Common Items In Your House That Could Be Harmful

Even if you are the “ideal” healthy lifestyle type, taking care of your health does not come without its share of sacrifices. Even away from the obvious things like exercise and good sleep, there are everyday household items that are seriously impacting your health. Here are some everyday household items that you should immediately abandon to lead a healthier life.

Bleach 

Concentrated bleach can cause harm to your lungs if you inhale the fumes. Most people use acetone to clean their nails, but it is also in cleaning products, nail polish remover, and glue. It takes away the moisture from your skin (bad news for those with dry skin) and causes liver problems if one ingests or inhales it. 

Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers 

These may seem like a good idea at the time, but they actually cause more germs to grow on your hands than leaving them without any sanitizing agent at all (which isn’t ideal either). They also strip off natural oils of your hands and make them drier than ever.

Canned Foods

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead. Canned food is known to have high levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to infertility, cancer, and heart disease.

Nitrates From Processed Meats

There are other good reasons you should stop eating meat, but nitrates increase the risk of various cancers such as colon cancer and esophageal cancer. It’s a good idea to cut down on processed meats in your diet if not eliminate them completely. Processed meats include ham, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, to name a few.

Tap Water

Even if it does come from a clean source, tap water can contain hazardous contaminants that can cause internal organ damage.

Non-Stick Pans

Teflon is one of the most common materials to make non-stick cookware. However, it contains dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer and congenital disabilities. These chemicals produce toxic fumes when heated to high temperatures, which can cause flu-like symptoms and, in rare cases, death from suffocation. So instead of buying them, go for cast iron or stainless steel cookware that are safer alternatives.  

Margarine

Although margarine is a non-dairy product, it contains trans fat that will actually increase your bad cholesterol level and reduce the good cholesterol. Replace this with coconut oil and olive oil, which contain healthy fats instead.

Plastic Bottles

BPA, a chemical in plastic, is known to cause cancer and other health problems. Drinking water and soda from plastic bottles can harm your health because it can leach chemicals into the liquid present in the bottles. They also take up to 1,000 years to decompose in the environment.

Microwave Popcorn Bags

The lining of these bags contains perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an endocrine disruptor linked to fertility problems and developmental and immune system issues. We all know we should avoid processed foods at all costs, and this is another good example of why we should do so!

Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets can cause lung problems and skin irritation if you are sensitive to them. They contain benzyl acetate, camphor, ethanol, limonene, and phenol which can trigger allergies and asthma. 

Microwave Ovens

The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from microwave ovens creates unnecessary stress on your body and can give you cancer. They also kill vegetables’ nutrients, especially when steamed. Steaming vegetables is a better way to cook them, and make sure they are organic and non-GMO as much as possible.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

The toilet bowl cleaner in your bathroom may be toxic to you and your pets. It contains hydrochloric acid, which is harmful when ingested or inhaled in the air. To remove stains from inside the toilet:

1. Use baking soda instead of bleach since this doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients.
2. Just pour 1 cup of baking soda into the toilet and add a cup of vinegar.
3. Wait for 30 minutes, and then scrub! 

Humidifiers

They can release several harmful things to your lungs and eyes. These include mold, bacteria, fungus, and various chemicals from the humidifier’s plastic parts, all of which can cause flu-like symptoms. So it’s better to use a vaporizer instead because these don’t contain any harmful ingredients.

Fabric Softeners

These fabric softeners leave a residue on clothes that makes them less absorbent over time, resulting in more expensive laundry bills. They also contain toxic ingredients such as benzyl acetate and chloroform, which can trigger allergies and asthma. Vinegar is a great alternative to soften clothes without leaving any harmful chemicals in your fabrics.

Pool Chlorine

The carcinogen called dihydrogen monoxide is in pool water which is actually chlorine. Chlorine forms other dangerous chemical compounds such as chloroform and bromoform when it comes into contact with sunlight or spa water. Switch to saltwater or ionizer instead!

Household Cleaners

Most household cleaners contain chemicals that can trigger allergies and asthma. They often use antibacterial ingredients like triclosan, which can interfere with your body’s hormones. Instead of using these harmful cleaners, make your own natural cleaner by mixing baking soda or vinegar with water. Or if you really feel uncomfortable doing it yourself, buy a safe, all-natural product instead!

Conclusion

This list is by no means a complete one. It could be much longer, and the article smaller because of it. These items are things that you should use sparingly or not at all because of the chemicals they contain. Unfortunately, our society tends to ignore this advice and use them anyway! Even one tablespoon of household cleaner can kill an adult human being. So please always use caution when using cleaning agents! Don’t drink from water bottles unless they are stainless steel or glass (and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise).