What type of cleaning products do you use in your home? Do they contain harsh chemicals and toxic substances? Why do we care about our homes? Everyone has their own personal reasons, but one universal truth remains – your health and your family's health can be impacted by the cleaners you use. Wherever cleaning products go, we soon follow. A cleaning agent should never make our eyes water, our skin burn or our lakes sick. If any doubts linger, consider the statistics:

• According to a 15-year study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference, women who work at home have 54% higher death rate from cancer that those who work away from home. The study concluded that this was a direct result of the exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products.

• An average home generates over 25 pounds of toxic hazardous waste each year. Much of this waste can be attributed to household cleaning products. (The EPA designates toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners and bleach as hazardous waste).

• The EPA says that only a fraction of the more than 75,000 registered chemicals have gone through testing for human health concerns.

• A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning soap scum off a shower stall could inhale three times the acute exposure limit of some chemicals.

• More than 9 out of every 10 suspected poison exposures occur at home with household products, including 824,000 cases per year involving children under the age of 6.

Cleaners should not leave behind more toxins than the toxins they are supposed to clean. Here is some more interesting information to consider:

• Common chlorine bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning.

• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners, have levels 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.

• Common cleaners give off fumes that can potentially increase the risks of kids developing asthma, the most common chronic childhood disease.

• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in child under 5 have increased more that 160% from 1980-1994.
So what can we do about it? Visit http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm. Then we need to get educated.

• Go to the National Institutes of Health Household Products Database and find out what you have in your home.

• Enter names of chemicals and see which brands contain them.

• Look up toxicity information or health information for the chemical.

Then, we need to take action.

• Properly dispose of harmful products.

• Find safer choices.

Considering the information above, it is easy to see that a good place to start going green is in our homes. We will not only help our family but our planet by keeping all those chemicals from going down the drain and into our water system. Following the lead of the celebrities and Vice President is a great idea. Let us all start GOING GREEN!