100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (22 page)

Perk #19

An Excuse to Escape Dish Duty

W
hile I love big family dinners, I hate the

cleanup afterward. I hate it so much, in fact,

that I have earned myself the nickname “Eat and

Run.” I don’t pride myself on being afflicted with

the eat-and-run syndrome, but when that turkey

coma kicks in, I fall victim. As I shamefacedly

slept off those extra calories, I am sure that snide

remarks were being made behind my back about

my dirty-dish avoidance. But that was before

cancer. Even when I half-heartedly offered to

help with the dishes after my diagnosis, I just

got shooed away to a welcoming couch. I almost

felt sorry for my sister, Sherry, one Sunday when she hinted about her

hysterectomy in an attempt to escape dish duty. But, hey, by that time, it

had been seven weeks since her surgery; she’d milked that baby for all it

was worth! Now me, on the other hand, I figured I could probably get

another year out of my situation if I played my cards right. Christmas dinner

at Mom’s that year was never so relaxing.

Cancer gives you a ready-made excuse to avoid dish duty.

HEALTH TIP #19

Need Another Excuse? Think About the Toxins

A
re you sick of loading and unloading the dishwasher? Well the truth is,

it might be the dish soap that’s making you sick. The chemicals in your

dish soap may get your dishes squeaky clean, but do you really need toxic

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Perk #19: An Excuse to Escape Dish Duty

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chemicals to do the job? Whether you are washing the dishes by hand or

loading them into a dishwasher, the dishwashing product you use may con-

tain substances that are harmful to your health. Here are three of the most

common and the most dangerous toxins found in dish detergent:

Triclosan

Triclosan is a chemical antibacterial agent that is widely used in dish deter-

gent and hand soap as well as children’s toys, clothing, deodorants, and

even toothpaste. This “germ fighter” may be killing more than just unwanted

bacteria. Triclosan is absorbed through the skin and remains in your body

for up to twelve hours. There is evidence that triclosan can find its way to

your fat cells where it can accumulate and interfere with the body’s thyroid

metabolism. (Your thyroid regulates a multitude of body functions.) Even

the American Medical Association issued a statement at their annual meet-

ing that “the use of common antimicrobials (triclosan) . . . as ingredients

in consumer products should be discontinued.” It is noted to be a highly

potent allergen, causing dermatitis and worsening asthma. Triclosan is also

among over 200 chemicals found in umbilical cord blood of newborns in

the United States.

In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) began studying the harmful effects of

triclosan due to excessive reports of toxic side effects

and growing research that cite hormone related

effects especially to the thyroid gland. They plan to

review the registration process for this chemical (to

possibly reclassify it as harmful) in 2013, but it may

not be until 2015 until this is completed.

Triclosan is also devastating to the environ-

ment. As it washes out from the drains into the

water systems, it destroys the bacteria that main-

tains the delicate biological balance of rivers, lakes,

and streams, and kills fish and other vital water

plants. It also reacts with the chlorine as it goes

through the water treatment facilities and forms

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

new cancer-causing compounds as it comes into your home and out of your

faucets. Because of this, many governmental water-management agencies are

calling for widespread reductions in public triclosan use. In March 2013,

Minnesota announced that their state agencies will no longer purchase any

products containing triclosan.

Yes, you don’t want germs on your dishes, but using plain ol’ soap with-

out the fancy chemical germinators kills them just as effectively.

Bleach

Chlorine bleach is found in most automatic dishwashing detergents, but

it is highly unnecessary. Bleach (real name: sodium hypochlorite) is a dis-

infectant found in cleaners for use throughout the house. It’s cheap, and

the “bleach-y” smell makes us think that things are really so very germ-

free. But do we really need something that kills 99 percent of viruses for

your dishes?

Chlorine bleach is a potent irritant to your skin. If you’ve ever gotten

bleach on your skin you notice that your skin feels slippery. That’s the chem-

ical reaction you’re feeling as the bleach pulls the oils from inside your skin

up to the surface.

There is also evidence that the use of chlorine in the household forms

several toxic gasses such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, which are

known carcinogens. These gasses fall into the category of volatile organic

compounds (VOCs). Created by the mixing or breakdown of chemicals,

VOCs are gasses that we breathe every day in our homes.

Hey, battery acid is a dangerous chemical classified as a corrosive. Bleach

is a dangerous chemical classified as a corrosive. What is bleach doing in

our dish detergent?

Fragrance

We love our soaps to smell like anything but soap, don’t we? Gentle rain,

floral bouquet, citrus squeeze. The manufacturers know their stuff and have

developed a virtual cornucopia of scents to delight us. The chemical mix-

tures are listed on the label as “fragrance,” but because of lax labeling laws,

the manufacturers don’t have to tell us which chemicals are contained in

Perk #19: An Excuse to Escape Dish Duty

85

said “fragrance.” Most “fragrance” contains synthetics like formaldehyde,

benzene, and toluene—all carcinogens. Until current labeling laws are

changed, there is just no way of knowing how many carcinogens you are

being exposed to during dish duty.

Don’t you just love chemistry? So what do we do now that we’ve thrown

away all our dish detergent? Luckily, companies like Seventh Generation

and the Honest Company have found ways to produce dish detergents and

cleaners that are safe and effective. Just look for ingredient labels to be

plainly printed on the bottle and avoid the three bad ones just mentioned.

Beware when you don’t see ingredients clearly disclosed or see labels that

say “made with natural ingredients,” as this could mean 1 percent of the

product is natural and 99 percent isn’t.

If you hand wash your dishes, just use plain castile soap. (Find liquid

castile soap in the natural or “organic soap” section of your market.) Liquid

castile soap is made with plant oils, usually coconut, castor oils, and others,

and can come in many scents. I love Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soaps

(www.drbronners.com), as they come naturally scented with essential oils.

(Essential oils come from plants and are not made from chemicals in a lab.)

With scents like peppermint and eucalyptus, who needs chemistry?

Note: Even when you are using “natural” soaps you should always wear gloves

when washing dishes to avoid any potential irritation or skin reaction.

If you use an automatic dishwasher, use safe detergent without chlorine

bleach and synthetic fragrance. You can boost the cleaning power of any

detergent by sprinkling several tablespoons of simple baking soda (sodium

bicarbonate) over the dishes before you hit the start button. (You really can’t

“overdo” using baking soda as it dissolves in the water to make the water

“soft” so the detergents and soaps work better.)

For a homemade automatic dishwashing detergent, you can use this

recipe from www.diynatural.com:

●
1 cup Borax (natural mineral; buy in most grocery stores in laundry

section)

●
1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate; found in laundry section)

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

●
1/2 cup powdered citric acid (from citrus foods; buy online or in health

food stores)

●
1/2 cup kosher salt (table salt can also be used, but kosher salt has no

chemicals)

Mix everything in an airtight container and use about 2 tablespoons per

load in the main washing cup. (I sometimes add just a dash to the prewash

cup as well.) I’ve used this recipe, and I love it. Keep it in a tightly sealed

container and away from moisture. Every area that you can eliminate toxins

from in your environment is a victory for your health.

Clean up your act by switching to a

natural detergent soap for your dishes

to avoid needless chemical exposure.