"Flying" into Summer?

Summer’s almost here, and by the time it comes, most of us are thinking barbecues and garden parties, sun screen and skimpy frocks, floppy hats and footwear, and a host of other fabulous individual things that represent for each and every one of us, the very best bits of summer.     

But the happy sunshine season also brings pestilence in the form of BUGS - wasps, flies, mosquitoes and other insects - that worry or annoy us in various degrees.  The ads on the telly start early, planting the seed that we need be ready to deal with summer pests before they even dare to set wing or crawly foot inside our homes. So the supermarkets gird their loins and brace themselves for the inevitable landslide of people waving money at them for bug spray. 

But what are they buying?  Yes, okay, a pest destructing, bug-busting device in an aerosol can, and there is no doubt whatsoever that it works.  We've all seen flies in their fizzing death throes on the windowsills or bashing at the glass in a vain attempt to get out as their bodies become paralyzed mid flight.  I find it hard to tolerate wasps, flies and other flying/crawling threats to my environment myself, but the idea of condemning them to an agonized death with chemicals is an uncomfortable one for me, and not only because I believe that no living creature deserves to die in agony.  I also know – beyond all doubt – that an aerosol of fly spray, while quick and effective – is potentially lethal to human and pet health too.  Some of the documented effects are almost too horrible to describe.

But, bug-busters, please bear with me while I try. 

The main active ingredient in most of the mainstream bug sprays available from supermarkets is a chemical called Permethrin, a strong synthetic pesticide, which can cause dangerous symptoms in humans with prolonged or excessive exposure. It is is also used to treat human head and body lice, keep crops pest-free and protect animals from ticks and fleas.  The chemicals kill insects by blocking the transmission of messages in the nervous system. The human nervous system is less susceptible to these chemicals both because of our larger size and because humans and many other mammals have detox mechanisms to help rid the body of these chemicals. However, recent studies indicate that prenatal and infant exposure may lead to cognitive and developmental problems later on.

Low-level exposure is (apparently?) not generally an issue, but ingestion and inhalation of large amounts of this substance can be dangerous.  When it comes into contact with the skin, it produces a burning and tingling sensation. If it enters the eyes, Permethrin generally causes an intense burning. In such cases, experts recommend repeated washing of the eyes for a full 30 minutes after exposure and seeking medical attention. Ingestion of this chemical is associated with severe abdominal symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, and inhalation can cause respiratory distress and coughing. Prolonged exposure can have different poisoning symptoms than acute exposure. Those who work with this chemical on a daily basis sometimes begin to experience neurological symptoms with side effects such as tremors, headaches and a tingling sensation in the fingers and toes. If exposure persists, more severe neurological effects, such as memory loss and/or seizures, can occur. Proper precautions, such as the use or respiratory masks and hazard suits, should be taken by all of those who regularly exposed to Permethrin, and that’s all well and good, but the average householder running around with a can of fly spray doesn't usually think about such precautions.  The rationale is that it’s a quick burst of spray.  But whether that constitutes a little or a lot of exposure is debatable, depending on the volume and frequency, and we run the risk of making potentially life-threatening assumptions about individual tolerance levels of different sized humans and animals who stand to be affected by the toxic effects.  In the distant past, as I’m seriously arachnophobic, I've sprayed what some might regard as an excessive amount of bug spray at a spider and almost choked to death at roughly the same speed as I felt my eyeballs being singed and stripped of their membranes.  If I’d persevered with doing that every day, or even just once a week, every week for however many years, maybe I’d be dead by now, or suffering from some irreversible form of neurological damage.  It doesn't bear thinking about.

Although they are modelled on the naturally occurring pyrethrin which is found in chrysanthemum flowers, synthetic pyrethroids are more toxic to animals and humans, and much longer-lasting in the environment.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that permethrin, as one member of the pyrethroid class in particular, is likely to be carcinogenic to humans. Young children are particularly at risk as they are in constant contact with surfaces that may have been treated and frequently put their hands in their mouths. People can also absorb the chemicals through the skin while bathing a pet or from lice shampoos.

Putting pyrethroids to one side for a moment, bug sprays contain other powerful toxins too, such as DICHLOROVOS, which has been found to contain carcinogenic properties, and various other organophosphate compounds which, through a specific chemical process, cause the flying creature’s muscles to “lock up”, thereby paralyzing its ability to breathe or fly.  As humans, we inhale it and repeated use of it enables the toxic chemicals to accumulate in our body, and the jury is still well and truly out as to whether our biological systems really ARE capable of breaking them down and successfully eliminating them.  So without knowing that we can, why take the gamble? And even if we knew we could, what have our poor little livers done to deserve such a vicious attack?  Why would we put our bodies through a process which is not only potentially life threatening, but completely unnecessary?

There’s also an ongoing debate about whether exposure to fly spray and other home and garden pesticides significantly increases the chance of contracting Parkinson’s disease, which is incurable and neurologically degenerative.  Parkinson's occurs due to a loss of nerve cells in the brain, and the symptoms emerge when around 70% of cells have been lost.  While it’s not known why these nerve cells die, research suggests that people exposed to insecticides in the home are 70 percent more likely to develop Parkinson's than those who have not been exposed.  That’s a pretty high percentage.  And, while no specific guidelines regarding avoidance of pesticides can be given, we do have to acknowledge that this is an area of public health importance that needs to be pursued with additional studies to either underpin or refute its findings, because it’s about human and animal health, and few things are more serious, in reality.  

There is also evidence to suggest that the use of insecticides produces various nerve problems and leukaemia.  A study conducted in the USA in 2002 (read about it here) showed that the use of professional pest control during prenatal or the first three years of a child’s life was at least twice as high for families whose children had leukaemia compared to families of healthy children. Overall, children with leukaemia were almost three times as likely to have been exposed at one of those points compared with healthy children. That is really scary.

