Category : Mom Safety
After my last post on detoxing your bathroom I was reminded of a product (thanks Raven) I’ve always dismissed in my head as toxic. I’m sure you’ve heard of cleaning erasers, the most popular brand would be Mr. Clean’s magic eraser that is marketed to help surfaces look ‘new again’! I thought this article would be straight forward seeing as Mr. Clean is a Proctor & Gamble product….and my jaded self usually deems any traditional cleaning product toxic. Well I’ve researched it and I’m surprised really, but I don’t think magic erasers are toxic. Don’t get me wrong, they are not eco-friendly but they don’t appear to be laced with loads of cleaning agents within the sponge that would be released when used.
The confusion starts when savvy mamas Google ‘magic eraser ingredients‘ and find the material safety data sheets for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads and see warnings to keep this product away from toddlers and then see the word Formaldehyde included in the only chemical ingredient listing called ‘Formaldehyde-Melamine-Sodium bisulfite copolymer’. As moms, we get upset when seeing Formaldehyde listed in ingredients because we know it’s been lurking in our kid’s personal care products (shampoo, body wash, etc.) and think of nasty products like nail polish that contain this chemical that harms human health. Well in the case of the magic eraser, the formaldehyde is used in the manufacturing & production of the melamine sponge (which is the eraser). So unlike Melamine dishware where we worry about the trace amounts of formaldehyde leaching after subjecting the dishware to cleaning, we don’t have to worry about this chemical ‘leaching’ out of the sponge. So while this product is not a toxic cleaning tool – it’s not eco-friendly because chemicals will be absorbed back into the earth when the eraser is discarded, but nothing will be ‘off-gassing’ while it’s being used which I find comforting knowing how many people I know use them.
You might have seen the ‘chemical burn’ picture via an email of a child that circulated around the internet a few years ago. The mother had taken photos of her child with terrible burns on his arms saying that he rubbed the magic eraser on his skin. I believe this has been deemed a hoax, but I would agree with the household products database that these sponges should be kept away from children. It’s not a chemical finish that is removing soap scum and marks from surfaces, its the foam’s structure of melamine resin that becomes more like sand paper when the sponge is put under water. So the outer material of the sponge works like fine sandpaper which could cause a child (or parent with sensitive skin) to react to this surface. This however is different than the supposed ‘chemical burn’ that the child in that email received by using a magic eraser. As far as I can see, adding cleaning chemicals to the sponge has not happened.
So was I delighted with these findings? No, not really, but I was surprised. I would have bet a lot of money there were chemical cleaning agents added to a Mr. Clean magic eraser and I don’t think this is the case. Split decision here if I would actually purchase one. I would recommend a magic eraser over spraying toxic cleaners at a permanent marker stain on a wall, but it would be a joke to call them an ‘eco-friendly’ solution and make them a permanent fixture in my home. Here is why I wouldn’t recommend simply for soap scum or every-day cleaning:
1) If a sponge only lasts a few weeks (I’ve read they breakdown quickly when used) they are not considered an earth-friendly, reusable product.
2) The foam was made by a German company (BASF) and was invented as an insulator and fire retardant. Sorry, but all I can say is gross…it makes me itchy just thinking of holding one.
3) I will never go back to cleaning with something that my kids can’t use. I wouldn’t let them hold one of these and whenever I start cleaning my bathroom, my girls especially want to help. My current cleaning system is very safe for them to participate with.
So while I’m still not a fan, I will no longer be fearful when I hear another glowing testimonial from a mother that swears a magic sponge was the only thing that could get marker off her floor or walls. But, if P&G starts spinning that these sponges are good for the environment, I might not be able to stop my eye twitch…
Related Articles:
Eco-Cleaning Made Easy
Self Cleaning Oven – Toxic For Humans or Only Birds?
