Merry Christmas in November

So Christmas came early for me. I asked for a steam cleaner as a Christmas gift but J saw the need for it sooner than that (oh darn!). How did I live without this thing until now? What an awesome cleaning tool. I pour water in it, let it heat up while I vacuum, and pass the steamer over the floor. I can clean my floors without having to evacuate the house. The house looks and smells amazing already, not toxic and fumey like usual. This led me on an adventure researching household cleaners. Now, we all know that most cleaners are bad if you swallow them or don't ventilate the area well. Duh! Shouldn't that be a clue that we shouldn't use them? Now I love the smell of bleach but I think it's because I associate it with clean. I can't believe I let myself use it as much as I do though. It's a toxic product that researchers are now thinking is one of the biggest contributors to cancer. Not to mention if you combine bleach with ammonia you can kill yourself by toxic fumes. Okay, so enough with straight bleach, what about other disinfectants. Most products do not have an "ingredient" list, just warning panels. Any product that says, do not combine with other cleaners usually has either bleach or ammonia in it. Some other compounds in cleaners are Toulene, Formaldehyde, phenol, and benzene; all carcinogens.
Those of us with kids need to be extremely cautious because an infants system works much differently than adults. They do not excrete toxins through their waste as much as adults do. They tend to build in areas that are developing but tend to not accumulate in fat. So basically, the toxins kids are subjected to tend to stay with them their whole lives. Some researchers are saying that the toxins in the cleaners parents use are more hazardous to health than the stuff we're trying to clean off. The whole soak it in bleach routine (which I am SO guilty of) is one of the worst things we can do.

Here's a bunch of articles I ran across that give more information on some of this if you're looking for more. Basically, invest in a steamer. I bought the Haan floor steamer and the handheld steamer. I can't get enough cleaning. I guess that's a good thing.
http://lesstoxicguide.ca/index.asp?fetch=household
http://www.mamashealth.com/doc/cleanprod.asp
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-531269/Chemicals-household-cleaning-products-cause-asthma-children-finds-study.html
http://living.amuchbetterway.com/harmful-effects-of-household-cleaners/