So, on lots of levels, there is deeply serious concern about the use of pesticides around children.  One particularly hideous case was that of a newborn baby boy in Spain, who lived with his family in a house with a severe cockroach infestation. The mother used a full litre bottle of bug spray every other day, to try to keep the bugs under control. The father worked in an orchard as a fruit fly fumigator and was careful to change his clothes before he came home from work. The baby boy was born with his bladder outside his body, rather than inside it, and his blood tested positive for Permethrin, the horror we’ve already talked about here. This incredibly nasty substance mimics estrogen in developing female babies and works as an anti-testosterone in developing male babies. When an embryo is exposed to chemicals in this class during the fifth to seventh weeks of pregnancy, the "plumbing" of the urogenital tract fails to form.  The bladder can remain outside the body, and the genital organs may be replaced by an open cavity, even when the child is genetically male. Baby girls can develop normal external genitalia but may suffer reproductive failure later in life.

Most of us adore our cherished pets.  We need to remember that they can’t tell us if they are suffering, they simply have to hope that we notice, and if we’re really busy we may not, straight away.  Insecticides of all kinds, including aerosol bug sprays, are desperately dangerous to pets, including fish, since the sprayed substance floats on top of the water and leaches poison into it. Although dogs can to some degree detoxify these chemicals, cats are more susceptible and can suffer tremors, twitching, convulsions and even death, if pyrethroid-containing products designed to rid them of their own parasites are misused or over-used.  Birds don’t stand much of a chance at all, since their bodies, lungs and membranes are so small and fragile.

And here’s another little nugget: in addition to all this, spraying fly spray in a poorly ventilated area renders the atmosphere explosive, and there are documented cases of people having incinerated their homes by using heavy amounts of fly spray and then having an innocuous spark (e.g. from a computer or light bulb) act as a detonator.  It’s a rare phenomenon, obviously, as there would otherwise be more general knowledge about it, but the fact that it happens at all raises serious questions about the sensibility of having something with that kind of capability in the house, particularly when there are safe and easy alternatives.

So given all of the above, do we seriously want to run this kind of risk, simply to get rid of a few flies? My answer is no.

The other worrying thing that tends to fly under the radar of most people is the fact that empty aerosol cans of bug spray are classifiable as hazardous waste.   Such items can't be thrown in the garbage or down the drain -- the residue just ends up in a river, or other mainstream waterway. And if you're on septic tanks, those chemicals can kill the good bugs in your tanks that effectively process your septic waste. Even if it ends up in a landfill, pesticide can leach out and find its way into drinking water supplies. Burying hazardous waste is also inadvisable, unless you want to turn your garden into a toxic waste dump, especially if you unwittingly combine certain chemicals that have the potential to create an explosive or corrosive compound.  The typical household accumulates, over time, bug spray, drain cleaner, old paint, used motor oil, swimming or spa pool chemicals, old lighter fluid, nail polish and remover, old batteries, rat poison, unused electronic items, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), and dozens of other ordinary consumer products that are hazardous to people and the environment.  Most of us do accumulate toxic and hazardous material simply by just shopping like ordinary people, and as yet some of it cannot be realistically avoided, so how we use and dispose of it all is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with responsibly.  The easiest and safest solution for the disposal of toxic waste is to gather it up and take it to your local hazardous waste disposal centre every few months. And, obviously, exploring the safer options that currently are available for certain hazardous products makes more sense from the outset.

Flies and bugs are usually in a habit of living and nesting in unhygienic conditions. Keeping your home and the outside area clear of any decaying or rotting material will make a huge difference to the amount of pests that are attracted to your environment. Any leftover food which could decompose should be disposed of quickly.  It can be composted or recycled in whatever other way is possible in line with your council’s recycling policies.  Tea Tree oil combined with water and sprayed around doors and windows can deter spiders, ants and other crawling insects from making an entrance or hanging around.  Fresh basil, bay leaves, lavender and mint grown in pots within the home can repel flying insects.   Plastic soft drink bottles with the tops off, half filled with a solution of sugar and water and placed on windowsills where wasps and fruit flies tend to hang out, will attract them and they will drown in the solution. Sticky fly paper is environmentally friendly, and so are small household electric "insectocutors", which entice files to them to be instantly electrocuted.  If you're big into plants, a Venus Flytrap can be a godsend.  If you have bees in your house, make every effort to guide them back into the garden, or leave windows open to enable them to find their own way out, as these little workhorses are our greatest environmental allies. It’s also possible, for a small but worthwhile long term investment, to get some insect screens for your doors and windows so you can enjoy the fresh air without the creepy crawlies.  Remember though, that not all crawlies are obnoxious. Some do add good value to your home.  As much as I hate spiders, those who can tolerate them are advised to let them be.  I can't believe I'm saying that, but I have to be honest about it.  For the most part, ugly and disgusting and terrifying as I find spiders to be, they are our household friends. 

When it comes to pets, there are less toxic treatments and chemical-free care products available to help you manage issues with fleas, ticks, mites and skin problems and you can use a flea comb to remove fleas.  Using pesticides really ought to be a last resort. With any pesticide, it’s critical to read package labels, follow the instructions to the letter, and use the least amount possible. Although cats are susceptible to pyrethroids, the chemicals are still used in cat treatments, so do read the labels before you buy anything.  Online sites offer great alternatives (such as this one here).

If you need professional help to safely eliminate household pests, try googling green providers who can offer a chemical free or low-risk solution.

You CAN protect your family – all of its members – by giving some real thought to what you purchase in your efforts to eliminate pests this summer.  The pesticides so cheaply available on the supermarket shelves are an effective "quick-fix", but at what long-term cost?

The Silent Stalker...

Don’t we just love the fragrance of a meadow full of flowers?  The smell of freshly ironed linen will always make us smile, and so will a sea breeze.  Lavender is good for the nerves.  Lemon makes us feel fresh.  Our sense of smell enables us to associate different fragrances with happy memories and feelings.  Whenever I smell almonds I’m reminded of a time in my life when I was much younger, far more carefree and very, very happy.  I fell in love with the smell of the shampoo I was using at the time.  It was no more complicated than that!  You can’t buy it anymore, and it’s probably just as well, because heaven knows what was actually in it, and waaaay back then, I didn't care all that much about what I was putting onto my skin or hair.  Nowadays I do, and the smell of something – no matter how lovely it might be - is no longer enough to make me want to use it.  I've learned that some of these “lovely” products are in fact silent stalkers waiting to wrap their vicious, take-no-prisoners tentacles around our health and well-being, and tear it away from us.

