Am I Really Posioning My Family!?!
Well, everyone knows I'm a big documentary junkee, and recently...I watched one that turned my world upside down.
Its called "Chemerical", and its a very cute documentary, about one mans journey to understand clean, an 'average' family he challenged to live chemical-free, and some of the people he meets along the way.
Well, it took two times of watching it to get through it, but don't judge it on that! I was tired! But once I saw it again, I was shocked and enthralled.
The point that really struck me was when the mom sorta breaks down one morning after the air tests of her home. She summed up what I felt watching it very well. She cried and appologized to her children, and said she had thought their whole lives she was giving them a happy, clean, safe environment...but it turns out she was surrounding them from toxins from day one. Her daughter tried to comfort her that she didn't know better, it was what our society teaches : Chemicals mean a quick, thorough clean.
Another point that really cried out to me was a woman suffering from a sensitivity to harmful chemicals. It made it difficult to breath, and her palms would shake. She wore a mask if she had to go anywhere, but she said her world was really limited to her own house and walking around the forest behind her house with her dogs. The man making the documentary was instructed to wash himself and his clothes 4 times with baking soda before arriving at her home, but she still had a reaction. The decided it was the air freshener in his rental car. The woman compares herself to a human "canary in the coal mine" on chemicals, and humans, especially us Americans, obsession with using them every day, despite their harmful side-effects.
The way she puts it, you're being harmed without realizing it..and that people like her are the wake up call.
Now, these non-toxic recipes can be found all over the internet, but what it basically boils down to are a few key ingredients: water, soap, and elbow grease. I was amazed at the transformation as this family began taking delight in their daily cleaning routines, being amazed with the cost to create, the effectiveness, and the growing breathability of their air.
So...I'm intrigued. I looked into it and browsed the web a little and heard much of the same results from others who had tried it, especially the "ya gotta scrub a little harder, but its worth it." And, the recipes were virtually endless. So, I picked a few, bought some distilled white vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and lemon oil. I made some floor cleaner and mopped my house.
My first thought was...these people are crazy! Scrub harder? More like scrub less!! And have the lung power to get through it all in one go, to boot. I mopped 5 tile rooms and the hallway and entry way.
Here is the mopping recipe I used: 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar 1 sink full of hot water 1/2 lemon squeezed A touch of lemon oil
Okay, I know what your thinking. I thought the same thing, but my house did NOT wreak of vinegar. It smelled lemony fresh, the floor felt great beneath my feet, and I was amazed at the layers of dirt that came up. In hind sight, I feel like my mop + pinesol cleaners = pushing dirt around because this was actually washing a floor. I was so impressed I washed it all, the bathrooms too! And why not? I had a sink full of super cheap, chemical-free cleaner to use. I put the effort into making it, and that lead to putting the effort into getting the most out of it. I see an unsung bonus here.
So, that amazed me. My next task, washing a sink full of dirty dishes, pots, and pans, and the caked on stove with just hot water, lemon juice, and baking soda. Shocker again, the suckers cleaned right up. I think they're onto something...
So, if you have netflix I highly recommend "Chemerical" for an eye opening look at the way we live, and what flushing all these chemicals down the drain is doing to our environments. I also highly recommend trying out some of the many available non-toxic home recipes for cleaners using the above ingredients because a) they actually work b) they smell fabulous and most important of all c) they feel good. On the skin, in the airways, and around my precious lil babies.
I'm challenging myself to see how much of my spring cleaning can be done this way. :) who's with me?
Also, will post some pics of girls and their gardening soon! :) stay tuned..sorry its been so long..
