the dangers of chlorine. Imus points out that chlorine bleach is almost impossible to find in Germany, which recognizes it as toxic, while lenient laws in the U.S. have allowed chlorine in every segment of our lives: from shower, to swimming pool, to dishwasher to washing machine. Consider this: “The dishwasher opens at waist heights for most adults. But that door is right at the level of kids’ mouths, which means those chlorine vapors are going straight into their bodies.” The book’s remedies for toxic ills are easy: distilled white vinegar and baking soda, essential oils, lemon juice, and even ketchup factor in. And a glossary lists not-so-well-known chemicals (from dioxin to methylene chloride) to avoid.


Imus’s history as an environmental and children’s health advocate is well-established: She is the founder and president of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology and launched the Greening the Cleaning line of safe, nontoxic cleaners for industrial and retail use (all of the profits go back into research for healthier kids, as do all book proceeds). Her loudmouthed radio talk show husband, Don, clearly wasn’t thinking about his wife’s book release when he disrespected the Rutgers women’s basketball team on April 4, lost his job and stirred up a tornado of negative publicity. The controversy led her to abandon her book tour just as it was about to get underway. But Imus now says she will resume publicity for the book, which has already reached 14 on the New York Times bestseller list (under “paperback advice”), and a subsequent volume on children’s health is in the works. The world may be tired of hearing Don, but apparently they’re ready to listen to his wife.


E Magazine: What is the link between the way we clean and children’s health?


Deirdre Imus: I got involved in all this because of children’s health and seeing the significant increases in asthma, allergies, cancer, autism, learning disabilities over the last 15 to 20 years. A lot in our environment has changed, mainly the amount of everyday toxins that our children are breathing through the air, food, water and soil. Thousands and thousands of toxins.


Why has the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to test these chemicals?


There are over 80,000 chemicals that are in the environment, and fewer than two percent have actually been tested for their safety. That’s a lot to keep up with. Some 1,200 new chemicals are introduced in the market every year. To accurately test and categorize all of them costs a lot of money. To me it’s the wrong approach. Let’s have manufacturers prove the safety of these things, and if a product contains chemicals that are already listed by the EPA as a known or possible carcinogen, or known neurotoxin or endocrine disruptor or hormone disruptor, then we need to make sure that those chemicals don’t get into our everyday products. There’s legislation now, the Kids Chemical Safety Act, that asks for exactly that.


It’s difficult to prove there's a link between toxins and childhood cancer or asthma rates. Did hospitals that switched to your products see improvement?


On the institutional line, we’re now working with more than 200 different clients—50 of them are hospitals—plus hundreds of schools and day care centers and airports. To date, they also have saved money. You go into a school system and the first thing they ask you is, “What is this going to cost?” Even though they know this might be healthier to do, people still unfortunately base everything on money. So far, we’ve seen anywhere from three percent to 75 percent in cost savings. Also, this is all not-for-profit. By implementing the institutional Greening the Cleaning line, 100 percent of those profits go back into the Environmental Center for children’s health and research and education. But ironically, we’re in competition now with all the big chemical companies, and other green companies that are out there.


And lot of chemical companies are using word “natural” to cash in on the green trend.


People don’t always make protecting children’s health and the health of the planet their first priority. These big companies are starting to lose part of their profit margin because of the green movement. Some of these chemical companies who have been out there since the 1930s are now saying that they have a green product. They say, for example, that they’ve kicked the phosphate out and now they’re green. And this is misleading, because the public is still trying to understand what nontoxic is.


With cleaning products, it’s important that it’s nontoxic—that you’re not using ingredients that have been listed as possible or known carcinogens—neurotoxins, hormone disruptors, endocrine disruptors, teratogens. You’re not using familiar ones that we all know, meaning no ammonia, no chlorine bleach, no phosphate, no formaldehyde, no benzene, no toluene, no petroleum-based ingredients.


First, look for a cleaning product that says right on the label that all ingredients are disclosed. That’ll eliminate almost everything. A lot of those famous brands don’t even list one percent of their product. In most cases, it’s all synthetic chemicals, it’s all toxins. With a healthy, green, nontoxic cleaning product, there should only be a handful of ingredients. It has to have a surfactant, which is the sudsing agent that binds the product; it has to have water, and that water should be spring or purified water.


