The label on Clorox bleach lists under 'active ingredients': sodium hypochlorite 6.0%; other ingredients 94.0%; total 100%. In parenthesis is says (yields 5.7% available chlorine).
However, the bracketed statement is more interesting because the Clorox website plainly states that 'It's wrong to call household bleach chlorine bleach because it has an entirely different chemistry.'
Well, we non-scientists and plain speaking people would like to know: Which is correct- Is Clorox bleach 'chlorine bleach' or is it not? You can't put on the label that it is 5.7% chlorine and then negate it on your website.
For those still unsure and wondering if they should or shouldn't use Clorox bleach, here is another thing to ponder. It is rated a potential hazard of: DANGER: CORROSIVE. But about corrosiveness, the website says the following:
Clorox® bleach does not damage equipment and surfaces. The majority of Clorox® bleach products contain anticorrosion agents and, when used as directed, are safe for use on a variety of hard, nonporous surfaces, including stainless steel, plastics, glazed ceramics, glass, porcelain and other materials. Use bleach with confidence to clean and disinfect countertops, floors, toilets, sinks, trash cans, keyboards, phones, light switches and desks.
Anti-corrosive ingredients? Notice what is absent from the website- no explanation as to what bleach does to soft, porous surfaces. IE, walls, some furniture, fabric, your skin, your eyes. Everyone has had a hole burned into a favorite article of clothing because of 'spot treating' with bleach. It's corrosive. Period. Reason enough to not use it.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Soda Blasting
In my Home Clean Home cleaning classes we start out acknowledging the first three ingredients in natural cleaning (all free, by the way!). Sun. Air. Water.
I recently came across this statement: 'Improved technologies will continue to improve and impact the cleaning industry.' One tough cleaning job is that of cleaning national monuments. Did you know they clean the Statue of Liberty with baking soda?
We talk a lot about baking soda in class. It's the most basic of 'scrubbing powder' ingredients. It cleans and deodorizes. But torch lady herself? Wow. Apparently there is a high power pressurized applicator that is used to concentrate the baking soda blast on the monuments surface. The process is also used to safely clean boat hulls and is an eco-friendly way to remove even graffitti from city buildings!
And a German company patented the application process to use high-pressure washers to apply only hot water to clean and it safely and successfully cleaned Mount Rushmore of lichen, algae, moss and other organic stains.
I guess if they can clean the Statue of Liberty, boat hulls and graffitti with hot water and baking soda, then we shouldn't need more than that to clean our humble homes!
C. Anne
I recently came across this statement: 'Improved technologies will continue to improve and impact the cleaning industry.' One tough cleaning job is that of cleaning national monuments. Did you know they clean the Statue of Liberty with baking soda?
We talk a lot about baking soda in class. It's the most basic of 'scrubbing powder' ingredients. It cleans and deodorizes. But torch lady herself? Wow. Apparently there is a high power pressurized applicator that is used to concentrate the baking soda blast on the monuments surface. The process is also used to safely clean boat hulls and is an eco-friendly way to remove even graffitti from city buildings!
And a German company patented the application process to use high-pressure washers to apply only hot water to clean and it safely and successfully cleaned Mount Rushmore of lichen, algae, moss and other organic stains.
I guess if they can clean the Statue of Liberty, boat hulls and graffitti with hot water and baking soda, then we shouldn't need more than that to clean our humble homes!
C. Anne
The Great Bleach Debate
Bleach. I am in the middle of researching a bleach issue. I do not promote its use. It is an eye, lung and skin irritant.
Clorox promotes the idea that household bleach biodegrades 'mostly harmlessly to salt water.' It is the 'mostly' we have to concern ourselves with. More specifically, the rest of it beyond the mostly. The 3 to 6% that doesn't break down harmlessly and what impact that has.
Bleach is a highly unstable product. It has a very short shelf life. People over use it. It is a mis-conception that you can 'clean with bleach.' You cannot. It is not a cleaner. Yet you go to Clorox website and there it is- they say to 'clean and disinfect' with it.
