I can be a little neurotic sometimes when it comes to cleaning. What can I say? I love a clean house! But for all you gals like me who spend a lot of your free time scrubbing, polishing, spraying and sprucing up, this recent study published in the journal Environmental Health might be somewhat of an eye-opener.
Scientists looked at the cleaning habits of more than 1,500 women and found that those who used household cleaning products more often had a higher incidence of breast cancer—and that the worst culprits were air fresheners and products used to treat mold and mildew.
More than half of the women in the study had been diagnosed with breast cancer already (the others were healthy), and many admitted that the high amounts of chemicals in household cleaners could have contributed to their disease. I agree!
Really folks, I can’t speak enough about the dangers of those toxins that are lurking right in our very own homes. I know when we hear the word ‘toxins’ we immediately think about giant factories spewing out smoke, but the reality is that we don’t even have to leave the house to be at risk. These days our water, the food we eat, and yes—even the cleaning products we use can pose a serious threat to our bodies and our health.
My advice? Pay attention and read labels, and whenever you can, choose a safer, natural alternative to products made with harsh chemicals. There are so many good natural products out there, or you can even make your own! Because even though this study is one of the first of its kind and more research is planned, it’s enough to make you think twice before grabbing the shower cleaner and heading to the bathroom.