Support, understanding, encouragement...

Tip #1
Rid Your Home of Unsafe Cleaning Products
Where do I begin with this one? Chances are, if you have purchased a cleaning product from any traditional grocery store, or department store, it is highly toxic. Sadly, we are so concerned with living in a pristine, germ-free environment that our modern day cleaning products have become super concentrated and extremely dangerous. The inside of most American homes have horrible air quality, far worse than the polluted air you think you're breathing outside. Combine that with the fact that homes today are virtually air tight to save on energy bills, and you have a recipe for disaster. In addition to autism, asthma is also on the rise in our youth at an alarming level. This shouldn't be a surprise, seeing that most children are forced to breathe in these toxic products in their own homes, while their little lungs are still developing. Here's what you can do... Throw out your Mr. Clean, your Lysol, your chlorine bleach, your carpet and oven cleaners, your fancy bathroom cleaners, and even your dryer sheets! (If you only knew how awful dryer sheets are for you, you'd never use them again!) Take out all of your cleaning products and line them up. If they have ammonia, chlorine, phosphates, petrochemicals, or just a strong chemical odor, then get them out of your house! Don't be fooled by lemon scented products that are supposedly "natural". Many manufacturers use dyes and perfumes to mask the chemical smells, and fool you into buying their product. Below is a list of household products that we have found to be both safe and efficient. Remember, when you are using a natural product, it requires a little more muscle to do the work because chemicals are not doing it for you. Think of it as an added bonus that you'll also get your daily workout in while cleaning your house!

Any other cleaning products you own are probably non-essential as good results can be achieved with mere baking soda and water or, my personal favorite, white vinegar. I even use vinegar as a rinse in my laundry to eliminate the need for fabric softener. You should also purchase as many 100% cotton clothes as possible. They are cooler, less toxic and usually wrinkle resistant if hung up immediately. When dressing your autistic child, it is essential to avoid fabrics that are highly sprayed for wrinkle resistance, etc... This includes polyester, rayon, and gortex. Especially avoid sleepwear that is flame resistant. These items are treated with high levels of PBDE's which are extremely toxic chemicals that do not wash out. They are found at high levels in our bodies, and can act as hormone disruptors and neuro-toxins. Please throw out all of your child's flame resistant pajamas, and purchase only 100% cotton. Our favorite ones come from The Children's Place and are relatively inexpensive.

You can find many of the above suggested products at Whole Foods Market, or your local health food store. Also, please see the following websites if you don't live near a natural health market:

www.seventhgen.com (Seventh Generation products)
www.biokleenhome.com (Biokleen products)
www.ecover.com (ECOVER products)

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