Renee, from Living, Laughing & Loving is my guest for today. She shares her testimony to Shaklee and why she decided to make the change to non-toxic cleaners.
I’ve been using some all natural Shaklee cleaning products for maybe a year or so now, but recently made the big leap to order lots more for most of our house cleaning needs.
I don’t know if this is true {as I know the skeptic haters out there will scoff that of course it is not} but when I read on the Shaklee sales pitch that something like 50% more Stay at Home Moms die of cancer than working moms because of the chemicals lingering the air from household cleaning products I decided it was worth it to go “all the way” with non toxic cleaners. According to this info, the chemicals can linger in the air a long time after they’re used and can also seep out of the bottles even when not in use.
To me, that’s scary. Especially since my three little ones and I are pretty much home all day, most days of the week breathing in those chemicals.
One other scary tidbit was that detergent is in your bloodstream 90 seconds after you put your clothes on! They can also do a urine test to determine the brand of laundry detergent you use. So, uh, that means… it’s in your blood, people.
One thing I REALLY like about Shaklee, is that while it seems pricey, it really is VERY CHEAP when you break it down. Most of their stuff is highly concentrated and there is a chart showing the comparisons between Shaklee and what you would buy in the store. It’s remarkable when you start comparing.
For example, ONE $12 bottle of this Basic H concentrate will make 48 GALLONS. I wasn’t kidding.
Another thing I like is that I can rest assured letting Haylee help me wipe counters and clean with it, without worrying about her seven year old body breathing in chemicals while she cleans.
I was shocked when I decided to google how safe or unsafe dryer sheets were before I decided whether I needed the shaklee ones or not.
Apparently I am ignorant because according to the articles I read, fabric softeners and dryer sheets are some of the most chemical filled and thereby toxic things out there. Who knew?
Here is my Shaklee stash…
I got…
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laundry detergent
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dish soap
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dryer sheets
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scour off {for heavy duty cleaning}
I already had…
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basic H concentrate
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spray bottles
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dishwasher detergent
After the goodies arrived, I went through the house pulling cleaners out from everywhere. I had quite a supply too which I’m not quite sure now what to do with. For the moment, I moved everything out to the storage building where this SAHM and my little brood can be a little bit safer from the fumes.
▼ SIDE NOTE…
Now, I know that we can’t protect ourselves and our loved ones from EVERYTHING bad out there, and I don’t pretend to think we can. BUT… if you actually stop to think about the logical conclusions of WHAT’S IN THOSE STRONG CLEANERS combined with the warnings right on the bottle about the harsh fumes etc, it might make you consider getting rid of the chemicals. Or, at least, maybe you won’t write me off as loony.
Maybe. 😉
Some people choose to just make their own cleaning supplies and while that’s great, for me Shaklee is just too affordable and too easy to go to all that trouble. I really wonder too if the homemade cleaners can make 48 gallons for $12.
Soooo, I’m certainly not judging anyone for using the “traditional” types of cleaners. I still used them even after I had heard bad things about them.
To each his own.
To me, this was something EASY that I could change and make a healthier home for the family. A lot of the other choices to be healthier are so MUCH harder, but this one was easy, so it made sense to do it!
*Thank you Renee. It’s great knowing that you have made the decision to remove toxic products from your home! The great blessing would be that the rest of the world followed suit… and greened up their environments as well.*UPDATE*I researched a little this morning, about the effects of household cleaners and cancer and found a couple sites that I thought had some good insight. Just a little food for thought. Keep in mind, this post is the opinion of Renee as I have done very little research about it. After reading a bit, I feel its definitely something I need to study up on, for my own family. I do know that switching out toxic household cleaners for Shaklees all natural non-toxic cleaners, is a step in the right direction.Household Products Database (You can look up your cleaner and see if it has toxic effects)EPA Healthy Homes: Reduce your risk
Organic vapors or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the EPA
Quoted from the EPA: “Organic vapors or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in many household products, including: paints; paint strippers and other solvents; wood preservatives; aerosol sprays; cleansers and disinfectants; moth repellents and air fresheners; stored fuels and automotive products; hobby supplies; and drycleaned clothing. VOCs vary in their potential to affect health. Possible health effects of exposure include: irritation to eyes, nose and throat; damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system; and cancer.