Starting with the Bathroom – It’s Time For Chemical Detox
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A question that bothered me for some time was recently answered by the folks at Lunapads. Have you heard about this company that sells reusable menstrual products? It might come as a surprise these options even exist. The response to my last article about dioxins in bleached disposable tampons and pads was terrific and I received lots of emails from loyal users of Lunapads and The Divacup saying how much they LOVE these alternatives. These products are reusable options for menstrual care that helps protect women against nasty chemicals in traditional products (tampons and pads) while also helping the environment. Isn’t it funny how we try and keep bleached products away from baby’s bottoms by switching to cloth diapers, but don’t stop to think about ourselves and the harm we are causing by using tampons that contain chemicals?
Lunapads are a reusable option to pads and liners that are simply washed after use. We know that traditional pads have chemical residues and using 100% cotton or organic cotton against this area of the body is a healthier solution. For the environment, think about 14 billion pads going into the landfill every year in America. Saving money is also a solution with Lunapads because you are investing in a product that will last for years. There is a comparison chart on the Lunapad site that does a great job of showing customers the money they will save over 5 years of using the lunapad liners and pads.
Now back to the question I wanted answered. I have lots of clothes, towels, etc. that have rips that keep me from wanting to donate them. I can’t bring myself to just throw them in the trash ~ there must be a way to reuse them. Via twitter, Lunapads answered my question: DIY menstrual pads. Their blog post includes the pattern and 2 part video (featuring one of the co-founders of Lunapad) and it’s very easy to follow and even a novice person with a sewing machine could sew these. I think it’s pretty cool that the company that created these pads would show women how to make them if they can’t afford to purchase them, or are looking for a way to reuse materials they already own to reuse into pads. They also encourage people that know how to sew to donate homemade pads to two organizations called Pads4Girls and Birth Kit Maxi Pads. The first organization Pads4Girls sends washable pads to school age girls in Africa. The second Birth Kit Maxi Pads includes washable pads in birth kits sent to the woman of rural Uganda. In this economy in North America isn’t it amazing that anyone can reuse a material from their home, create, and then donate to these wonderful causes with almost no cash spent? Well done! That would be a great project for a high school home rec class. Teaching kids to care about the environment, a social cause, and feel good about starting a project that has such a large impact far away.
The last main product from the Lunapads site that I have to admit startles me every time I see it is called The DivaCup. There couldn’t be a better name for the purpose of this product! <grin> It is the replacement for a tampon that is a much healthier option (read Dioxins ~ The Last Place You Want Them for more information on tampons) and comes with nothing to throw away. Like a tampon, it is inserted to collect menstrual flow rather than absorbing it. The DivaCup is made from soft silicone and is latex-free, BPA-free, plastic-free, and doesn’t contain dye, colors, or additives. For more information click here. I would have to test The DivaCup personally, but people I know just rave about it and it is a safer alternative to the toxic traditional products that currently rule the market.
Okay male Mommy Footprint readers, just grit your teeth and we’ll all get through this article. It’s not one you need to commit to memory, but you do need to forward it to the women in your life. Tampons and sanitary pads are not a topic even moms chat openly about. After wondering what makes tampons so white (suspecting bleach), I’ve done some digging and am again surprised at why so many products are toxic to women’s heath ~ makeup, deodorant, personal care are others to list a few.
The only negative I’d heard about tampons before researching this article is the small risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome if the tampon is not managed properly. Well this is not the only concern women should have and I’ve learned most brands actually produce toxic tampons! Non-organic brands are made of rayon (a derivative of wood pulp) or rayon cotton blends that is chlorine bleached to make them look clean and white. By using this method of bleaching, dioxins are produced and are a known carcinogen (cancer). Could dioxin exposure actually be the cause of endometriosis, fertility problems, reproductive disease, cancer, fibroids as the growth of these diseases climbs?
Facts that we know about tampons and the dioxins non-organic tampon brands produce:
› The process of chlorine bleaching to make tampons appear clean and white produce dioxin.
