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Feb.28,2010My allergies have been acting up recently and I am not sure why. Got them to calm down a bit with some antihistamines. I would not consider myself to be chemical sensitive where any chemical causes my body harm, but my lungs and nose do prefer a clean environment.
As a child, I had allergic reactions to many things such as dust mites, mold, and dust, plus other common elements in the air of most houses. As I grew older (and more educated), I realized that I had sensitivities to VOCs and HAPs. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are solvents or other chemicals that are found in most components of the house and in cleaners and other household chemicals. Whenever I use Windex or or types of cleaners that have harsh chemicals in them, I sneeze. Sometimes, this will trigger and allergic reaction that will cause my nose to be sensitive to other items like dust or perfume that usually do not bother me.
Sidenote: I have been studying the household cleaners even more over the past few years since we are a green builder and I have come to realize that they chemical may be making your home sicker! Many of our greener client just use vinegar and water. This solution may even kill more bacteria that antibacterial cleaners that you are using now!
While I have been using this as an excuse to not clean up since it makes me sick, I could not use this excuse yesterday for my wife’s birthday. It was her special day and I wanted to help her out so she would not have to work at all.
I went to Home Depot to get a new steam mop to do quick hygienic clean ups for our office and I came upon some microfiber rags in the cleaning section. The package stated that all I need was water and the rag would not leave any residue and the surface would be clean. Before I took the rags to the office for the quick clean ups, I tried them on our kitchen. For once, I could clean up the kitchen without sneezing! Plus the microfibers worked so well on the different surfaces, that we are now able to get rid of the chemicals since they clean better with just water. They had special rags designed for glass, stainless steel, and general purpose that all exceeded my expectations when I used them.
In the past, I was accused of being allergic to work. Now I have proof that I am just allergic to the harmful chemicals that so call help us clean!
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Some say that I am a ‘chip off of the old block’, however that is actually describing what my father is doing with his time now. He turns wood bowls. It started out as a hobby while he was in the corporate world, but now his hobby has “turned” into a living.