Bleach is a bacteria killer, but only under specific conditions, applied a certain way, with time and surface variables taken into consideration. What you have to ask is: is it really necessary to kill all that bacteria? We are a germophobic society. Our best defense against microorganisms is a healthy immune system and reasonable and regular cleaning practices.
Seeking to kill something off always leads to worse consequences. "Never seen no miracle of science, that didn't end up with something worse" is a line from a Police song.
Clorox website says household bleach isn't chlorine bleach. I am pasting what it says:
'There is no free chlorine in household bleach. It's wrong to call household bleach chlorine bleach because it has an entirely different chemistry. Household bleach is derived from sodium chloride - common table salt. Clorox purchases chlorine and makes household bleach by bubbling the chlorine into a solution of water and sodium hydroxide. During this process, all of the chlorine is converted to a sodium hypochlorite solution.
The issue I am researching is: How harmful is bleach? I have read about it extensively. Everyone (should) know(s) that to mix bleach with other substances-for example ammonia- is dangerous, courting disaster. It creates toxic gases that can be fatal. I have read that even vinegar (as an acid) should not be mixed with household bleach for the same reason, ie, it helps release chlorinated gases.'
Just today, however, I come across an online source that promotes mixing bleach and vinegar. http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Vinegar-increases-killing-power-of-bleach-8067-1/ huh?!? What is up with that? It must be one way or the other, it can't be both.
So, I have written and sent an email inquiry to a state source to see if they can help sort this out for me.
This is what makes it hard for people to know what to do. The inconsistency.
I will update the blog as soon as I get an answer.
C Anne
Clorox promotes the idea that household bleach biodegrades 'mostly harmlessly to salt water.' It is the 'mostly' we have to concern ourselves with. More specifically, the rest of it beyond the mostly. The 3 to 6% that doesn't break down harmlessly and what impact that has.
Bleach is a highly unstable product. It has a very short shelf life. People over use it. It is a mis-conception that you can 'clean with bleach.' You cannot. It is not a cleaner. Yet you go to Clorox website and there it is- they say to 'clean and disinfect' with it.
Bleach is a bacteria killer, but only under specific conditions, applied a certain way, with time and surface variables taken into consideration. What you have to ask is: is it really necessary to kill all that bacteria? We are a germophobic society. Our best defense against microorganisms is a healthy immune system and reasonable and regular cleaning practices.
Seeking to kill something off always leads to worse consequences. "Never seen no miracle of science, that didn't end up with something worse" is a line from a Police song.
Clorox website says household bleach isn't chlorine bleach. I am pasting what it says:
'There is no free chlorine in household bleach. It's wrong to call household bleach chlorine bleach because it has an entirely different chemistry. Household bleach is derived from sodium chloride - common table salt. Clorox purchases chlorine and makes household bleach by bubbling the chlorine into a solution of water and sodium hydroxide. During this process, all of the chlorine is converted to a sodium hypochlorite solution.
The issue I am researching is: How harmful is bleach? I have read about it extensively. Everyone (should) know(s) that to mix bleach with other substances-for example ammonia- is dangerous, courting disaster. It creates toxic gases that can be fatal. I have read that even vinegar (as an acid) should not be mixed with household bleach for the same reason, ie, it helps release chlorinated gases.'
Just today, however, I come across an online source that promotes mixing bleach and vinegar. http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Vinegar-increases-killing-power-of-bleach-8067-1/ huh?!? What is up with that? It must be one way or the other, it can't be both.
So, I have written and sent an email inquiry to a state source to see if they can help sort this out for me.
This is what makes it hard for people to know what to do. The inconsistency.
I will update the blog as soon as I get an answer.
C Anne
Friday, March 27, 2009
Recalls- It's not just about nostalgia
Another reason to avoid buying heavy duty 'cleaners' is product recalls, which are manufacturing failures. The volumes of products we mass produce staggers the imagination. Some people say that, in comparison, the number of recalls is small. And that it is part of doing business. Those people should try to remember that it is someone's skin, someone's eyes, someone's health and someone's home at risk from fire or exposure.
The fact is that all this chemical stuff sold as 'cleaners' and 'scenter's and all their excessive, non-reusable packaging is wasteful and unnecessary. We need to stop this. To stop creating products that are polluting, toxic, dangerous and unnecessary.
