Green Homes in South Africa
Making Your Home A 'Green' Home.
By Glenn Ashton.
This Green Home article first appeared in the SA Journal of Natural Medicine
(Natural Medicine), South Africa, in January 2008.
January 2008
Just what is a 'green' home? Since there is a certain degree of
latitude to the term Green Home it is probably useful to provide a definition.
'Green' - as far as this article is concerned - means clean,
unpolluted, free of toxins and dangerous residues, substances and
materials that may be harmful to anybody or anything living in close
proximity to them.
From this we can take it that a green home ideally is one which is
chemical free, pollution free, that uses no noxious materials for
clothing, bedding or furniture. All cleaning materials should be free
of toxic chemicals. No heavy metals should be present. A green home is
an ideal that we all wish for but that is difficult to attain, no
matter how dedicated, informed or conscious we may be.
Accordingly, this short article will try to point you in the right
directions to shift towards a green home. The rest of the world may
stewing itself in its own toxic soup but it appears wise to at least
keep our home and haven safe for our children, our family and
ourselves.
Chemicals everywhere.
I was recently wandering down my leafy neighbourhood lanes to find a
local resident determinedly spraying a can of deathly chemicals on her
kerbside roses. I enquired whether she was trying to kill the roses.
The response was that there was an outbreak of whitefly or greenfly or
aphids or some other nasty bug that required a chemical warfare
solution. It was also suggested that I should perhaps mind my own
business.
I gently replied that it might indeed be our collective business if
people apply inappropriate amounts of chemicals to our communal
environment. Some may consider that I over-reacted. However the point
remains that if we do make a stand, then there is little chance of
changing the destructive human habits. This little example shows just
how out of touch many people remain in this age.
Green Homes: What to Avoid?
We are surrounded by chemicals. Just how do we limit our exposure?
First, be aware and beware. Read the labels on all cleaners,
chemicals, soaps and household products. Try to use naturally based
cleaners whenever possible - there are increasingly large ranges of
these products available, some greenwash, some really green. So read
and understand those labels!
Avoid perfumed or antibacterial chemicals in your home. These may
contain hormone-disrupting chemicals which can affect children and
adults in unpredictable ways. They can for instance increase cancer
risk and endocrine system disruption, not only of people but of all
living things. The smaller the creature, the greater the effect - the
same goes with humans. Young people are far more susceptible than
adults.
There are many natural substitutes for potent chemical cleaners that
do the job just as well and often better. And often at a lower cost!
* Do you know that tomato sauce makes a great copper cleaner?
* Did you know that good old-fashioned vinegar and bicarbonate of
soda (baking powder) are wonderful cleaners?
* Vinegar cleans toilets very well and also removes scale from
kettles and plumbing.
* Bicarb removes smells from fridges and carpets - just scatter it
on smelly carpets brush in and vacuum off after a few hours.
* Lemon juice is another good cleaner and has a far nicer smell
than vinegar - grow your cleaner on a tree in your garden!
* Essential oils such as tea tree and rosemary are potent
anti-bacterials, as is vinegar.
* More at http://www.natural-healthy-home-cleaning-tips.com/
There is also a family of chemicals derived from fossil fuels, known
as petrochemicals. Included amongst these are many soaps and
detergents but more worrying are the volatile organic chemicals or
VOC's. These include toxic chemicals like benzene, thinners and
toluene. Some of these are used in dry cleaning. It is best to avoid
dry cleaning whenever possible - rather buy clothes made from washable
materials.
Other chemicals are used to manufacture synthetic materials like
curtains, floors and materials like vinyl. Many of these are known
carcinogens such as PVC and should be avoided. Many cheap carpets and
glues contain these. Curtains and upholstery fabrics are often treated
with toxic fire retardant chemicals. Again, use natural, untreated
alternatives, which usually last far longer anyway.
Ii is especially inadvisable to start redecorating ones home when
pregnant or breastfeeding. It is also wise to avoid repainting during
this time. In South Africa lead is still allowed in paints for some
strange reason. Many paints such as acrylic emulsions and gloss paints
have toxic petro-chemical components that are both released
immediately as well as being gradually emitted over time. Again there
are many natural replacements for these and certain manufacturers are
making paints and varnishes that are marked to be free of lead.
It is notable that many particle boards such as chipboard and
laminated woods use phenolic glues that emit toxins for years,
especially when hot. Avoid these and rather use natural non-chemically
treated wood.
What about the creeply crawlies?
How do we avoid using poisons in our homes to get rid of bugs? Many of
us simply reach for the poison aerosol when the ants invade or the
flies arrive with the summer heat.
It is far wiser to use baited traps for bugs. Many of these can be
made from readily available and relatively benign substances. For
instance cockroaches can be readily eliminated by using a mixture of
borax (boracic acid) and condensed milk, mixed into a paste and rolled
into balls. These balls, placed in the back of cupboards wipe out
cockroaches rapidly.
Red top fly traps are also chemical free, they are just a bit smelly,
so use them away from your house and this keeps the flies away!
There is an increasing availability of organic pesticides. But just
because something is labelled organic does not mean it is completely
harmless. Many organic pesticides are toxic but they break down more
readily and are not as damaging to the environment as the persistent
chemicals they replace.
Some everyday things that we should avoid.
We all wonder what we did before the non-stick frying pan. I can tell
you - we used butter or oil on cast iron skillets. I still do because
there is a significant body of proof that the perfluorinated chemicals
like Teflon - also used in stain resistant and waterproof fabrics -
are persistent and toxic compounds. I would suggest that all non-stick
cookware be ditched, given the increasing indications of danger.
Nanotechnology is another field of concern. We are seeing more use of
nano-particles, particles so small they are able to readily cross the
skin or the blood-brain barrier. For this reason I would suggest care
with the application of sunblocks and other cosmetics that use these
substances. Don't try to be first with nanotech stuff - let someone
else test it first!
Cosmetics are a field of study all on their own. Many are so packed
with questionable chemicals that they best left alone. Even if they
are not toxic some of the ingredients like solidified animal fats in
lipsticks are so disgusting that they hardly seem kissable!
The simple way towards a green home.
As I said at the start, it is not an easy journey to live a clean
green life, even in the haven of our home. It takes concentration and
application to avoid the nasties that our industrial chemical society
has surrounded us with.
As always I suggest staying simple. Use natural substitutes for
chemical cleaners whenever possible. If the chemical product is
essential, use as little as possible. Avoid the particularly nasty
families of chemicals such as petrochemicals and pesticides
altogether. Avoid cling wraps and silicone baking sheets. Avoid using
plastics in microwaves. Avoid microwaves for that matter!
In short keep it simple, organic, natural and as close to nature as
possible. You will save money, your family will thank you and the
world will too! Green is forever!
Some local sources of healthy green home products
Citrofresh - http://www.citrofresh.com/
Enchantrix - http://www.enchantrix.co.za/
Natural Kids - http://www.naturalkids.co.za
Triple orange - http://www.tripleorange.co.za/
Urban sprout http://www.urbansprout.co.za/directory/offering/cleaning+products/*
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