Brightly Green: February 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Best Green Cleaners - Write us in please! Vote for Brightly Green

Please go to http://bit.ly/e6SqTx Write in - Brightly Green http://www.brightlygreen.biz and vote for us ! Best Green Cleaners!

Thank You so much!

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Friday, February 18, 2011

Antibacterial Hand Sanitizers Unnecessary and Risky

Antibacterial Hand Sanitizers Unnecessary and Risky

Written by Jane Sheppard Article permission of Jane Sheppard Healthy Child

Wednesday, 22 September 2010 17:46

Now that we're heading into the "cold and flu season", you may be thinking of stocking up on hand sanitizers, disinfecting sprays and antibacterial wipes to keep germs away from your kids. If so, you may want to re-think this plan since it is in fact unnecessary, and there may be unintended consequences.

Just like overuse of antibiotics, overuse of antibacterial household products can lead to bacteria resistant to antibiotics. In addition, these antibacterial chemicals harm the "good" germs that play an important role in protecting us from infection. And if you go overboard with too much cleanliness, it can disrupt the development of a child's immune system, which depends on germ exposure to mature. This could make your child more susceptible to allergies.

Do these antibacterial products work?

There's no evidence that the products containing these chemicals give us any health benefits or have any effect on viral infectious diseases such as cold or flu.

But they ARE being absorbed into our bodies. And all these chemicals are constantly being washed down the drain, into our lakes, rivers and water supplies.

Dr. Stuart B. Levy, of the Tufts University School of Medicine, warns about antibacterial household products:

"The recent entry of products containing antibacterial agents into healthy households has escalated from a few dozen products in the mid-1990s to more than 700 today. Antibacterial products were developed and have been successfully used to prevent transmission of disease-causing microorganisms among patients, particularly in hospitals. They are now being added to products used in healthy households, even though an added health benefit has not been demonstrated. Scientists are concerned that the antibacterial agents will select bacteria resistant to them and cross-resistant to antibiotics. Moreover, if they alter a person's microflora, they may negatively affect the normal maturation of the T helper cell response of the immune system to commensal flora antigens; this change could lead to a greater chance of allergies in children. As with antibiotics, prudent use of these products is urged. Their designated purpose is to protect vulnerable patients."

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no3_supp/levy.htm

The following report from Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides goes into detail about common antibacterial agents in hundreds of consumer products. There's a list of products containing these chemicals, including toys. Plus they provide alternatives and the proper way to wash hands.

The Ubiquitous Triclosan: A common antibacterial agent exposed

You don't have to kill the germs, just wash them away with a nontoxic soap and water.

Brightly Green
Thanks

Healthy Child

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Creating a Green Home from the Foundation Up

Eco-Friendly Products

Creating a Green Home from the Foundation Up

Article by: Krista Peterson

Although finding safe, eco-friendly cleaning products can be challenging, especially with the wide array of dangerous cleaners on the market, other related risks also threaten the health of homeowners. While choosing an environmentally safe and friendly product remains essential, especially with today’s rise in indoor air pollution, all materials inside a home deserve attention to ensure they are safe.

Frighteningly, in many homes, indoor air quality is actually worse than outdoor. As a result of all the unnatural chemicals and deodorizers irresponsibly allowed into the market, many families literally contribute to their deteriorating health every day. For most of these environmental threats, simply choosing safer alternatives and removing these impurities can correct the problem. Sometimes, though, indoor air purification is initially needed to rid a home’s air of impurities. However, sometimes environmental threats cannot be solved through the introduction of safe products or filtration.

One of the most dangerous of these dangers, which can silently impact homeowners for years, might hide in countless locations throughout a home. Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was once valued for its ability to insulate and saw heavy usage in homes and buildings throughout the United States. The construction industry, in particular, used asbestos extensively, with the product appearing in vinyl tiles, sheet insulation and several construction cements, in addition to countless other places. Not until the 1970s did the EPA begin to recognize the threat of this material and begin the process of regulating its use. By that time, countless homeowners already were exposed to the material.

Unfortunately, mesothelioma symptoms remain largely hidden, generally appearing 20 to 50 years after exposure. While this material remains safe when undamaged, improper handling of the material allows it to fragment into small particles that can spread throughout a home. Because of its wide use in many home areas and materials, especially in older construction, inadvertent contact with asbestos remains high. Without proper training, spotting this material is nearly impossible.

Furthermore, home owners should never try removing this toxin themselves. Undisturbed pockets of asbestos should always be left in their whole, undamaged state. However, homeowners unaware of the presence of asbestos risk disturbing the material through normal cleaning, such as scrubbing floors or cleaning walls with harsh products. Popcorn ceilings, popular from the 1950s through the 1980s, are among the most well-known sources of asbestos exposure because their location and fragile structure. Mesothelioma symptoms in individuals that lived in homes with these ceilings are seen far more often, as the material requires more frequent cleaning, disturbing the asbestos inside and allowing it to rain down into the home’s air.

While the risks of introducing unsafe chemicals into a home are great, some of the most dangerous toxins are those that can sit in homes for decades. For individuals in older homes, especially if they plan on doing any kind of renovation that might expose these toxins, it remains vital to ensure they understand the chemicals that might be exposed. Professional substance abatement often remains the best option for homeowners that suspect the presence of any toxins. In order to live in a safe, eco-friendly home in comfort, individuals must avoid overly-harsh and toxic cleaning products in combination with ensuring the very walls and floors they clean are not a threat. In addition to using nonabrasive cleaning products, completely safe homes require the replacement of every environmental danger, from the foundation to the furniture.

About the author:

Krista Peterson. Is a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida. I am an aspiring writer with a passion for the health and wellness of our community and our environment. I am doing all I can to live a greener and healthier life and love to help spread awareness of this lifestyle through my writings. In my free time, I enjoy doing yoga and playing with my 3 dogs. I hope to one day building a sustainable home of my dreams!

Brightly Green thanks Krista for sharing her passion for a healthy lifestyle and writing this incredible article for our benefit!

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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Green Cleaning guru David Holly video on how to be different than every other green cleaning company!

This is a great video for Green Cleaning business. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

http://www.blip.tv/file/4040942?utm_source=player_embedded

This is an interview with Green Cleaning guru, David Holly. In the interview, David talks about: 1) ; the future of the cleaning industry as it relates to green cleaning, 2) is certification necessary and how to prepare if that is your goal, 3) how to differentiate your cleaning company from everyone else offering green cleaning.

This video describes a real down to earth look at how to develop a fantastic green cleaning company!

Brightly Green has concentrates and great prices to help you stand out from your competitor. We chose the Green America Certification. This certification is concerned about all aspects of Eco friendly green living and sustainability as well as ethics.