How
polluted is your HOME? Is it safe for you and your family? If you feel
that family members are falling sick more often than they should, perhaps
there's a reason for it.
Are you an aromatherapy fan? Are
you fond of collecting pot-pourrie and decorating your houses with it?
Big mistake. Get rid of all those air-fresheners and other supposedly 'purifying'
chemicals. If you are worried about the odour in your toilet, get an exhaust
fan fitted.
Do you enjoy the aroma of scented
candles? Do you love the excitement, romance and ambience they add to an
evening? Here's some news for you: scented candles are bad news. It's okay
to use them once in a while, but if you store them for months on end, you're
only accumulating indoor pollution. Get rid of them. In fact, get rid of
anything scented: scented soaps, hand washes, body gels, lotions… yes,
even perfumes and after-shaves. Okay, so we understand that your heart
will break at the thought of getting rid of all your expensive perfumes.
If you must keep some scented products, let it be only your perfumes.
Hang on to them if you must, but
be sure you get rid of the other scented soaps and lotions. Use them off
if you must, and don't replenish your stock.
Don't use a disinfectant soap. The
only place such soaps are required, are at the hospitals. Overuse of disinfectants
reduce the body's immunity. The body is unable to fight and ward off infections
on its own, without exposure to disinfectants. Gradually, over a period
of time, germs will develop new streams that are immune to the disinfectants.
Disinfectant soaps are not really required. Regular soaps do kill bacteria,
and they are all we need.
Get rid of fancy disinfectants -
something to clean your pot, another to wash your windows, yet another
to clean your drain pipe. They are not needed. You house will function
just as well without them. Just like the overuse of antibiotics is harmful,
so also the overuse of disinfectants is counter-productive and should be
stopped. Kitchen sponges, washes, sprays all fall into this category.
Advertisements promoting the use
of disinfectant household items essentially prey on people's fear of germs
and bacteria. Advertisers use this fear to their advantage, and exploit
it as best as they can, urging you to buy that soap or that dishwashing
liquid to get rid of germs. Similarly, the growing use of cling film is
not a good sign. If you are gifting fruits and want to use cling film as
a wrap, do so by all means. It does make a basket of fruits look more appealing
and presentable. But if you pack your daily tiffin in cling film, you're
making a mistake. Similarly, aluminium foils are bad for health, so stop
packing your children's chappatis in cling film or foil.
Do you use commercial fabric softener?
Bin it, along with scented laundry detergents. You don't need the scented
stuff. Stick to non-scented detergents.
Finally, open all windows, and do
whatever you can to ensure that your home is well ventilated.
Three decades ago the major childhood
illnesses were measles, mumps and chicken pox. Now, the major childhood
illnesses are asthma, cancer and Attention Deficit Disorder. A strong link
has been found between increasing use of household chemical items and the
growth of ADD. Similarly, infertility rates are increasing. Research suggests
that one of the prime causes of infertility is the increasing use of pesticides
and detergents. The more commercial household cleaning brands are found
in a house, the more detergents and scented products found lying around,
the more the cases of ADD. Not many beggars on the street will be found
suffering from cancer, and not many of them apply perfume on a daily basis.
Food for thought?