Melodramatic?  With respect, not really - because a day or two ago I saw something on the happy social spectrum that is facebook, that actually made me want to cry, and I feel compelled to write about it.  It was a picture of a beautiful, soft, gentle grey cat that had accidentally knocked over a container of reed diffuser, and suffered the most horrific burns to his little body.  His owners had washed him immediately, and felt that he wasn't in any particular distress, but a few days later he was in agony, because washing the oils from the diffuser liquid hadn’t been enough to stop them from leaching into his skin and burning his body.  It would have been a hundred times worse if they hadn't noticed straight away or tried to wash what they could from his body.  They were, of course, completely distraught at what had happened to their poor beautiful pet, and rightly so.  The diffuser went into the trash, where it rightly belongs, and they will never have something like that in their home again.  It’s a hard learned, horrible lesson, but at least now it’s something their pets and their children are no longer at risk from. 

Its worth noting that the air fresheners that are infiltrating your air with unseen chemicals are also coating your pets' fur or feathers, and they regularly clean themselves, so the implications are that they are ingesting the stuff, with no choice about the matter at all.

Another friend posted on facebook that some of the liquid from her car freshener had leaked onto the dashboard and caused the surface to blister.  Her question was: “what does it do to skin?”

What an excellent question!  And I’ll tell you the answer.  If this picture of the cat isn't graphic enough, here are a few more details about the silent menace that is definitely NOT your friend:

Air fresheners are an unregulated range of substances that appear on supermarket shelves and in cleaning company catalogues in various different forms: aerosols, timed sprays, plug-ins, reed diffusers, scented gels and candles, and solid blocks that gradually emit fragrance over time while they shrink in the process.  Some of them are even made up to look ornamental, fitting in with different home decor to look like they belong there.  People, they SO don’t!!!

In their different forms, air fresheners typically interfere with your ability to smell accurately, and they do this by releasing nerve-deadening agents or invisible oil films that coat your nasal passages.  Dichlorobenzene, for example, which is as horrible as it sounds, having chlorine as its base, which is scary enough for a totally separate blog, actually...  Methoxychlor; a pesticide that can accumulate in fat cells and depress the central nervous system, is a common agent in air fresheners, and in high doses (like if you have a scented plug-in in every room of the house) methoxychlor (and other associated 'thalates') can compromise fertility and cause tremors or convulsions in animals.  It is one of a large number of chemicals that can mimic the action of hormones and interfere with endocrine function.  Air fresheners can also contain formaldehyde, which is a highly toxic carcinogen used to preserve dead bodies and various organs for scientific research.  Other delightful ingredients like toluene, which is used to increase the life and flexibility of plastic, can compromise a healthy functioning nervous system. Naphthalene affects red blood cells that carry oxygen, potentially causing cardiovascular and developmental dysfunction, particularly in children.  And as for the question about what happens to skin that comes in contact with air freshener liquid?  Look at the cat, then think child, face, arms, hands, skin.  Air fresheners contain an incredibly nasty chemical called Phenol, which was probably responsible for that lovely animal’s burns, if it wasn't acetone.  Think phenol, think  burns, peeling, swelling and painful hives, circulatory collapse and even coma.  Yes, really.  I’m not kidding. Some air fresheners also contain limonene and/or ethanol, which are recognized carcinogens.  

I’m not here to scare you, I’m just telling it straight.  You have this stuff in your house, this is the risk you are taking with the family’s health.  Pure and simple.

(Click here to read the story about how a simple citrus air freshener scarred this little girl so horribly.)

Given that information, think about how, exactly, we can realistically expect chemically-scented fragrances and/or aerosols propelled by butane, propane or other toxins to create an indoor environment of “fresh air”.  How does that work? Well, that’s a question there ISN'T an answer for. . . unless it’s to say that it DOESN’T!  Not in any way, shape or form.  All these chemical "deodorizers" or chemical air "fresheners" do is overlay existing odours with unseen chemicals that very cleverly trick the olfactory system into believing they have been eliminated.  They do the absolute opposite of improving the quality of indoor air, unless you count nausea, headaches, racing pulse and watery, itchy eyes and the development or exacerbation of asthma, to name a few of the triggered ailments, as improvements.

Nope?  Thought not. 

I'm not going to say much more about it, because the reasons why we should be thinking "BARGEPOLE!!" about these olfactory wolves in sheep's clothing are all here, and they are yucky enough without me repeating anything or asking any more questions.  What I will do now is talk about alternatives to actively inviting the spectre of agony, and quick routes to an early death, into your house.

In my domestic cleaning business (Darlings Who Do Limited), we're 'chemical free'.  Prima facie, that's a bit of a misnomer, since everything - even water - is a chemical, but what we really mean in our description of what we do is that we bring into your house, along with our top quality microfiber cloths,  just two products - both natural - and that's all we need, to clean your house and make it smell fresh and lovely.  If you have us there to clean your oven, we use an oven cleaning paste that contains nothing but natural ingredients and essential oils.  Its lovely (and 100% safe) for our staff to use, its lovely for your oven since there's no carcinogenic residue to taint your food, and its lovely for you, to have a safe and pleasant natural fragrance in your kitchen.  Our all-purpose cleaning fluid also contains all natural ingredients and anti-bacterial essential oils, so that there's no question of your family being put at risk.

You can do the same for yourself, when it comes to having a nice smelling home.  Obviously the first thing is to actively eliminate any existing challenges to a fragrant home, such as mould, stale and uncleared food, unwiped spills, musty rooms, unwashed pets and their habitats within the home, and a lack of fresh air.  Keeping things clean is the best weapon against unwelcome odours - and we can certainly help you with that!  Allowing sunlight into a room is the quickest way to lifting lingering odours, and opening a window on a sunny day will double the positive effects.  Washing fabrics (i.e. curtains, cushions, sofas) and carpets regularly to keep them fresh will also help significantly, as will ensuring that your vacuum cleaner is clean, dry, and regularly emptied so you don't end up battling with that "stinky vacuum cleaner" syndrome that plagues a lot of people and permeates their houses!

Silk flowers benefit from having a few drops of essential oils put into them.  You can make or buy plain pot pourri to then infuse with your own chosen essential oils, and you can buy candles that are fragranced with natural oils, or buy plain ones and put the oils into them yourself.  Burners with tea lights work beautifully with essential oils, to fragrance a room (provided they are not left unattended and are placed in safe areas where little fingers and paws can't reach them), and fresh flowers with a nice fragrance are a winner every time. 