Action you can take:Look for safer alternatives and choose environmentally friendly products. If you must use products with VOCs, reduce your exposure by ventilating work areas and buying only the amount of product that you need. Take care to dispose of any unused products as directed and in a safe manner (for example, take advantage of municipal household hazardouswastecollection days).”
An article in my local newspaper:
My lovely Shaklee business leader, sent me this email today. (Thank you Jody). Below is the source to back up Renee’s statistics… Renee’s Source was Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990.Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The 15-year study concluded it was as a direct result of the much higher exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products.Here are more sources below, if you are interested. Here is a recent one that I find mind boggling;Toxic Chemicals Found in Cord Blood of Newbornshttp://www.suite101.com/content/toxic-chemicals-found-in-cord-blood-of-newborns-a218417There was even Senate Oversight Hearings on this just a few months agohttp://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/26/senate.toxic.america.hearing/index.htmlMore than 7 million accidental poisonings occur each year, with more than 75% involving children under age 6!
—The Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
According to the U.S. Poison Control Centers, “A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds at home…”
The Average American Uses about 25 Gallons of toxic, hazardous chemical products per year in their home…
A major portion of these can be found in household cleaning products.
—”Prosperity Without Pollution,”by Joel S. Hirschorn and Kirsten V. Oldenburg, 1991
Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The 15-year study concluded it was as a direct result of the much higher exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products.
—Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990
The toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.
– Environmental Protection Agency report in 1985
Cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today! By the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals!
—American Cancer Society
Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities.
—Consumer Product Safety Commission
Cancer rates have continued to increase every year since 1970. Brain cancer in children is up 40% in 20 years. Toxic chemicals are largely to blame.
—NY Times, September 29, 1997
When combined, chemicals are even more dangerous. Deadly fumes result from mixing ammonia with bleach (both found in many household products) creating lethal “mustard gas”!
—U.S. Government, E.P.A.
According to the National Research Council, no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products.
Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on labels, because companies classify their formulas as “trade secrets.”
—Lorie Dwornick, researcher, educator and activist, 2002
Unregulated air pollution has caused one in six children in the Central Valley of California to suffer from asthma. More than 5000 children in the San Joaquin Valley Air District are hospitalized each year for asthma. The death rate from respiratory diseases in the Imperial Valley — at times more than double that of the rest of the state. Up to 2.2 million Californians suffer from asthma.
—California’s State Department of Health Services
More than 32 million pounds of household cleaning products are poured down the drain each day nationwide. The toxic substances found in many of these are not adequately removed by sewage treatment plants. Guess what happens when these are returned to the rivers from which cities draw their drinking water?
—Spring 2002 Edition of CCA Newsletter Partners “Cleaning Without Toxic Chemicals”
- Within 26 seconds after exposure to chemicals such as cleaning products , traces of these chemicals can be found in every organ in the body.
- More than 1.4 million Americans exposed to household chemicals were referred to poison control centers in 2001. Of these, 824,000 were children under 6 years.
- A New York sanitation worker was killed in 1998 when a hazardous liquid in household trash sprayed his face and clothes.
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At any given time, there is 3.36 million tons of household hazardous waste to contend with in our country.
—Chec’s HealtheHouse,the resource for EnvironmentalHealth Risks Affecting Your Children
- In 1990, more than 4,000 toddlers under age four were admitted to hospital emergency rooms as a result of household cleaner-related injuries. That same year, three-fourths of the 18,000 pesticide-related hospital emergency room admissions were children.
