is your house killing you?

mckooi · Post by **mckooi** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:29 am

hi all,

i though of putting this info to share for quite some time ago....after think that of the event i received some negative feedbacks before...but knowing that this info will help someone that is already effected or will be.....with my feeling that this might save someone in return....i should share and i hope that this info will help you......

http://isyourhousekillingyou.sbs.com.au/home/index.html

god bless all of us...ignorant kills.

sincerely,
mckooi

jsmythe · Post by **jsmythe** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:36 am

You did well Mckooi, there is some great reading there, Maybe it will help someone get rid of some of those problems in their home.
Good deal posting the link.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:51 am

In case you've missed it in the news (it's old news but I just heard it recently), some major name brand front loading washers have a design flaw that allows a buildup of moisture around the door that encourages mold and/or mildew growth. I only mention it because sometimes we may be searching for a cause of certain symptoms and be focusing our attention the wrong direction.

My brother had mentioned that his clothes don't smell fresh in his new front loading washer. My daughter's machine downright stinks. You can't let the clothes sit at all when the washer stops. A smell gets in the clothes that is offensive. I thought I'd wipe everything down one day just to get the normal dirt off, and when my fingers ran under the rubber gasket in the opening, slimy dark brown gunk came out on my rag. Further investigation showed there was quite a buildup in there - nasty stuff. My other daughter has bad allergies. She has recently gone to her doctor for an exhaustive workup because she has felt so bad for several months. I sure hope this didn't coincide with the time I gave her my front loading washer.

Just one local news blurb about it:
http://tinyurl.com/3b2kdq

Kathy

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:06 am

Dishwashers, believe it or not, have to be cleaned! Mine was producing a bad smell and when I went in to clean it, I pried a grate thing off the inside of the door and----how gross! I had run the vinegar and stuff through it many times before, and cleaned out the grate in the bottom of the machine, but never pried off this grate before. It vents the steam to the outside of the machine and I never even thought about anything being in there.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): clean

Sundown · Post by **Sundown** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:14 am

I have a Kenmore HE front loader washer and dryer... and my clothes were having a funky smell after about a year... I would open up the washer and smell mold. What happened was a small washcloth had somehow gotten under the rubber seal in the front and was moldering for probably days.... I pulled it out and scrubbed inside the seal with Clorox (Clorox: Sodium Hypochlorite: Corrosive. Sensitizer: Can be fatal if swallowed. Eye, skin, and respiratory irritant. Vapors have been shown to aggravate heart conditions and asthma. Suspected to affect the reproductive system).

What I do now, is occasionally check the rubber seal for any stuck clothing and AIR DRY the washer at night.. yep.. just leave the door open and it dries right up.

Last week, I pulled the soap/bleach/fabric softener out completely and was SHOCKED at the orange tinted mildew growing underneath it. I Cloroxed that as well.

Is my Household toxic? You betcha. After surfing on the 'net:

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and nervous system damage. The experiments were conducted with the brain cells of rats and they show that contact with this ingredient called methylisothiazoline, or MIT, causes neurological damage.

Which products contain this chemical compound MIT? Head and Shoulders, Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this ingredient. Researchers are concerned that exposure to this chemical by pregnant women could put their fetus at risk for abnormal brain development. In other people, exposure could also be a factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders.

The chemical causes these effects by preventing communication between neurons. Essentially, it slows the networking of neurons, and since the nervous system and brain function on a system of neural networks, the slowing of this network will suppress and impair the normal function of the brain and nervous system.

These finding were presented December 5th at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting.

And guess what Shampoo I used? Head and Shoulders. Guess what Conditioner? Yup.. Pantene!

http://switchtosaferproducts.com/

The following items are toxic according to the above link:
Lysol Disinfectant (all scents)
Renuzit Air Deodorizer
Bon Ami Foam Cleaner
Citra-Solv
Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner
Formula 409
Pine-Sol Multi-Action Spray
Pledge Household Cleaner
Simple Green
Spic & Span Cleaner
Scotts Liquid Gold
Lemon Pledge
Tilex Soap Scum Remover
Glass Plus
Ajax Cleaner
Gillette Foamy Skin Conditioning
Speed Stick Deodorant
Soft Soap
Secret Deodorant
S.O.S. Ammonia Glass Cleaner
Dawn Sureshot
S.O.S. Vinegar Cleaner
Joy Dishwashing Liquid
Windex Glass Cleaner
Shout Aerosol & Stick
Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid
Spray & Wash Stain Remover
Kleen King Alum.& Copper Clnr
KR2 Spot Lifter
Behold Furniture Wax
Depend-o Blue Toilet Cleaner
Endust
3M Aerosol Spot Remover
Formby's Lemon & Almond Spray
Most Home & Garden Pesticides
Old English Furniture Spray
Dove Soap Bars Right Guard Deodorant
Ponds Dry Skin Bar
Palmolive Skin Bar
Lady Speed Stick
Lever 2000
Irish Spring Deodorant
Lifebouy Soap
Jergens Liquid Soap
English Leather Deodorant
Ban Roll-on
Caress Body Bar
Camay
Ultra Brite Toothpaste
Cepacol Mouthwash
Crest Tartar Control
Listerine Original & Cool Mint
Arm & Hammer Toothpaste
Colgate Toothpaste
Scope Mouthwash

There are so many links out there... I would google "Toxic Household Chemicals." It scared the ***t out of me!

