4 提示 for Keeping Carcinogens out of your Home

The reality is, when it comes to carcinogens, there’s no way to avoid them ALL. Instead, it’s about finding balance and living a cleaner lifestyle where you can. 幸运的是, your home is a place where reducing carcinogens is easily within your control. So don’t feel alarmed, and let’s go through some super simple ways to do just that. 

但首先，什么是致癌物? 基本上, 这是一个很大的, scary word for a substance that has the potential to cause cancer in living tissue. But carcinogens do not cause cancer in every case, 一直以来, and they can have very different levels of cancer-causing potential. Even the strongest carcinogens don’t raise the risk of all types of cancer. (来源: 美国十大彩票网赌平台协会). 

仍然, we believe in helping people live cleaner by reducing harmful chemicals in their home, and that includes limiting exposure to carcinogens. 让我们开始吧.  

购买有机水果和蔬菜

Did you know that certain pesticides used in conventional farming contain carcinogens like arsenic, 环氧乙烷和林丹? That’s why buying organic is often the way to go. Organic farming only uses pesticides as a last resort, and they’re typically based in a natural product. For example, bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (or B.t.) is an organic insecticide that’s derived from several species of plants related to daisies.

While it may not be possible to buy entirely organic due to cost and accessibility, you can limit your intake by focusing on the “肮脏的打” – a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that are the most likely to have harmful chemicals. 当然，我们总是推荐我们的 有机果蔬清洗液 for removing dirt, wax, and other contaminants. 

重新考虑你的清洁工

Conventional cleaners may not be as clean as you think, and many contain known carcinogens. Let’s talk about a few of the biggest offenders and how you can avoid them. 首先是1,4-二氧六烷. 1,4-dioxane occurs when ethoxylated surfactants are used, which means they often show up in soaps and detergents. 虽然你永远不会在标签上看到它, you can avoid it by passing on any products that contain ingredients that end in “-eth,” such as laureth-6 or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), Ceteareth或steareth.

第二种是乙醇胺. Ethanolamines are surfactants and emulsifiers that break down into carcinogenic toxins called nitrosamines. They’re often found in laundry detergents and surface cleaners. 幸运的是, they’re easy to avoid since most ethanolamine compounds contain either TEA, DEA或MEA的化学名称, 如可卡因DEA. 

最后是甲醛. Formaldehyde is present in many household products, despite not being listed on most labels. 不像前两种成分, 没有深入研究每种成分, it can be nearly impossible to recognize the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives found in common cleaners. Your best bet when shopping is to look for a “formaldehyde-free” claim on the bottle (we put ours right on the front!). 

If you want to learn more about the harmful chemicals in conventional cleaners, visit our “有害物质” page. It has everything you need to know on avoiding no-good ingredients.  

减少室内烟尘

蜡烛爱好者抱歉了, but burning even soy-based candles has a chance of adding harmful soot into the air. Soot is a type of particle matter that contains carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). While candles are the biggest indoor offender, gas furnaces can also be a cause. 根据一项抽样调查500人的研究,在116个不同的城市里，000名美国人, prolonged exposure to soot can increase the risk of lung cancer. (来源: 斯坦福大学.edu) Avoid any activities in your home that would contribute to adding unnecessary soot to the air and be wary of artificial fragrances and perfumes that can also contain unlisted carcinogens. If you’re still missing some of your favorite scents, may we recommend planting 其中之一 在你家附近? Beautiful, natural, and of course, very fragrant. 

家具与甲醛

Sadly, formaldehyde is not just used in cleaning products. It’s also used in the manufacture of building materials. While governments and companies are becoming wiser to the detriments of formaldehyde in wood glues, it’s still important to pay attention to the furniture you bring into your home. Be careful when buying polywood, pressed wood, or particle board-based furniture. These products often use glues that contain formaldehyde. And when in doubt, your best bet is to purchase or thrift solid wood furniture. While more expensive, it’ll last longer and be less likely to contain harmful chemicals. 

Considering how often they pop up in everyday products, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the task of reducing carcinogens in your home. Just take it one step at a time, and remember every little bit of progress helps. If you’d like more information on carcinogens and how to identify them, head to our 安全清洁 page and take a look at our “有害物质” list (as mentioned earlier). That’s where we share the 500+ ingredients we promise to never use, as well as ways to identify some of the biggest offenders. 毕竟, 我们相信你知道的越多, the more power you have to create a clean and healthy home for you and your family.