- Over 80 percent of adults and 90 percent of children in the United States have residues of one or more harmful pesticides in their bodies.
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Petrochemical cleaning products in the home are easily absorbed into the skin. Once absorbed, the toxins travel to the blood stream and are deposited in the fatty tissues where they may exist indefinitely.
—“In Harm’s Way,” a study by “The Clean Water Fund” and“Physicians for Social Responsibility”May 11, 2000
I hope this clears the confusion about toxic household cleaners & spending most of your time as a stay at home mom or work at home mom. I think its time to clean up our environments. Don’t you?
guest post Posted in 12 comments
12 comments on “ABFOL reader: Shaklee Testimony”
Let me start off by saying that I love this blog.
But…
I find it irresponsible that a scary statistic like “50% more Stay at Home Moms die of cancer than working moms because of the chemicals lingering the air” is posted without a link to a legitimate study to back it up.
I went looking for the study on my own to find out if this claim was legit – I can’t find it on the internet. I’m not saying it’s not there, and I’m not saying it’s not true, but without the study, I can’t know for sure.
This blog is great – please don’t use it to disseminate unsubstantiated rumors.
I understand your concern with this, but this is a Shaklee testimony from a reader who has her own opinions. You can certainly email her to find out where she found the data. Thanks for your comment. Opinions are great!
~Toni
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Thanks for sharing about household cleaning products. I have shaklee products too. But use them once in a while. I use a different brand, also non-toxic. The one thing I can’t stop using at home is pine-sol, I use it for my tile floors. It is actually the only product I like for that job. I stop using bleach. I still have a gallon in the bathroom. I have to get rid of it.
Good testimony, however I have to agree with DPOgirl. It’s important to back up claims like this, both for the writer and to the publisher of the blog. I ran out of budget $$ when my phone shattered earlier this month so I can’t get started on Shaklee now 🙁 but I hope to soon! My other question is what to do with the leftover chemicals you have after you replace them? I found 2 full bottles of laundry detergent and 3 boxes of dryer sheets and I feel bad just throwing them away.
♥love your blog♥
Thanks for the followup Toni! Great job 🙂
Thank you Toni! I’ve been out all day and unable to respond. 🙂
I’m definitely no expert on the matter, but I actually got that quote from reading Toni’s Simply Shaklee Saturday posts. I did provide that link to back it up 2 paragraphs down under “one other scary tidbit.”
Also in my defense (haha) I did point out that I didn’t know if it was true and that I knew the skeptics wouldn’t believe it! 🙂
Just looking at the warning labels provided ON THE BOTTLE are enough to make me wonder how it could be affecting our health… especially long term.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to guest post! Sorry I stirred up some confusion!
Renee, No confusion at all! I think this is great. We all now have sites to back up the reasons why we are wanting to switch to non-toxic cleaners in the first place. 🙂 Its a great thing. I appreciate your great blog post. It was a perfect testimony:)
Toni
This is EXACTLY why I am making a HUGE lifestyle change. CANCER SUCKS!! I am a stay at home mom with 3 kids and 30 years old. I am excited to get my product soon, thanks for the additional information!
thanks for the info…we’ve already switched to all natural cleaners and laundry soap but the one thing I can’t seem to replace is windex for mirrors and windows. Nothing “natural” seems to work….what do you use?
Hello- Great Post- I too am a Shaklee Distributor and a few of our team members actually offer a service that if you buy the Get Clean Kit we will pick up your old cleaning products and take them to the City Hazardous Waste Facility- That is right- You Can NOT just throw them in the garbage, you have to take them to the HAZARDOUS WASTE- Just that alone scared me when I first began- ha!
PS Basic H2 to me is my Ranch Dressing- I use it on everything- My Mirrors & Windows and really anything that can have a shine certainly does have a beautiful shine now!
The link about cord blood with newborns doesn’t work. I’d like to see that! Thanks for the information!!