Get the kids to cut some nice shapes from thick cardboard and decorate them, then place a few drops of the essential oils you love the most onto them, thread some cotton through a hole in the top and put them in your car.  They'll work well in their bedrooms too.  I keep a little muslin bag of fresh lavender in my car.  A pretty dish of real, fresh lavender, revived with a few drops of the essential oil from time to time to keep it working, is nice in a living room.  In your kitchen, warm spices work well.  Cinnamon is great, if you like it, and so are herbs.  I keep a small pot of fresh basil on my kitchen windowsill.  In the loo, a simple box of matches works wonders!!  A small, quick flame from a lighted match is enough to immediately diffuse the unpleasant smell of hydrogen sulphide.

There are plenty of natural solutions to bad odours.  For example, did you know that putting a cut lemon in your fridge will eliminated any existing odours?  Its true.  As a quick fix, it will work for a good fortnight, until you can find enough time to clean the fridge out properly, or get someone to come and do it for you.

Whether we like it or not, we live in a quick-fix, instant gratification culture, where we want what we want, "RIGHT NOW".  My last question is, what price will we really pay, for that fast fragrance?  Forget the actual price tag, because that's really just the tip of a very deep iceberg.  Taking a little time, using a little creativity, and making the conscious decision to be more responsible about how safe our environments are is something we are all capable of doing to ensure we, our children, our animals and our friends don't end up paying the ultimate price of safety, health and well-being simply by sharing the environment we somewhat ironically attempt to create as an inviting and welcoming one.  I'm not going to ask the question "why aren't we doing it?"...

The one big question everyone else needs to ask themselves is whether or not the quick fix of a fast-acting synthetically produced fragrance is worth the associated risks, and only the individual can answer it.  It would be a harder question to answer if we didn't have so many lovely natural alternatives.  We do, though - and they are there for the taking.   

These days, I order essential oils and I stay away from the air fresheners aisle at the supermarket (click here if you'd like to order some for your home).  Like everyone else, I love my home to smell clean and nice, and I'm having a lot of fun with different combinations of natural products and ingredients to achieve that result.  Mother Nature gives use everything we need.  Its up to us to choose whether or not to use her gifts.  They are many and varied, and far less harmful to our health than lab-created, synthetic counterparts that have no place in a happy, healthy, loving, caring home.  Do be aware however, that some essential oils are not skin-kind in concentrated form.  They can sting a bit, and when applied to the skin they need to be added to what's called a "carrier" oil to be fully safe, so do keep them out of harms reach, and always use them correctly, in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

Interestingly, I also researched breath fresheners,and was very alarmed to learn that according to the green watchdog "Good Guide" (click here for the link), one of the biggest and most popular providers of oral hygiene products currently offers a product that "contains problematic, banned or contaminated ingredients".  They gave it a ZERO, for health, on a 1-10 spectrum.  ZERO.  So as long as demand continues, or someone starts shouting in the public arena and drawing real attention to the issue, this product and others like it will continue to be available, putting people at risk. 

I'm interested to hear people's views about this, and also I'd really love to hear some great tips and suggestions for natural alternatives to lab-produced "odour eliminators", so please do share your knowledge that may of be of benefit or inspiration to others seeking to cut down on the dangers to their family's health.

Opting for Organic

I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and almost fell over with shock.  Does anyone else do that?  Look in the mirror (without really being clear about what to expect) and find that what’s staring back is barely recognizable as themselves, even though there were no actual expectations involved?

It’s bizarre.  I don’t square up to the looking glass with the unrealistic expectation that I look 28.  Good Lordy, I’m decades past that!  However I’m still sometimes completely unprepared for how I really do look, and whenever I’m in that zone, seeing myself, well ... it’s often a bit of a shock, especially post winter, when the whole body wants to emerge and reclaim its rightful glowing state, after a full season of unmitigated neglect and abuse.  I’m talking about the months of comfort food (aka stodge), too much wine and chocolate, too much exposure to fires and central heating and not enough moisturizer, fresh air, or glasses of the all-important water that keeps the organs functioning to process those toxins we've relentlessly foisted upon them all winter long! 

Most of us are a marginal mess, come spring, and we know it. Many of us feel inspired to do something about it, determinedly digging around for those brochures we picked up last autumn for discounted spring spa treatments that we squirreled away in “safe places” that posed a serious challenge to ever being found again.  We generally give in to the over-riding desire to overhaul our gnarly feet and fingernails, get some much needed salvation rubbed into our skin and shave or wax our way to smooth sophistication, to shine once again like the spring flowers we all long to be.

Ok, your Honour, me too.  I’m guilty as charged.  As I write this, I’m thinking about slinging a desperate, dehydrated fist full of cash at a beauty therapist to “overhaul me” and make me fit for spring and summer.  But this year, I’m going one step further.  I’m going to find one that’s “green”, because if the recent research I've done into the state of the planet, the threats to health posed by chemicals, and the evolving attitudes of responsibility for it all are any indications, that is the way beauty therapy needs to go if it is going to survive.  More and more customers are now feeling the need to take better care of their health, be more responsible for the state of their environment, and they are starting to prefer or even insist on organic products being used on their skin instead of the seething chemical-infested mass of what has traditionally been on offer for as long as beauty clinics have been in existence.  Parabens, in particular, have had a big role to play in the composition of so-called beauty products, but BE AFRAID.

Paraben is fast becoming a dirty word, and rightly so.  Parabens are preservatives - used to prevent the growth of microbes in cosmetics products.  They are absorbed through skin, blood and the digestive system and have been found in biopsies from breast tumors in concentrations similar to those found in consumer products.  A 2004 UK study detected traces of five parabens in the breast tumors of 19 out of 20 women studied (read about it here), and while this small study doesn't prove a causal relationship between parabens and breast cancer, it is still important because it DID detect the presence of intact parabens—unaltered by the body’s metabolism—which is proof that these chemicals do penetrate skin, stay in breast tissue, and do not tend to break down or be processed efficiently by the body. Another more recent study found higher levels of parabens in the area nearest the underarm of the breast - the region in which the highest proportion of breast tumors tend to be found. 

