
TIPS TO PROTECT YOU FROM TOXIC CHEMICAL EXPOSURES
1. Use distilled white vinegar and baking soda to clean
bathrooms, kitchens, windows, appliances, and floors. Simply fill a squirt
bottle with half vinegar and half water. If you use baking soda and vinegar
together, they will fizz, making it easy to clean tubs, toilets, etc. Vinegar
will kill most household germs without the need for caustic disinfectants. (See:
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/164)
2. When purchasing toiletries and cosmetics, buy "fragrance free" products, many
of which can be found at grocery stores, health food stores, or online from
various vendors such as
www.realpurity.com.
3. Buy "fragrance free" laundry products. My favorite place to buy them is
www.allensnaturally.com. Do not use scented fabric softeners or dryer
sheets.
4. Use organic fertilizers such as Ringer's "Lawn Restore" on your lawn. Rather
than using herbicides to kill weeds, try using distilled white vinegar. Apply
vinegar in the same manner as an herbicide-it's just as effective and a lot less
expensive.
5. Buy organic produce and meats whenever possible.
6. Avoid using potpourri, air fresheners, or scented candles, all of which often
contain toxic chemicals. Instead, open your windows for some good old-fashioned
fresh air, making your house smell wonderful without harming your family.
7. When remodeling, choose products that are low in toxicity. Select paints that
are low in VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds); avoid oil-based products and
sealers. A great resource for building supplies that are low in toxicity is
www.livingsource.com.
About the author:
Janine Ridings is the founder of Aroma of Christ, a ministry to the chemically
sensitive at Calvary Chapel Eastside in Bellevue, Washington. Visit:
www.aromaofchrist.com. Her devotional book Comfort in the Storm: Devotions
for the Chemically Sensitive is scheduled to come out in December 2004.
Note: This article was an excerpt from the October 2004 issue of Eaglezine.
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