Here is a sampling of some products, volumes and recall reasons.
1. 24,000 'Cabot Deck Cleaner' products-the ingredients can react with the metal foil packaging, releasing heat and chlorine gas (!), posing a fire and inhalation hazard.
2. 50,000 cans of Easy-Off oven cleaner- due to improperly attached valve assembly, contents can spew out, risking chemical burns to skin and eyes. Yowch!
3. Three products, totally 761,000 items, ranging from Aerosol Foam Cleaner, Wood Cleaner, Deck Cleaner all recalled for defective cans/containers.
4. Zep brand Drain Cleaner- 1.1 million (!) bottles can leak- IMAGINE-Drain Cleaner leaking out, onto your skin/eyes. Coming into potential contact with children. Or pets. Or your sinks and shelves. Three reports of human contact resulted. 13 of property damage. And that's just what the CPSC had on file at the time of this report.
5. 2.5 million (!) Glade Plug In Scented Oil - potentially misassembled during manufacture, posing fire risk.
*All this information and more is on the consumer product safety website for your viewing pleasure (or horror): http://www.cpsc.gov/ Thanks for reading. C. Anne
The fact is that all this chemical stuff sold as 'cleaners' and 'scenter's and all their excessive, non-reusable packaging is wasteful and unnecessary. We need to stop this. To stop creating products that are polluting, toxic, dangerous and unnecessary.
Here is a sampling of some products, volumes and recall reasons.
1. 24,000 'Cabot Deck Cleaner' products-the ingredients can react with the metal foil packaging, releasing heat and chlorine gas (!), posing a fire and inhalation hazard.
2. 50,000 cans of Easy-Off oven cleaner- due to improperly attached valve assembly, contents can spew out, risking chemical burns to skin and eyes. Yowch!
3. Three products, totally 761,000 items, ranging from Aerosol Foam Cleaner, Wood Cleaner, Deck Cleaner all recalled for defective cans/containers.
4. Zep brand Drain Cleaner- 1.1 million (!) bottles can leak- IMAGINE-Drain Cleaner leaking out, onto your skin/eyes. Coming into potential contact with children. Or pets. Or your sinks and shelves. Three reports of human contact resulted. 13 of property damage. And that's just what the CPSC had on file at the time of this report.
5. 2.5 million (!) Glade Plug In Scented Oil - potentially misassembled during manufacture, posing fire risk.
*All this information and more is on the consumer product safety website for your viewing pleasure (or horror): http://www.cpsc.gov/ Thanks for reading. C. Anne
Pharmaceutical Pollution
It is an emerging problem. Pharmaceuticals contaminating water supplies. These include prescribed drugs; OTC(over the counter) medications; pet drugs prescribed by a vet; etc. They get into the environment in 1 of 2 ways: 1. They are ingested. Some medications are only partially metabolized; then the body excretes the unused portion, which is flushed into the sewer or septic system. 2. Until recently the recommended disposal method for Unused, Outdated, Unwanted and Unneeded pills, liquids, gels, powders, etc. was 'flush it down the toilet or sink.' The logic was it would then stay out of the hands of at risk, unintended users.
The over-prescribed meds are polluting water. So are personal care products. The chemicals and preservatives are also showing up in water.
Contaminants remain in the sewage treatment plants (STP's) by-product: sludge. STP's are not designed to handle extracting “emerging contaminants” such as these. From antacids to antidepressants; steroids to antibiotics. The concern is that many of these drugs have the potential of interfering with hormone production. Chemicals with this effect are called endocrine disrupters and are attracting the attention of water quality scientists.
So, rather than despair, we need to think this through and take actions. Be Pro-active.
ACTION 1: Increasingly communities are starting campaigns to educate people not to flush medications in the sewer or septic. Spread the word. Have these conversations with others who might not be aware of the extent of this problem.
ACTION 2: Communities are organizing Pharmaceutical Collection Days (much like 'Hazardous Waste Collection Days) *This would be an ideal service project for a local community oriented service group. Talk to elected officials in your community about organizing this.