Sadly, parabens are everywhere, and are particularly prevalent in a wide variety of beauty products including shampoos, lotions, deodorants, scrubs, moisturizers and eye makeup.  Worryingly, they have been found in nearly all urine samples tested from a cultural cross-section of U.S. adults, with adolescents and adult females having higher levels of methylparaben and propylparaben in their urine than males of similar ages.  This obviously places women, the primary users of beauty therapy clinics and any dodgy products that might be on the bathroom shelves, at high risk of the toxic effects of parabens.  The fact that adolescents are showing the presence of these chemicals in their systems has worrying implications for long term health if they continue using the products which contain them. Given the world's sad obsession with the preservation of youth, that is entirely likely.

Of greatest concern is that parabens are known to disrupt hormone/endocrine function, and are linked to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. They mimic estrogen by binding to the receptors on cells, increasing the expression of genes usually regulated by natural estrogen.  These genes cause human breast cancer cells to grow and multiply.  Parabens are also linked to immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that something which kills bacteria in water-based solutions, and therefore has toxicity to certain cells, has no place in human skin or vulnerable tissue where it can penetrate and lodge in vulnerable organs to potentially percolate and cause serious health concerns further down the line..

Other chemicals contained in beauty products also have some worrying long-term effects.  Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), which helps soap, facial cleansers, and other cleansing products (e.g. shampoo) lather up, can irritate skin, and other potential irritants include benzyl alcohols, which are used to scent and preserve perfume, makeup and hair dyes.  Cocamide MEA binds the ingredients of many moisturisers.

A Daily Mail online health report has declared that the industry magazine “In-Cosmetics” alleges that the average woman absorbs nearly 2.2kg (5lb) of chemicals from toiletries and make-up every year, with no idea about any of the possible side effects, seen and unseen, of the interaction of the various chemicals contained within the variety of products used.

So, even if one of these percolating chemicals isn't harmful in and of itself, what happens when you add several others to it?  And can you imagine having absorbed the equivalent of five 1lb blocks of butter every year in potentially harmful chemicals?  Even if the figures are wrong, the presence of these chemicals in human tissue is proof that we are ingesting some of it.  And ANY at ALL is unacceptable, in my book.

So I’m off to find a “green” beauty therapist; someone who is committed to sustainability in their work practices and ethics, who uses bona-fide and endorsed eco-friendly products, including fair trade tea and coffee that they serve in cups they are prepared to wash instead of cheap and nasty drinks in paper or styrofoam cups that typically get sent to landfill. I want to go to someone who uses eco-friendly equipment and supplies too, like recycleable containers and refills.  I'd like to find someone who has effective and sustainable recycling waste policies, whose staff share their commitment to sustainability and health, and who won't be putting my health and safety at risk (even inadvertently), by using products on my skin that have the capability to do me serious harm. 

I genuienly and wholeheartedly believe that green clinics are the way forward.  Green beauty and hair salons have a REALLY BIG future, not just here in the UK but worldwide.  I run a chemical free domestic cleaning business and our Customers love it that we don't bring chemicals into their homes!  We're actively committed to ensuring their homes are clean without the use of chemical agents they really don't need, and they see the sense in it.  The same goes for the body that each one of us lives in and expects so much from.  Our bodies don't need parabens or other foreign chemicals. They don't need to be put at risk in any such way that forces them to store unwanted substances that have no helpful place in them.  So yes, certainly, do what I plan to do - visit a clinic or salon for the big spring overhaul or makeover, but I encourage you to do some homework first about the products they use, and don't be afraid to ask questions about their commitment to sustainability, in areas like I've mentioned here. That way you can make an INFORMED decision about who you go to for your treatments, what gets put onto your skin, and whether or not you have contributed to the ongoing sustainability of the world you and your family live in.

Looking good and feeling great are important to our sense of well-being, our feelings about how the world sees us, and our confidence levels, and it should NEVER have to come at a life-threatening price, or even the suspicion of one. Every decision we make towards health and sustainability, no matter how small, makes a difference overall.   Eventually, every type of beauty treatment will hopefully be non-threatening to health and the planet.  If we take advantage of what is currently on offer for organic and natural beauty therapy, it all helps guide manufacturers towards making ALL of it safe.  Create the demand, the producers will respond.

Have fun with your makeover!  Click here if you fancy treating yourself to some truly gorgeous, organic, natural skincare and aromatherapy products that you can have delivered to your doorstep. And if you'd like a chemical free spring clean of your home, click right here.

Hey Ho! Mould GO!

Its time to get the guns out and wage a bit o’ menace on your mould.  Yes, I know. Delightful stuff, gurgling away to itself on your bathroom walls and windows, saying heaven knows what to itself, just the thing you want to be talking about – NOT, and try as you might, it’s a pretty hard thing to get excited about.  But, guys, you have to.  Get excited, I mean.  You have to get excited about the evil presence of mould from the perspective of being determined to GET. RID. OF. IT.  Why?  Because you ignore it at real risk to your health and well-being.  Mould’s not just tiresome black stuff that makes the bedroom or bathroom look and smell a bit weird.  It’s, well, um ... TOXIC.  Some folks will tell you that not all black mould is toxic, it depends on the type, yarda yarda, but hey!  Even if they are right, do you have the time or the inclination to scrape it off the surfaces, send it to a scientist for analysis to see if it is in fact something you can live with, and wait for a response before that fuzzy little foe starts doing you real damage?  Nah.  Not really.  For the sake of your health you have to assume the worst, like many people haven’t, some of who have ended up with respiratory failure or diseased lungs, to name but two of a seriously scary raft of nasty symptoms from inhaling this little beastie.  The last thing anyone needs is a poignant epitaph!

“Old Stachy” (statchybotrys chartarum) is the household companion we definitely need to live without, but it has some pretty definite ideas of its own when it comes to taking up residence and growing on a stunning variety of different surfaces in your house!  Eeee by gum, it’s determined stuff, is mould...  It grows on ya – but not in a good way.

