What's Happening in Campbell County, Kentucky just released their Spring/Summer 2008 edition. This is the usual Blah Blah Blah that governments publish and only people with a lot of time on their hand read. I was sorting the mail over the recycle bin while I was cooking dinner and glanced through the publication.
Sanitation District No. 1 published an article which caught my eye entitled Not Down My Drain. Listen to this recommendation to protect our waterways:
"Properly disposing household products such as cleansers, beauty products, medicine, auto fluids, used motor oil, paint, and lawn care products at your local household hazardous waste facility."
Cleansers? Beauty Products? Hazardous Waste???? YES!!
When consumers buy commercial cleaning products, we expect them to do one thing: clean! Many use a wide array of scents, soaps, detergents, bleaching agents, softeners, scourers, polishes, and specialized cleaners for bathrooms, glass, drains, and ovens to keep homes sparkling and sweet-smelling. But while the chemicals in cleaners foam, bleach, and disinfect to make our dishes, bathtubs and countertops gleaming and germ-free, many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the home.
In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.
Sure, everyone can figure out that if it's "harsh" like oven cleaner or drain cleaner, it must be bad. But how can you scour with a cleanser and not contaminate yourself and your home? And those window cleaners and all-purpous cleaners? What's heart-breaking is how we see so many occurrences of cancers and THEN find out that this and this and this are PROBABLE CULPRITS. And what have we been doing to our children? Have you seen how the rates of asthma are climbing?
If you haven't checked out the video yet, fill in the form above and get your password. You can also contact me via email and I will be happy to put you in touch with other resources. Let's stop this madness.
