pesticides aren't just in the grass to control bugs. they're also in your house.
Happy Tuesday! Hope your week has gone well so far :) Let's talk pesticides! If you haven't already checked out my Toxic Free Tuesday video on Instagram or Facebook today, take a look at them. I go into a bit more detail about why pesticides are so dangerous to humans. I had NO idea what pesticides can do to us. I knew we needed to stay away from them for the most part, but I figured if most of the bottles would be staying in the garage or under the sink, I had nothing to worry about. Whoops! It's a learning process.
Pesticides and herbicides are among the most dangerous products to have in the house and low doses and chronic exposure to pesticides contribute to the following conditions:
- impacts nervous system
- impacts respiratory system
- impacts reproductive system
- directly linked to cancer
- direct link to Parkinson's
- ALS
- behavior and mood disorders
- neurological issues
- considered asthmagens (contribute to asthma)
- endocrine disruptors
- birth deffects
- estrogen dominance in women
- PMS
- PCOS
- endometriosis
- infertility
Even if you're not directly using pesticides or products containing pesticides, you can still be exposed to them since contents can escape the bottles or containers and impact the indoor air that you breathe. Additionally, pesticide exposure occurs whenever you use a product labeled antibacterial or sanitizing, since these products contain EPA-registered pesticides, which are designed to kill. Pesticide exposure can also occur when you track them into your home on your shoes from being outside.
Here are a few ways to reduce your overall pesticide exposure.
- Have a welcome mat for guests to wipe their shoes on before entering your house.
- Even better, provide a basket outside and require guests to remove their shoes before entering your house.
- Remove all products in your house that are labeled as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.
- Remove all antibacterial, antifungal, and sanitizing products in your house since they contain EPA-registered pesticides.
- Reduce pest entry into your home so you don't have to rely on pesticide usage as much!
- Replace your bug sprays with non-toxic alternatives. I made a super effective bug spray with essential oils that works perfectly and doesn't have that nasty DEET smell or sticky consistency!
- Replace antibacterial cleaners and soaps with safer alternatives. The CDC states that one of the best ways to prevent sickness and viruses is to REMOVE germs, not KILL them. Removing ensures that they're gone completely and won't become more antibiotic resistant. Let me know if you need some suggestions on my favorite all-purpose cleaners. They're great! :)
That's all for today. Remember, pesticides are more prevalent than we think and we're likely exposed to them every day. We can do better! Let me know in the comments if you knew how many pesticides we're actually exposed to!
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