The seriously unpleasant truth is that people living in homes with toxic black mould are routinely breathing in toxic spores: mycotoxins which create irritation and a burning feeling in the nasal cavity, mouth and throat, and can become lodged in mucus membranes, sinuses and lungs.  It’s a very short leap from there to breathing problems and lung bleeding. The mycotoxins can also be ingested, or absorbed through the eyes (causing inflammation and injury) and skin (causing a variety of complaints such as itchiness, inflammation, rashes and blisters).  Eventually the spores can end up in the bloodstream, and it’s an equally short leap from there to heart damage, problems with blood clotting and internal or external haemorrhaging.  

People with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk, as black mould can cause severe illness and infections in those whose natural immunity is not sufficient to protect them.  Mycotoxins are teratogenic too, which means they can cause fetal problems during pregnancy which then leads to birth defects. Toxic black mold mycotoxins are also cytoxotic and mutagenic (cause cell mutations) and they inhibit protein synthesis including DNA and RNA. Symptoms such as infertility and miscarriage are also very real risks.

Toxic black mold can trigger the immune system to release a sedative called Chloral Hydrate as the body’s internal defense to try to slow down its toxic effects. The problem with that is the fact that Chloral Hydrate has been known to cause chronic fatigue.

Muscles and joints don’t escape this horrible little resident evil either.  Joint and muscle pain is a common symptom of over-exposure to black mould.

If that’s not enough to convince you that “Statch” is not your friend in the bedroom taking care of you while you sleep, I don’t know what is.

In reality, the black mould we’re thinking about here is largely the result of festering condensation, and you can combat it by ensuring you have adequate ventilation in wet areas, wiping down walls, window, sills and shower/bath tiles and corner areas after steam has penetrated, doing a quick morning wipe-down in bedrooms after a night’s breathing has accumulated on the windows, and ensuring that other living areas don’t suffer from prolonged condensation build-up that can lead to the proliferation of our little black foe.
  

At Darlings Who Do, we use a fantastic product on mould.  It’s a natural cleaning fluid, with our secret and specific blend of essential oils added to it, designed to bust mould from your house and keep it well away.  You can do it yourself too, and one of the best ingredients you can use against mould is in fact the humble little bottle of tea tree oil.  This miniature warrior doesn't just clear mould away.  It actively deters it from returning. A little on a toothbrush goes a long way (but do make sure it’s not one you will later want to use for your peggies – black mould is not a good look stuck in the teeth, darling!)

Revolting thought???  Yeah, course it is!  Are you shuddering?

Seriously - the best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones at home is stop Statch right NOW.  Sending it packing for once and for all will take a bit of work (unless you get a Darling to come and avenge it on your behalf and, trust us, we’d be happy to!), but your immune system will thank you for it.  So will all your lovely internal organs, who really just want to be, and stay, nicely in the pink!  And consider the pets you may have, who put their noses against the glass while seeking to view the outside world.  Condensation from their breath may generate black mould, or if the mould is already there they may be directly inhaling it.  Not good... and they can't tell you what their symptoms are if they get sick.  They just have to rely on you to notice.

The great news is that you really can clear this toxic menace from your house in ways that won’t compromise your health and safety on a different level, such as inhaling fumes or burning your skin from equally toxic chemicals designed to clear the mould.  Essential oils are an absolute winner; they act as grease busters as well as bacteria busters, and you won’t go far wrong with that lovely little bottle of heroism – your tea tree oil.  If you really absolutely definitely do have to take the chemical route please, PLEASE (!) do ensure that you have adequate ventilation when mounting the attack, wear good quality, non-permeable rubber gloves, and ensure you rinse all affected and treated surfaces really well, to clear any of that toxic chemical residue.  

Spring is here, so wage a bit o' menace on your mould!  Put on your best shoe, take aim, and give a hefty kick to this toxic little horror and get it out of your home.  Hey Ho!  Mould GO!  
     

Its NOT Just Dust, Darling!

Earlier this week I wrote a short facebook post about what’s really in those delightful little “dust bunnies” we all have accumulating in different corners of our houses, and it has prompted me to expand this desperately boring but important subject out a bit, to explain why the substance of dust is such a significant threat to human health, why we need to take more notice of it, and why - while tedious and tiresome - maintaining a dust-free environment is really important to our well being.

Dust is something that most of us generally do notice but don’t really want to think too much about.  That light, talcum-powdery coating we find on the furniture, nestling in nooks and crannies, and lurking on the architraves simply translates to work, and most of us would rather use the time we’d typically spend getting rid of it in a far more enjoyable way.  Perfectly understandable - after all, it’s not too difficult to ignore what we think of as a minor irritant, in preference to foregoing a meeting for coffee with a friend, spending time with the kids, or getting on with that blog we have to write!

But dust is not quite as benign or innocuous as we’d like to think.   As the subject of significant and intense scientific research and analysis, general household dust has been found to contain a worrying accumulation of deeply unpleasant ingredients, and while specific composition does vary by location, the overall analysis suggests that wherever it happens to be, it is in fact a significant threat to human health. Dust mites, for example, produce allergens that are well-documented “triggers” for people suffering from asthma and their presence can be enough to start the disease in those who haven’t previously had it.

The specific dust mix in any household varies with the climate, the age of the house, the number of people who live in it and the types of pets they have, along with their cleaning, cooking, personal hygiene and smoking habits. Commonly, the average dust combination contains dead human skin, animal fur, dried mould spores, the decomposing faeces and bodies of insects, ash, food debris, lint and organic fibres from clothes, bedding and other fabrics (such as wool), tracked-in soil, soot, particles from smoking and cooking, and, rather worryingly, chemical and metal particles such as lead (e.g. from vehicle exhaust fumes), arsenic (e.g. from nicotine, airborne volcanic dust and dust from mining and burning coal) and ingredients used in crop sprays and garden fertilizers.  Dust in the home can be absorbed into carpets, curtains and rugs and can remain there for long periods of time, as can powdered forms of residue from the chemicals present from home cleaning, DIY activity, and smoking.

Would we voluntarily snort any of that?  Erm... nope.

But here’s the thing – that’s exactly what we’re doing!  We are actually breathing in these airborne particles BEFORE they settle on the surfaces in our homes.  Whenever we open a window to invite the fresh air in, we also unwittingly invite in all these things that make their presence felt in the form of the dust we try to ignore, and since the ingredients all have different effects on different people they pose different risks to health.  Children are particularly at risk of compromised health from dust and its ingredients, as they often play on the floor where it tends to accumulate, and they routinely transfer any bacteria on their hands directly to their mouths. 

