Hidden Toxins in your home
What you don’t know yet
The monster in the cupboard
We all know about the dangers of lead paint, and cleaning supplies. Most of us already know how to safely store and use our LPG Gas canisters…But have you checked your breadbin and bathroom recently?
Food borne toxins
A contentious topic when it comes to food, is expiration dates. For many food products, these are simply added to the label as part of regulatory rules. Rice doesn’t become dangerous the day after it’s expiration date – the same goes for many other pantry staples.
Did you know that neither honey nor olive oil really expires and there have been instances of both being found 2000 years after they were stored, and then upon testing turned out to be completely safe for consumption (although maybe a bit unappetising)? No, we are not saying you should start ignoring expiration dates completely, but use your common sense and don’t throw away food that can be used. For more scientific research about “sell by” and “best before” dates, read on:
Don’t mess around with mould
Where we will tell you to be super careful and definitely not take chances is with any food that has even the smallest growth of mould on it.
Mould spores are cunning little things and will easily spread right through the whole block of cheese/slice of bread or bottle of mayo. You might just see a tiny spot, but the invisible, dangerous spores, are still there.
According to the USDA
When a food shows heavy mould growth, “root” threads have invaded it deeply. In dangerous moulds, poisonous substances are often contained in and around these threads. In some cases, toxins may have spread throughout the food.
Top Tip: The USDA has a super handy and explanatory infographic to show which mouldy foods to chuck and which you can still chew.
Killer vegetables
Another often-overlooked food borne toxin is Listeriosis and E.coli. We are all smart enough to be cautious of the chicken bad guy, aka salmonella, but did you know your potatoes or lettuce can be equally dangerous?
Listeriosis is caused by Listeria monocytogenes, which can be found in water, soil and animal faeces. E.coli lives in the digestive tracts of humans and animals, and therefore it can also be found in soil, water and faeces. The only sure way to get rid of both these bugs is by thoroughly cooking your meat, eggs, dairy and fresh produce.
However – if you intend to eat your veggies raw (who likes boiled cucumber in any case?!) you can still reduce the risk of contracting one of these infections by managing your food storage and food prep spaces as well as simply washing your produce properly.
Guide to washing fresh produce
The best way to wash fruits and vegetables
Household mould is a major no-no
We’ve spoken about food mould, and its pretty obvious that you shouldn’t be eating leftover braai-vleis that’s grown fur, but what about mould in other places?
We are blessed in South Africa with better weather and longer dry spells than those constantly moist people in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, northern Asian and the USA, mould is a very real, very constant threat. Wet dark winters and summers that never really dry out all lead to dangerous growths of black mould in walls, ceilings and under carpets. Sometimes this mould remains invisible, slowly spreading spores and creating health problems for the occupants, and sometimes it becomes visible as black or dark patches on household surfaces.
For us in South Africa, mould doesn’t pose such a constant risk, but we should still be on the lookout for unexplained dark patches creeping up your walls and ceilings. Bathrooms, kitchen cupboards, damp garages and roof spaces with rain damage can all be breeding grounds for dangerous mould growth.
Find damp proofing experts here.
Health risks posed by mould and damp
Mould associated with damp buildings can trigger nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, wheeze, respiratory infections and worsen asthma and allergic conditions.
People who are more susceptible to these symptoms and other serious health effects include those with:
- weakened immune systems
- allergies
- severe asthma
- chronic, obstructive, or allergic lung diseases.
Mould isn’t something that should keep you up at night, but it might just be worth bending down and checking out that space under your kitchen sink…
VOC’s in home fragrances and cleaning supplies.
Pine Fresh, French Lavender, Citrus Breeze and Clean Linnen…everything from your tile cleaner to your toothpaste has a fragrance. It means these products contain VOC’s, or Volatile Organic Compounds, which are substances that evaporate and turn into gasses at room temperature. It is this volatility of the fragrance compounds that allows your washing to smell like “cashmere blossoms” and your floors to smell like “fresh cut flowers”…
But are these chemicals safe?
There are no hard and fast rules for household VOC management, but you should limit your exposure as much as possible, keep VOC’s away from children and people with respiratory impairments, and contact a healthcare provider as soon as you suspect you might be suffering from a VOC induced respiratory issue.
It is obvious that dangerously high doses of these compounds can pose serious health risks, but sustained exposure (multiple hours each day) over a long period (months or years) to even a low level of VOC’s can be just as detrimental to your health.
Take Note: Because sustained low-level exposure won’t necessarily cause immediate symptoms like difficulty breathing and burning eyes, it might actually pose a higher health risk, as you will remain exposed for longer.
The object of today’s Weekly Fix was not to scare you, but simply to inform you. As a Homemaker, you should know what risks your house poses to your loved ones, and how to mitigate them. Knowledge is power!