The surfactant should be vegetable-based, from corn, soy, coconut or something like that. If there’s some kind of fragrance in it, it should say “from botanicals” or flowers or plant essence, essential oils. My products clearly disclose all ingredients, and I name about six to seven other companies in my book that also disclose their ingredients.


People look at cars and their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but if we looked at all of our everyday products, all of our personal care products, the amount of petroleum that we use, it’s the basis for most of our products.


And so much of it goes down the drain.


That all goes down your water system when you clean, or any product you use, and then it ends up in our drinking and our bathing water. And it’s affecting all of our fish, and it’s creating problems in the ocean. And then there are CO2 emissions from the manufacturing of these products. So there’s a whole connection here. Something as simple as a cleaning product can have a huge impact on the planet.


The EPA has done studies showing that, because of chemicals, indoor air quality can become five to 10 times more toxic than outdoor air quality. Your home holds these chemicals in so they don’t disperse. [Changing cleaning habits is] something that’s tangible and realistic for everyone. Not for someone that can afford it. This is for everybody to do. And it shouldn’t cost you any more money.


In reading your book, it seems like distilled white vinegar seems will tackle most jobs.


There are many things it won’t clean, like carpets, and you’d have to put it in spray bottles. But I talk about the way you can, with five core green products (most of which people already have) clean everything in your home. White distilled vinegar is one of them. Baking soda, lemon juice, white distilled vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and table salt. You’re saving money. A good nontoxic cleaner like white distilled vinegar replaces all your chlorine bleach products. The process of making chlorine bleach produces mercury, one of the most toxic elements. Chlorine bleach emits toxic, heavy vapors. It’s heavier than air, so the vapors lie low once they’re released. If you have a baby or toddler and they’re crawling around, they’re breathing in a lot more of that toxin than you are.


And they’re putting things in their mouths.


And they’re mouthing everything. And their cells are turning over so much faster because they’re developing. Why would we want to expose [children] to these toxins? If we have healthy alternatives, it just makes sense, because it’s a way to prevent exposure. We see too much of a link with these neurotoxins, including lower IQs in children. One out of six kids in this country now has a learning disability. That’s an epidemic number. Cancer has been steadily increasing over the last 30 years, specifically brain cancers and leukemia are rising. Those two types of cancers have been linked in studies to high exposure of pesticides. And neurotoxins. There are these connections with pest control and spraying the soccer fields and spraying our schools, spraying everything.


BRITA BELLI is managing editor of E.


CONTACTS: Green This! on Amazon; The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology

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So Clean, It’s Sickening

So Clean, It’s Sickening
by author Michael Downey, BSc


After centuries of using simple cleaners–and elbow grease–synthetic compounds invaded our homes half a century ago. Now, cleaners are the most hazardous chemicals in your home. And because these compounds are not dispersed as easily indoors as outdoors, concentrations of toxic chemicals are higher in your home than outside--some more than 100 times higher, according to a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report. Ironically, our health may require us to return to our original products.

Sales of household products–laundry detergent, cleaners and such–run about $100 billion a year worldwide, with the US comprising 25 percent of the total. More than 150 chemicals found in the average home are linked with allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities, says the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Everyone who has added chlorine bleach to laundry knows it’s impossible to use cleaning chemicals and not breathe in at least some of the fumes. Some might know that the skin is another common route for chemical exposure. Less well known is the fact that this exposure can greatly harm the body.

Remember: Warning words--such as danger, caution and poisonous–pertain only to immediate hazards. The labels don’t indicate the effect chemicals have on long-term human and environmental health.

Health Risks

So what health risks lie in the cleaning products under your sink? And what can you do to avoid them?

Phosphates–found in laundry and dishwater detergents–are non-irritating but create unbalanced ecosystems by fostering dangerously explosive marine plant growth.
Sodium hypochlorite, or chlorine bleach, is a lung and eye irritant. Mixed with ammonia or vinegar, it can cause asthmatic symptoms and serious respiratory problems. It creates cancer-causing compounds in water.

Petroleum distillates, found in metal polish and other cleaners, can cause temporary eye clouding. Longer exposure can damage the nervous system, skin, kidneys and eyes.
Ammonia, most common in glass cleaner, is a lung and skin irritant. Mixed with bleach, it can produce chloramine gas, which causes choking and lung damage.
Disinfectants, such as phenol and cresol, can cause diarrhea and kidney and liver damage.