As our lives tend to get busier and there is less and less time available to meet our obligations, housework often tends to slide as we seek to enjoy the quality time that gives us the much-needed balance between work and play.  It’s a hard enough balance to strive for at the best of times. Outsourcing your domestic cleaning is a sensible option to ensure that a healthy home environment can be maintained in a way that doesn't stretch you to the absolute limit of your own capability and time.  It’s easy to put a price on having your house cleaned, but a lot harder to quantify the cost of compromised health or lost quality time.  One of my customers put it in a nutshell when she first hired Darlings Who Do.  She said that she is incredibly busy running a business, her house needs cleaning, and her beautiful little boy was growing up and she and her partner didn't want to miss a moment of the time they could have with him.  The logical compromise in her busy life was outsourcing the domestic cleaning.  It made more sense to her than anything else. Now, having domestic support is simply a part of her weekly housekeeping costs.

There’s absolutely no need to be unduly paranoid about dust in the home. It is, after all, part of everyday life, and our homes can never really be entirely free of it. But there are ways to reduce it and minimize its accumulation.  Regularly cleaning it from floors and other surfaces in your home (or car or office) will enhance the environment you live in and will significantly reduce the risks it poses to your own and your family’s health, especially if its done the way WE do it - without the use of harsh, unnecessary chemicals that raise important questions about whether clean is always healthy!  Outsourcing this most mundane of tasks also gives you back your quality time – and that’s something you can’t put any kind of price on.

Big Blog, Big Issue - The Abundance of Waste

A tall, thin man in a white apron and a chef’s hat is teetering on a chair behind the big metal door that leads out from the back of a truly massive staff canteen.  He is staring into an open skip and as I watch him, he starts to shovel the contents of a 3’ by 2’ catering tray of what appears to be an untouched lasagne into the skip.  He follows that up with another one, and then two similar sized trays of what looks like fresh cottage pie, then a full tray of bread and butter pudding.  He then upends a big cardboard box over the lot, and a cascade of still-wrapped sandwiches, cakes and cookies crowns the heap.  He isn’t finished.  He wanders inside, comes out with another box, climbs back onto his chair, and empties at least a dozen unopened cartons of orange juice into the skip. 

It’s 1989.  I’m the big-permed, killer-heeled, shoulder-padded PA to a Director of one of the UK’s biggest corporate giants, at one of their top security manufacturing plants which employs six thousand people, and I've just tottered across from the office with a list of catering requirements for a management meeting scheduled for the following day.   I find myself standing transfixed and totally gobsmacked by what I've just seen.  The guy doesn't see me.  He wipes his hands on his apron, grabs his chair, wanders back inside and slams the metal door.

By the time I get to the front of the building and make my way to the counter, I’m furious.  I ask to speak to the canteen manager, who turns out to be the very same man I've just seen throwing away a truly staggering amount of perfectly good food.  I ask him if what he’s just done is a daily occurrence, and he confirms that he throws away between three and seven trays of untouched fresh food every day.

When I ask him if the food couldn't be produced in smaller quantities, or whether what was left over could be redirected to people who need it, he tells me his directive is to produce certain quantities, and that it’s not feasible to consider distributing what’s not needed in such a way. Not feasible.  He agrees wholeheartedly with my outrage, that while this multi-billion pound industry certainly can afford to have a van stop by outside the security gates each afternoon, and pay staff an extra fifteen minutes’ wages to haul it all up to the gate to have it taken away to the local mission for distribution to the needy, they just choose not to find a way to make it feasible.  He gives me a “what can ya do” shrug, and turns away.

So I go back to my boss and I tell him what's transpired.  He makes a few phone calls to try and see if we can somehow fight our way through the “unfeasibility” of redirecting our unwanted food to the city’s homeless and hungry, but nobody higher up the organisational chain – not one active decision maker - wants to help.  They all have better things to do than concern themselves with yet another dysfunctional element of their operation.  The fact that what is thrown away each day could comfortably feed the city’s homeless or support families in poverty across the county is, apparently, irrelevant.  

Part of me was itching to blow the whistle on the waste of food, but I didn't.  I went home seething but leaving it at that and I guess, looking back, that made me just as guilty and ignorant as everybody else.  It stayed with me though, that encounter, and to this day I still struggle to accept that something couldn't have been done to avoid all that obscene waste, but then, I’m the woman who will see a homeless person sitting hunched outside McDonalds, and go in to buy them a burger and a coffee.  Some people care more than others I suppose, but the issue is not even just about that.

“All to do with Health and Safety”, someone’s mumbling in my ear, and they’d probably be right.  Most of us are well aware of the degree to which Health and Safety legislation has crippled much of what people can do to help themselves or others, despite their best intentions, with certain laws put in place to protect the public being so often underpinned by a monumental abandonment of common sense. It all comes down to forward thinking and adaptable planning, and there never seems to be much of that hanging around when policymakers are drafting decisions about what’s going to help instead of hinder.  I’m certain that most of the hungry and homeless would take a chance on not being poisoned by food pronounced as a “potential risk to health and safety” that had been offered for sale just hours before to paying customers!  It would be nice for them to at least be offered the choice.  Does food really go off that fast?  I don’t think so. 

In our progressive, civilized society, in the 21^st century where technology has literally revolutionized the planet beyond the recognition of generations past, it seems that one of the hardest things for the modern-day mind still to grapple with and find a solution for is the monumental global waste of food.  The United States reportedly wastes almost half of everything it produces, and here in the UK we're not far behind.  Collectively, as householders, we throw away a staggering 4 million tonnes (!) of food and drink per year.  That equates, more or less, to setting £60 on fire per household per month.  That’s more than £700 per year - the price of a fairly decent holiday, a few home improvements, or any number of other things on most people’s wish lists – and well within our grasp if we could just be a bit more careful about how much food we buy that we consistently throw away.  The craziest thing about the whole scenario is that according to research most uneaten food goes straight from the fridge to the bin, and more than half of it could legitimately have been safely eaten.  A food item being past its “use by” date merely means that its quality has started to diminish, NOT that it’s no longer edible or has no nutritional value.  Most of it would still be absolutely fine for consumption, but until the labels make that clear, people will continue to simply bin it, a fact that suits the supermarkets very nicely. 

