Tips On Cleaning ~ Avoiding & Reducing Toxins

Bleach as a surface cleaner is probably one of the strongest disinfectants, and one of the few that will kill the Hep C virus. But bleach cannot be used on most textiles. Plus it has it’s own health hazards with regards to fumes and is an irritant to the skin.

There are many less harmful methods, such as the use of essential oils with anti viral and anti bacterial properties. Neem and tea tree oil are also good for cleaning surfaces. A drop or two can also be added to the wash.

One thing most bugs cannot stand is extreme heat and extreme cold. So before you store away your wool coats and sweaters, consider steaming them. There are commercial steamers that do not take up much space, and work very well, not only for steaming the wrinkles out of a blouse, but for steaming most garments, drapes, couches, bedding etc.

In some cases, I steam and then freeze an item. The rule of thumb is to put the textile in the freezer for 24 hours. I put it in a plastic container so it does not absorb odours or contaminate anything, and just leave it there for a day or two.

On a personal level, I am not convinced that masks are the answer. For one thing they get moist from the breath. One thing you will know if you have ever had abdominal surgery, is that on the day you take the post-op shower, you are told to call the nurse as soon as you get out, so that the bandage is changed. The reason for this is because once a bandage is wet, it is no longer effective.

The permeability of microbes through wet or moist masks or bandages is one factor, but also the re-breathing of the microbes and slight change in O2 concentration might be worse than wearing no mask at all. The other thing is that most paper or home made masks are not a tight enough weave to filter microbes.

Front line workers wear masks that are properly fitted and of better quality. Ideally there should be a different mask worn for each patient treatment, but I’m not sure if that is the case. Maybe when they do patient care, the mask should be put on the patient instead, which is probably already the case.

Whether you choose to wear a mask in public or not – it might also be helpful to do some research on essential oils with antimicrobial properties. The ones that come to mind, other than the well known and exceptional qualities of oregano oil, are cypress oil, thyme and marjoram. These can be dabbed on your nostrils before going out in public. You can also add a few drops to coconut oil and use as a hand cream.

Frequent hand washing can damage the surface of the skin, leading to chapped hands, cracked skin and bleeding. Obviously this is not ideal. Hand sanitizers are useful when out and about, but they contain alcohol and are very drying to the skin.

The skin is the bodies largest organ, and the integrity of the skin is an important barrier to protect us against infection. Not all things are equal when it comes to what we put on our skin. It gets absorbed into the body.

While we are still in the stay at home mode – it is worthwhile to research and evaluate household products, make up and skin creams. Some of the most expensive make up lines are ironically, also the most toxic.

Personally, I don’t think it is a good idea to slather any kind of cream on large areas of the body, with the exception of coconut or olive oil, which are good carriers for essential oils.

Our bodies are well prepared to protect us, from filtering the air to the protective layers of the skin. When combined with a whole food diet, fresh air, exercise and plenty of sleep – the immune system does a fantastic job of dealing with pathogens.

We cannot completely eliminate the exposure to microbes, pollens, mildew, viruses, bacteria, dust, etc. But, we can have confidence that overcoming these threats on a personal level and regaining confidence in our interactions with the world around – is a good thing.

Enjoy the sun and Happy Mother’s Day!