Furniture polishes contain nitrobenzene, which is linked with shallow breathing, cancer and birth defects.

Carpet cleaners and spot removers contain perchloroethylene. This eye, skin and lung irritant can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested and is considered a probable human carcinogen.

Toilet bowl cleaners emit naphthalene fumes, which can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested. These cleaners contain aradichlorobenzene–a probable cause of
cancer–and acids that can cause blindness.

Cleaners containing citrus can claim to be "natural." But often d’limonene, a known sensitizer, is the active ingredient. The US Department of Health reports that d’limonene can be more toxic than toluene–which can damage bone marrow, liver and kidneys.

Fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain chemicals such as chloroform and benzyl acetate that are neurotoxic and carcinogenic, and can cause nausea, vomiting and convulsions. You can be exposed through inhalation or skin contact from dryer exhaust or from treated clothes, sheets and towels.

And that’s just the short list of health problems. These chemicals persist in the environment, poisoning marine life and mammals, and saturating soil and water tables. And if you have a septic tank, chemical laundry products can wipe out the bacteria required to make the tank work properly.

Eco-Friendly Shopping

Choosing eco-friendly cleaning products–and removing toxic ones–goes a long way toward ensuring a home with fresh, clean air. You can reduce your household’s toxic burden on your health and the environment by following
these steps.

Get rid of all products with harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients and cleaning products with labels using words such as warning, caution, corrosive or danger.

Replace them with non-toxic, biodegradable substitutes from natural food stores.
Avoid disinfectants and bleaches; ask about natural alternatives at health food stores.

Reuse old shirts as rags and more. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees–and save money.

Plants can lower air pollution and add oxygen to indoor air.

Until you become practised at reading labels, the easiest way to choose a safe cleaner is to steer clear of cleaners at supermarkets and drugstores–except for baking soda.

At most natural product stores, knowledgable staff will help you find a host of non-toxic, environmentally safe cleaning, polishing and air freshener options.

Virtually all of these products are non-toxic, child safe, biodegradable (breaks down safely in the environment), hypoallergenic (doesn’t cause allergic reactions), cruelty-free (produced without cruelty to animals), septic-tank safe and packaged in recycled materials.


What About those High Prices?

Betty Norton, supplements manager at Lifestyle Markets on Douglas Street in Victoria, says that concentrated forms of eco-friendly cleaners are not as expensive as they seem. They dilute, furnishing much larger quantities.

Concentration is part of the green cleaners’ environmental strategy. A concentrated cleaner requires less packaging to deliver the same results. All you might need of a green cleaner is one tablespoon, whereas the mainstream counterpart would use one-quarter to one-half cup.

You can be sure they’re safe--barring unique allergies. And if you forget why choosing eco-products can be a lifesaver, Norton sums it up clearly: "Our skin absorbs all the substances it comes into contact with–so you don’t want to be handling toxic substances."


Based in Toronto, Michael Downey is a nutritionist and writer whose work appears in natural health magazines and in the health sections of a number of US and Canadian newspapers.

How Much Impact Do Toxic Chemicals Have on Society? Read the Statistics.

• More than 7 million accidental poisonings occur each year, with more than 75% involving children under age 6!
  —The Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons

• According to the U.S. Poison Control Centers, "A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds at home..."

• The Average American Uses about 25 Gallons of toxic, hazardous chemical products per year in their home...A major portion of these can be found in household cleaning products. —"Prosperity Without Pollution,"by Joel S. Hirschorn and Kirsten V. Oldenburg, 1991

• Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The 15-year study concluded it was as a direct result of the much higher exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products!
  —Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990

• The toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.
  – Environmental Protection Agency report in 1985

• Cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today! By the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals!
  —American Cancer Society

• Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities.
  —Consumer Product Safety Commission

• Cancer rates have continued to increase every year since 1970. Brain cancer in children is up 40% in 20 years. Toxic chemicals are largely to blame.
  —NY Times, September 29, 1997

• When combined, chemicals are even more dangerous. Deadly fumes result from mixing ammonia with bleach (both found in many household products) creating lethal “mustard gas”!
  —U.S. Government, E.P.A.