The worldwide imbalance of food distribution has been a well known fact for many a long decade and although around 4 billion tons of food is produced globally every year, i.e. enough to comfortably feed the entire world, the latest World Food report informs us that an incomprehensible 1.3 billion tons - more than a third of all food globally produced – is either lost or wasted, largely thanks to micro and macro human inefficiency.  While the average consumer undeniably has a lot to answer for, external factors such as inefficient planning for the creation of food, for control over its growth, and for management of its distribution remain central to the issue, along with wildly differing and inconsistent global farming practices that compromise food manufacture, quality, and worldwide availability.

Setting aside the chronic global mismanagement of food, a general, more home-centred lack of education and understanding about our own relationships with it enables us to feel ok about our overflowing supermarket shelves and groaning dinner tables, while people in certain pockets of the world are continuing to die from starvation. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that nearly 870 million people of the world’s population (one in eight), are suffering from chronic undernourishment.  It beggars belief that 870 million people don’t have sufficient food, with 16 million classified as officially undernourished, including those in developing counties.  With much of the world being currently entrenched in the misery of hunger, malnourishment, malnutrition and outright famine, and given the scale of the task being faced by global policy makers, it all might feel too huge and too far outside of our control as individuals, for anything we do to have any significant impact. Well, I don’t agree.  I think there is much that we can do, as individuals and families, to influence their decisions going forward.

For a start, let’s consider how we respond to the behaviour of commercial retailers – supermarkets in particular - who charge disproportionately for smaller packets of everything (a nightmare for people who live alone), and who engage in high profile advertising to offer bulk deals and heavy discounts, encouraging people to buy more than what they really need.  They buy in bulk themselves, to get the prices they want, and they then shift those goods by offering deals to consumers. It’s great when it comes to stocking up on non-perishables, but how many of us have bought more fresh produce or other perishables than we needed because it was cheap, then ended up throwing away what couldn't be frozen for later use, or used up before it went bad in the fridge?  Not so much of a bargain in the end, then!  I’m as guilty as the next person, incidentally, having recently bought three packs of yoghurts on a buy-two-and-get-three deal.  I didn't even pause to consider whether I would even be capable of eating them all before they went bad.  I just thought “I eat this yoghurt!  I will take advantage of this deal”.  Two weeks later I threw the untouched third pack out, because I didn't get to it in time.  It’s not the first time I've done something like that, but I’m hoping it will be one of the last, because I’m starting to appreciate that getting something “free” isn't really a bargain if I can’t use it. 

What if we simply bought what we knew we could manage, or at least found a way to preserve the rest (e.g. freezing) for later use?  What if we stopped ourselves from being heavily seduced by a promise of saving money that turns out to be false if we end up throwing away £60 worth of food per month on average?   

Form most of us, reining in the amount of food we routinely waste means changing our relationship with it.  It’s a process that starts with recognizing, at the point of purchase, what is realistic for us to consume and sticking to it.  I've made a start by planning my family’s meals, simply by making lists of what fresh ingredients I realistically need, and sticking to it. If we only need one pack of yoghurts, I resist the temptation to buy two, in order to get three.  I have to say that this is proving to be a REALLY tough habit to break, because like many people I have been conditioned to saving money wherever I can.  But on reading the food waste statistics (which are rampant on the internet for anyone who wants to look), the penny is starting to drop.  Can I use £700 a year more effectively than tossing it into the bin?  Hell yes!  Show me one person who couldn't!

Changing our relationship with food also means thinking beyond the quantities we buy, to how much we actually consume, and this can also be a very tough habit to break, because a lot of what we think about food goes right back to how we were conditioned within our family of origin.  I grew up under constant threat of punishment if I didn't eat everything dished up on my plate.  “Think of the starving millions”, was the swift and snappy rejoinder if I ever dared to declare that I wasn't hungry enough to finish what was on my plate and woe betide me if I left even half a spoonful of over-boiled cabbage on my plate!  Too many of us grew up with that ethic.  You ate what you were given, whether you liked it or not, whether there was too much of it or not, and whether you complained or not.  It was enforced with the best of intentions, since my generation of children was dealing with the aftermath of our parents’ own childhood experiences of food deprivation during war-time rationing, where the waste of food was, quite rightly, an abomination.  Old habits are hard to break, and the ticking time-bomb of obesity is as much about the quantity we've been conditioned to think we need, as the actual nutritional value of what we eat.  Most of us can actually get by on a lot less, as long as it’s healthy, nutritional food.

 

But here’s the thing:  The waste of food is STILL an abomination, it is out of control, and if the United Nations’ prediction is true, that by 2075 there will be another 3 billion mouths to feed world-wide, it’s pretty clear that the human race has to get a lot more sensible a lot more quickly about effective food production, distribution and consumption.  Many of us won’t be around by 2075, having shuffled off our mortal coils thanks to various illnesses, many of which will be directly or indirectly related to how and what we've eaten throughout our lives.  It’s the current generation of children that will be faced with the problem of how to feed the burgeoning hungry.  They are going to need a lot of help, and it needs to start NOW, with US. 

Adequate food should be a basic human right, not a matter of luck, location or happenstance and while food banks all over the country are feeling an ever-increasing burden to provide for struggling people, the routine nationwide wastage of enough food to feed them twice over is a situation that should not be allowed to continue, no matter who’s doing it, or “why”.  

Blanket policy changes are what’s really needed, for people to be far more positively supported to either have enough food, or to offer what they don’t need to those who do, but until that happens, we have to be content with making a commitment to doing what we can within our own orbits to help influence the necessary global change.  Recognizing deceptive deals and refusing to be seduced by them and being more realistic about how much food we really need will not just reduce the amount we send to landfill or compost.  They are important kick-start behaviours to a process that will ultimately force suppliers to change the habits that influence the producers even further up a food chain that simply isn't working, in its current state. 

As consumers, we are part of a chain of dominoes.  We have more power than we might first think we have, to force a more sustainable and humanely distributed food chain.  For the sake of current health and welfare, and for that of future generations, we need to start using that power.