What is done with the collected substances? There is a definite process to collecting, sorting, accounting for, and disposing of collected materials. They are special handled and delivered to a waste treatment plant with the capacity to incinerate them at very high temperatures.
ACTION 3: What to do with unused, outdated, unwanted pharmaceuticals if there is no collection process in your area? First, this is an emerging problem that few communities have dealt with. You can either: 1. store the drugs in a locked, secure location until a collection process is implemented. 2. mix prescribed drugs with dirt or coffee grounds, wrap in newspaper, and throw out with household trash*. (*NOTE: I think this option is only for communities where it is known that collected trash is incinerated. Otherwise, drugs sent to landfills continue the contamination cycle, leaching into groundwater there.)
ACTION 4: Rather than continually dealing with the aftermath of our chemical-saturated society, we should be examining why there is a massive (and growing) amount of prescriptions being written and filled; but then they're going unused and unwanted. What are we doing?
Why are we being over-medicated? It is leading to unintended medicating, as people drink water tainted by cholesterol drugs, pain meds, heart meds, cold and flu meds, etc. etc. etc. Yuk!
Personal Care Products are also a huge industry. Cosmetics, fragrances. Much of it contaminated with chemicals, preservatives, pesticides. Much of it leaching into the environment. Going green also means going lean. Cutting out the excess.
Be well. Don't despair. We can't do anything about what we don't know. But we can take action on what we are learning. Thank you for whatever you do to help alleviate this problem.
Here's a couple of articles to read more about this issue,
or just search 'pharmaceuticals in water'
http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/awr/july00/feature1.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23503485/
The over-prescribed meds are polluting water. So are personal care products. The chemicals and preservatives are also showing up in water.
Contaminants remain in the sewage treatment plants (STP's) by-product: sludge. STP's are not designed to handle extracting “emerging contaminants” such as these. From antacids to antidepressants; steroids to antibiotics. The concern is that many of these drugs have the potential of interfering with hormone production. Chemicals with this effect are called endocrine disrupters and are attracting the attention of water quality scientists.
So, rather than despair, we need to think this through and take actions. Be Pro-active.
ACTION 1: Increasingly communities are starting campaigns to educate people not to flush medications in the sewer or septic. Spread the word. Have these conversations with others who might not be aware of the extent of this problem.
ACTION 2: Communities are organizing Pharmaceutical Collection Days (much like 'Hazardous Waste Collection Days) *This would be an ideal service project for a local community oriented service group. Talk to elected officials in your community about organizing this.
What is done with the collected substances? There is a definite process to collecting, sorting, accounting for, and disposing of collected materials. They are special handled and delivered to a waste treatment plant with the capacity to incinerate them at very high temperatures.
ACTION 3: What to do with unused, outdated, unwanted pharmaceuticals if there is no collection process in your area? First, this is an emerging problem that few communities have dealt with. You can either: 1. store the drugs in a locked, secure location until a collection process is implemented. 2. mix prescribed drugs with dirt or coffee grounds, wrap in newspaper, and throw out with household trash*. (*NOTE: I think this option is only for communities where it is known that collected trash is incinerated. Otherwise, drugs sent to landfills continue the contamination cycle, leaching into groundwater there.)
ACTION 4: Rather than continually dealing with the aftermath of our chemical-saturated society, we should be examining why there is a massive (and growing) amount of prescriptions being written and filled; but then they're going unused and unwanted. What are we doing?
Why are we being over-medicated? It is leading to unintended medicating, as people drink water tainted by cholesterol drugs, pain meds, heart meds, cold and flu meds, etc. etc. etc. Yuk!
Personal Care Products are also a huge industry. Cosmetics, fragrances. Much of it contaminated with chemicals, preservatives, pesticides. Much of it leaching into the environment. Going green also means going lean. Cutting out the excess.
Be well. Don't despair. We can't do anything about what we don't know. But we can take action on what we are learning. Thank you for whatever you do to help alleviate this problem.
Here's a couple of articles to read more about this issue,
or just search 'pharmaceuticals in water'
http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/awr/july00/feature1.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23503485/
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