› Dioxin collects in the fatty cells/tissues of animals and humans and stays there for the rest of our lives.
› Synthetic fibers remain inside a woman’s uterus after a tampon’s been removed.
› Only trace amounts of dioxins remain from tampons, but these amounts add up and remain over time and a typical woman uses 12,000 tampons in her lifetime.
Learning this stopped me from ever using one of these chlorine bleached products again. I won’t be using up my left-over Tampax and went to Planet Organic today to purchase chlorine-free organic cotton tampons and pads. Yes, it’s not the most fun topic I’ve posted at Mommy Footprint, but it might be one of the most important. Read the facts and replace traditional sanitary pads and tampons with a safer alternative. 7th Generation can also be found at Whole Foods and provides tampons free of rayon, whitened without chlorine, made with 100% organic cotton. And although pads are not absorbed inside your body, I would recommend replacing pads too because they are treated and whitened with the same process as tampons.
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I really enjoy my Facebook time and I know it’s an application for young people…but I think the talented 23 year old that created Facebook, did it just for me! It really helps preserve sanity for a stay home mom to feel connected to the outside world when the walls start closing in. 
It’s been so cool to hook up with people I went to Elementary and High School with. I went to great schools, met awesome people, but for whatever reason, didn’t stay in touch with many school mates. Re-connecting with so many on Facebook has been lovely as I have nothing but great memories of those days. Extra special with Francesco starting Kindergarten this year, as I longed for him to have the same Elementary school experience that I had. It’s been neat to walk down memory lane and remember special times.
In my life before children I had a technical background with some experience in email and Internet security. In the back of my mind I always have a nagging concern with sticking pictures of my children on Facebook and having conversations about daily activities with my family either via the wall or status updates. So for my own peace of mind I started testing with a friend, just to see how secure my profile was. As it turned out, my security wasn’t locked down enough to ease my mind. Not to sound paranoid, but I’m often shocked at the fact I have access to pictures of other people’s photos and I’m not their friend! That means there are parents posting pictures of their children on Facebook and their security is wide open. If this is the case, anyone with access can save a picture from your Facebook album to their hard drive. I’m not trying to scare anyone, as I think Facebook security is ruled firstly by common sense and basic precautions, but there are some settings that need to be adjusted after first creating your account. Isn’t it interesting that these new-age parenting questions didn’t even exist a few years ago? Here a few tips to get you started…I will continue to post Facebook security tips in future articles, but here are the basics.
1 Remove your birthday.
In the age of identity theft, it’s just not necessary to advertise your birth date. When you first create your Facebook account, you need to submit your birth date, but there is an option to change it from being viewed on your profile. To remove go into: Profile, Edit (option next to Profile), under your birthday, select the drop down arrow to display “Don’t show my birthday in my profile.” Select the “Save Changes” button.
While in your profile, under the Contact field, do I need to say more about listing your phone number, home address, etc.? Probably best to only leave your email address and/or cell number.
2. Profile settings. To change these controls, you need to access your Profile setting again, but through the ‘Privacy’ option, rather than following directions from point 1. If you access your Profile though this menu option, you get a new set of important security options. To keep things simple, I would recommend changing every option under this category to ‘Only My Friends’. Why? By default, Facebook allows all of your networks and friends to view your profile. If you view the size of many networks, hundreds of thousands of people could have access to your personal information.
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A tip I read months ago crossed my mind today. I wanted to share it because I had never heard of it and thought it was a brilliant safety tip. If you are worried about your safety in your house because you don’t have an alarm or large dog, just sleep or carry your car’s key-less entry remote or keep it next to your bed/under your pillow. If you needed a loud noise to scare off an intruder, especially effective in the middle of the night, you would hit the alarm button (you know the one your kids always hit by accident when ‘helping’ you unlock the car?). They usually work a far distance away from the vehicle…take your remote to your room and test if it works. If so, you have a free, built-in, house alarm.
