Is Your Kitchen Toxic?

You clean your kitchen from top to bottom to ensure that no bacteria enters the food you feed your family. But the very cleaners that you are using may actually be making your family sick.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products are the major cause of poisoning of young children and family pets. And this isn't just through swallowing the products directly from the containers. It can happen from children or pets being on or touching surfaces that have been cleaned by these products. This also holds true of certain pots and pans that we use. It is what the items are made of that can be harmful as well as what we clean them with.

In the kitchen the main sources of toxins include bleach, ammonia-based cleansers, all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaner, floor wax or polish, dish detergents and brass or other metal polishes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency only a portion of the registered chemicals used to make these products have been tested completely for health concerns. Many of these products are derived from petroleum and tar, which are the two major sources of cancer-causing carcinogens. This alone should be scary enough to make people want to use safer alternatives for cleaners.

Non-toxic cleansers can be made from products you already have in your kitchen. Combinations of products such as water, baking soda, vinegar, biodegradable soap and hydrogen peroxide can clean your kitchen safely and thoroughly. Baking soda works well in sinks and on stovetops. Just sprinkle the baking soda on the dirty surface, let it sit a few minutes, then scrub clean with a sponge and water. Baking soda is also good for pots and pans. For countertops, sinks and other surfaces you want clean you can use both white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Place 3% hydrogen peroxide in one spray bottle and white vinegar in another spray bottle. Spray each alternately and wipe clean with hot water. This combination is 10 times more effective in killing bacteria than commercial cleaners. Vinegar is also good for stubborn stains on dishes or plastic containers. Just pour some vinegar on the stained surface and let sit. Wash as usual and the stain should be gone.

Pots, Pans and Storage Containers

Harmful toxins can be cooking up alongside your food in the pots, pans and storage containers that you use. Copper and aluminum cookware, and even stainless steel can release toxic metals while interacting with food and heat. These metals accumulate in your body and can reach the point of toxicity. Memory loss, headaches, Alzheimer's, and indigestion have been linked to aluminum while high levels of copper can compromise the immune system.

Nonstick pans contain a plastic coating that has been proven to kill domestic birds when used at high temperatures. It is also linked to immune disorders and cancer. If only the fumes of the hot coating can kill an animal, imagine what it emits into your foods, and body, after a long period of use.

The safest cookware to use is glass, lead-free terra-cotta clay, cast iron or cookware with porcelain enamel coating.

Storage Containers

Plastic containers that you store your food in and then re-heat it in can be dangerous to you too. When plastic containers are heated, pores in the plastic open releasing cancer-causing chemicals derived from petroleum into your food. It is recommended to use a ceramic or glass container to store and reheat your food whenever possible.

It is impossible to eliminate all toxins from your everyday life but taking as many steps as possible to reduce them will help you lead a longer, healthier life.