• According to the National Research Council, no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products.
  Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on labels, because companies classify their formulas as "trade secrets."
  —Lorie Dwornick, researcher, educator and activist, 2002

• In the past 50 years more than 75,000 chemicals have been introduced into the environment. Today 300 synthetic chemicals are found in the bodies of humans. Even newborn babies have synthetic chemicals passed on from their mothers.
  —REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals, a European Union program)

• Unregulated air pollution has caused one in six children in the Central Valley of California to suffer from asthma. More than 5000 children in the San Joaquin Valley Air District are hospitalized each year for asthma. The death rate from respiratory diseases in the Imperial Valley -- at times more than double that of the rest of the state. Up to 2.2 million Californians suffer from asthma.
  —California's State Department of Health Services

• Nationwide, air pollution causes between 50,000 and 100,000 premature deaths per year – and soot accounts for a majority of these. Soot is the most deadly air pollutant, accounting for more deaths than homicides or automobile accidents. According to the California Air Resources Board, diesel soot accounts for 70 percent of the cancer risk from toxic air pollution statewide.
  —Earthjustice

• The Washington (state) Department of Health discovered that one fourth of tested farm workers handling pesticides were overexposed to extremely hazardous chemicals. Carbamates or organophosphates can cause dizziness, breathing problems, muscle twitching, and paralysis.
• Scientists are discovering a whole universe of health effects associated with the products of our industrial age with profound implications for public health and regulatory policy. The continuous appearance of toxic effects at lower and lower levels of exposure is especially troubling since low-level exposure to some chemicals is practically universal.
  —The 2050 Project Newsletter, Fall 1994;State of the World 1994, Worldwatch Institute

• More than 32 million pounds of household cleaning products are poured down the drain each day nationwide. The toxic substances found in many of these are not adequately removed by sewage treatment plants. Guess what happens when these are returned to the rivers from which cities draw their drinking water?
  —Spring 2002 Edition of CCA Newsletter Partners "Cleaning Without Toxic Chemicals"

• More than 75,000 chemicals are licensed for commercial use.
• More than 2,000 new synthetic chemicals are registered every year.
• The EPA tallied close to 10,000 chemical ingredients in cosmetics, food and consumer products. Very few of these chemicals were in our environment or our bodies just 75 years ago.
• In 1998, U.S. industries manufactured 6.5 trillion pounds of 9,000 different chemicals.
  In 2000, major American companies dumped 7.1 billion pounds of 650 different industrial chemicals into our air and water.
• Except in the case of foods, drugs or pesticides, companies are under no legal or regulatory obligation to concern themselves with how their products might harm human health.
  —Alexandra Rome, Co-director of the Sustainable Futures Group at Commonweal, a nonprofit health and environmental research institute, until 2000.

• Within 26 seconds after exposure to chemicals such as cleaning products , traces of these chemicals can be found in every organ in the body.
• More than 1.4 million Americans exposed to household chemicals were referred to poison control centers in 2001. Of these, 824,000 were children under 6 years.
• A New York sanitation worker was killed in 1998 when a hazardous liquid in household trash sprayed his face and clothes.
• At any given time, there is 3.36 million tons of household hazardous waste to contend with in our country.
  —Chec's HealtheHouse,the resource for Environmental Health Risks Affecting Your Children

• In 1990, more than 4,000 toddlers under age four were admitted to hospital emergency rooms as a result of household cleaner-related injuries. That same year, three-fourths of the 18,000 pesticide-related hospital emergency room admissions were children.
  Over 80 percent of adults and 90 percent of children in the United States have residues of one or more harmful pesticides in their bodies.
• Petrochemical cleaning products in the home are easily absorbed into the skin. Once absorbed, the toxins travel to the blood stream and are deposited in the fatty tissues where they may exist indefinitely.
  —"In Harm's Way," a study by "The Clean Water Fund" and "Physicians for Social Responsibility" May 11, 2000

DO YOU REALL BELIEVE THAT IF IT WERE NOT SAFE AND GOOD FOR YOU, THE STORE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SELL IT? PLEASE, THINK AGAIN. If you'd like information about how you can reduce your chemical exposure, please contact this blogger.