b'Health & WellnessSSpprriinnggCClleeaanniinnggNNaattuurraallaannddCChheemmiiccaallFFrreeeeNatural solutions oer better housekeeping alternativesBy Christopher HudspethThisspring,youmayhavethoughtof and health stores, or online. The EPA providescleaningandfresheninguparoundyour a searchable list at epa.gov/saferchoice. home, including high-trac areas such as Warning: do not mix store-bought cleaningthe kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. Other agents together, even if listed as natural. Theythan regular surface cleaning, hard-to-reach may still contain organic chemicals such asplaces might be in need of a deep cleanse. ammoniaandbleach, which whenmixedWhether you are doing the cleaning yourself, can create a toxic gas.or with help from a loved one or a professional Making Your Own Cleaning Productsservice, using natural products to clean ourhomes helps to ensure our safety.All-natural DIY products can take time toThere is some evidence to suggest that create with dierent ingredients and might notprolonged exposure to chemicals may increase always be as eective as an EPA-approvedrisk of MS. Its generally accepted that things all-natural product. But they are generally thewhich contribute to the risk of MS may also safest option. Do an online search, using key-worsen MS. Though these connections are words organic, natural, cleaning, spray,not certain, the U.S. Environmental Protection and recipe. Agencyprovidesamplereasontoreduce There are some natural ingredients listedyour exposure, aside from MS. According to that you wont want to mix, mostly becausetheir website, many common cleaning products ofcausticandchemicalreactions.Thinkcontain mutagens and carcinogens that pose about when vinegar is poured into bakinga risk to human health. For this reason, the soda. AchemicalreactionoccursandtheEPAlaunchedtheSaferChoiceprogram, concoction explodes. While fascinating towhich certies products that do not contain watch (or helpful with minor clogs in a sink)chemicals known to be harmful. this mixture does very little to clean and atGeneral Cleaning the same time can make a big mess. (As apersonal experience side note: baking powderYou can nd premade products that meet is not the same as baking soda and wontthe Safer Choice standards in most local grocery help!)msfocusmagazine.org 42'