We just arrived at a new rental house and this place is TOXIC!!!
Even though I’ve thrown out most of the leftovers from the last tenant’s cleaning supplies, there’s more to go. And it just occurred to me that you would like to see what I’m throwing out today. This assortment came from the bathroom and under the kitchen sink.
With limited Spanish to read the labels, here’s how I’m making decisions. This goes left to right.
- Suavitel – it has a precaution section on the back label, plus it lists perfume as an ingredient. It’s going into the garbage.
- Vanish Max 2X laundry soap – looks not too bad, but the fragrance is so nauseating, it’s going.
- Kitchen Mate Oven and Grill Cleaner – commercial strength. Warning is Keep out of Reach of Children and Danger: Corrosive. Causes skin burns. Use adequate ventilation and avoid inhaling. Here’s list from the label: (potassium hydroxide 1310-58-3) and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (111-90-0) I don’t know how to dispose of this – I’m going to leave it outside for now.
- Alcohol bottle – has a skull and crossbones on it, plus a warning about children. I feel it’s safe to pour down the toilet, so it’s gone now.
- Clorox – Dr. Hulda Clark has already declared this to be unsafe, so it will be stored outside until we need it for occasionally cleaning toilets.
- Protex Deo 12 soap (not pictured) – stating that it eliminates 99.9% of bacteria, and the ingredient list says: Sodium Palmitate or Sodium Oleate or Sodium Laurate, PEG 12, parfume, Triclocarbon, citric acid, titanium dioxide, Green 3, Ext D & C Violet 2. All 4 bars are going into the garbage also.
- Citrodex bottle with approx. 1 inch of a greenish murky liquid. I don’t know what it is and it has no warnings or instructions on the label. It will be going into the garbage.
- Baygon Roach killer – This one looks really scary and hubby tells me it looks like the worst of the collection! There’s got to be a natural bug killer recipe out there somewhere. This one will be the subject of another post on this site.
- Axion and Pril cleaners – can’t tell if they clean dishes or laundry. I cannot read the ingredient lists if they have one because the writing is behind the liquid. They have strong fragrances, so they are going in the garbage.
One question I have is: Is the labeling here in Central America similar to the North American labeling system where they are ‘supposed’ to list all ingredients? Also, do they put symbols on all hazardous products? I’m not taking chances, and am starting from scratch.
I hope you go through your cupboards regularly to clean out toxic items that have crept into your cupboards some way or other. Here are some tips: Look for symbols of skull and crossbones, a corroded hand, Caution section or Warnings. Avoid these items. For simple cleaning, stick to known items like vinegar and baking soda. Every country that I have traveled to, vinegar and baking soda are common ingredients that you can find easily.
If you are cleaning up chemicals in your home for the first time, see “How to Detoxify Your Home” where I walk you through the steps that I took in cleaning up our home.
Yours for getting rid of poisons in the home!
Lyn
