Almost we clean everything in our household with chemicals. These are in the form of different solutions and liquids used.
They include:

• WC-cleaners
• Shoe polishers
• To remove the sedimentation of hard water
• To clean the floors, windows, carpets
• To open the blocked pipes, toilets
• As disinfectants
• As antiseptics
• Washing soap and other additive to wash machines
• In insecticides,
• Used in dish washers
• In furniture polishes
• In metal polishers
• In nail polish cleaners
• To clean stains, including paint stains

If we see them carefully then we find these substances are containing strong acids, alkali, oxidation agents, organic solvents and pesticides. These must be kept in places beyond the reach of children.

How toxic are these substances?

The chemicals in our household cleaning products are very toxic. Through inhalation, absorption through the skin or ingestion along with food or water or soft drinks makes us sick.

As a clinical toxicologist I have seen many poisonings with children and sometimes it is lethal.

Whose mistake is this to have excess of poisonous cleaners in our home?

The industry makes overstated advertisement and promises to bring the sky down to the earth for a product of poor quality. In the modern world the alluring advertisements in TV are so effective that you stand suddenly in front of this product in the shop and buy. The law-makers must make laws so that everything, including the toxicity, should be written clearly on the label so that the consumers could avoid this. It is in our hands to make the industries produce safer and poison-free products.

What are the important things I must know now?

Two important things you must know, one is you must know the poisons in your home cleaners and also the toxicity of the poison.

Second thing is you must know the alternative cleaners.

What are the alternative cleaners?

These are the traditional substances we have been using with good results:

• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Corn starch
• Soap
• Borax
• Lemon juice

Vinegar is made from apple juices, grain or wine and has approximately 5% acetic acid, a mild organic acid. It can dissolve mineral deposits, grease, remove soap and wax build-up, polish some metals and deodorize. Diluted with water it can clean brick or stone.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate which is naturally occurring material, present in most organic life. It is mostly used in the non-toxic household cleaning product next to vinegar. It can neutralise acid, deodorize and scrub shiny materials without scratching.

Cornstarch is made from corn and is used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs and to starch clothes.

Soap is a traditional cleanser and can be used in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry.

Borax is sodium borate and it is a naturally occurring mineral best known as water softener and laundry booster. It is also used in all household cleaning.

Lemon juice contains citric acid. It is a deodorizer, used to clean glass and remove stains from aluminium, porcelain and clothes.

If you have problem with ant population, use this non-toxic backing powder and turmeric powder and the ants run away. Never use other chemical poisons. They are dangerous for you, your children and to your environment including your drinking water.

What benefit I have more from these cleaners?

These are non toxic, multi-purpose and cheap to purchase. Television advertisements are the costliest ones, if a cricket player appears in it, it is the costliest and it is you who is going to pay everything. Spend your money, for you, for your family but not for unnecessary things.

We have in Germany a petrol bunk chain which sells petrol and diesel always cheaper than the others. They write in their petrol bunk clearly, “we don’t sponsor sportsmen and so it is cheaper here”.

We have to sponsor our sportsman, but not very excessively.

Is it correct that my house must be always clean or sterile?

It must be clean but not sterile. If it is sterile always people living there are in danger to go out where a lot of bacteria dance always. We also need the minimum contact so that the body could produce the valuable antibodies. That is healthy. I have experienced this problem several times in my carrier.

Clean and then keep it dry which prevents many insects including cockroaches and others to come and breed there.

House lizard is a very useful animal because it eats all the insects inside the house which could give problems to our health.