I now use natural shampoos and toothpaste for my entire family (Aveda and Burt's Bees).

I will tell you guys one thing.. my dad used Head and Shoulders every day since it was invented. My dad died of cancer.

I'm scared.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:00 pm

You forgot the main one though ... being alive is also toxic and hazardous to your health

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:24 pm

Curious.. I was just looking at what was in my "Natural" shampoos and Sodium Benzoate is in the Aveda.

What is Sodium Benzoate?

"Sodium benzoate (CAS No. 532-32-1) is about 200 times more soluble in water. Sodium benzoate is primarily used as a preservative and corrosion inhibitor (e.g., in technical systems as an additive to automotive engine antifreeze coolants). Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are used as food preservatives and are most suitable for foods, fruit juices, and soft drinks that are naturally in an acidic pH range. Their use as preservatives in food, beverages, toothpastes, mouthwashes, dentifrices, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals is regulated".

In humans, the acute toxicity of benzoic acid and sodium benzoate is low. However, both substances are known to cause non-immunological contact reactions (pseudoallergy). This effect is scarce in healthy subjects; in patients with frequent urticaria or asthma, symptoms or exacerbation of symptoms was observed. A provisional tolerable intake
of 5 mg/kg body weight per day can be derived, although benzoates at lower doses can cause non-immunological contact reactions (pseudoallergy) in sensitive persons. As there are no adequate studies available on inhalation exposure, a tolerable concentration for exposure by inhalation cannot be calculated.

In other words, I am putting anti-freeze in my hair... (a small dose according to scientists)...

I need a drink... oops... it has Sodium Benzoate in it, too.

If I go and live in the woods in a hut and burn a fire, I will contribute to global warming... and the arctic shelf will flood Florida in 100 years....

Who remembers the Red Dye in hot dogs and M&M's? Around 1975ish? It was called Amaranth:

"Amaranth, FD&C Red No. 2, C.I. Food Red 9, Acid Red 27, Azorubin S, or C.I. 16185, is a dark red to purple azo dye once used as a food dye and to color cosmetics, but since 1976 it has been banned in the United States by FDA as it is a suspected carcinogen. [1] It usually comes as a trisodium salt. It has the appearance of reddish-brown, dark red to purple water-soluble powder that decomposes at 120 °C without melting. Its water solution has absorption maximum at about 520 nm. Amaranth is made from coal tar."

Lovely.

Sundown · Post by **Sundown** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:36 pm

Sorry...I thought I was logged in for above post.

Can someone name a few things that AREN'T hazardous to my health???

Oh crap, the Johnson's baby Shampoo I use to clean my mask has quaternium 15 in it. What is that?

Search that ingredient on the internet and you will find out that it is another name for none other than FORMALDEHYDE.

Now I think I'll see how much electromagnetic radiation my computer and monitor gives off..just kidding!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:49 pm

u forgot thermaldynamic equalibrium....thst one will get ya

deerslayer · Post by **deerslayer** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:57 pm

Anonymous wrote:u forgot thermaldynamic equalibrium....thst one will get ya

.................sorry, thought i was logged in.

NeedinZs · Post by **NeedinZs** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:29 pm

To add to what Kathy and Sundown have mentioned.....

If you have a front load washing machine, that your detergent/softener/bleach drawer pulls out all the way......remove the drawer completely and look into the chamber that holds the drawer. Up at the top there are holes that the water comes through, and mold grows in there VERY easily, too.

After trying to remove it by scrubbing several times,
I decided to use a spray bottle of bleach/water mixture to reach into all those holes and all the way to the back of the chamber. Worked really well. Use a mask of some sort while doing this.

I replaced my old washer after finding hidden mold (years worth that couldn't be removed), with this new front loader......and within a month, the NEW one
began to smell, even though I ALWAYS left the door open and drawer pulled out after each use. Go figure.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:02 pm

Do a search on copper sulfate and mold ... I think that is what the pros use to kill the evil little mold varmits

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:14 pm

If you want a good website to check the safest shampoos, soaps, etc., I use this one

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

I have multiple allergies and using the things I found in this database helped me. I used to itch a lot, particularly my scalp and back. It turns out that the conditioner I was using was causing that .

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:27 pm

Rose:

What an EXCELLENT website!!!

It rates cosmetics with a "Hazard Score."

Thank you for the link!

Hugz!

geoDoug · Post by **geoDoug** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:25 am

My wife and I care very much about detoxifying our home. We use these environmentally-friendly, biodegradable, hypoallergenic home care products. The line includes cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, and hand and laundry soaps.
We get those home care products, our vitamins, and non-genetically-modified soy products here.

Doug.

Edited to add: there is also a "in your home" page there that has a "what's under your sink?" application covering all the categories of cleaners and what's in them and why they're harmful.

is your house killing you?

is your house killing you?

Front Loading Washers Possible Offender

This is what I use

Machine	Mask

Additional Comments: straight cpap 12.20 AHI avg.0.79

Mask

Additional Comments: Encore Pro, Encore Pro Analyzer