Remember all those little “Mr. Yuk” stickers that were plastered on household cleaning products when you were a child? We were trained to not touch anything with a bright green “Mr. Yuk” sticker on it. I think it’s even safer, and perhaps easier as well, to just not have those dangerous poisons in our homes to begin with; but obviously, we need to clean our homes, right?

Luckily, there are natural cleaners that won’t hurt your kids or the environment. We’ve already discussed cleaning with vinegar which is a very versatile substance; one that many people overlook as a cleaning agent merely because of its strong odor.

You probably already know that keeping a box of baking soda in the refrigerator and/or freezer helps eliminate nasty odors. But did you also know that you can use baking soda to clean and deodorize your home?

Your parents or grandparents may have used a powder cleaner such as Comet to clean sinks, tubs, showers and even kitchen counters. In the same way, you can clean your kitchen counters, tables and other surfaces by sprinkling them with baking soda, scrubbing with a cloth then rinsing with water.

Have you ever forgotten to clean out your cooler? Or perhaps a bowl of leftovers in your fridge was overlooked for too long? If you have a stinky dish that you just can’t seem to get the nasty smell out of, try soaking it in hot water and baking soda. If the odor isn’t gone after a few minutes of soaking, try soaking it overnight.

Making a paste of the baking soda, with 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water, can be very useful. The paste can be used to polish silver; rub the paste on the silver, rinse with warm water and buff with a soft cloth. The baking soda paste can also be used to remove stubborn stains from most surfaces. Apply the paste, let sit for a while, then scrub or wipe clean. For bad laundry stains, apply the paste to the stain before washing.

Remove unattractive odors from your carpets by sprinkling baking soda on the carpet, letting it sit for 15 minutes then vacuuming. You can also remove unwanted smells from your laundry by replacing ½ of your detergent with baking soda. Dirty laundry sitting in a hamper can become smelly…sprinkle some baking soda in the hamper every couple of days between washings to keep the odor at a minimum.

As you can see, baking soda has a wide variety of uses. Chemical cleansers are not only toxic and poisonous, they’re also incredibly expensive! So save money by utilizing some natural cleaning agents such as vinegar or baking soda.

Bisphenol-A is a dangerous chemical used in canned foods, plastic bottles, baby bottles and infant formula cans. It’s very dangerous and has been linked to breast cancer and prostate cancer. Hopefully, BPA will be banned soon. Canada’s already considering it so hopefully the United States will follow suit. In the meantime, we can limit our exposure to Bisphenol-A by drinking from glass containers or stainless steel bottles.

Glass

Glass containers are great because they don’t contain any BPA, but not very practical for families with children. This is why so many families use plastic! They also break easily, and it’s hard to make sure you get all of the glass when you’re sweeping up the mess.

Moms don’t usually use glass baby bottles because they’re heavier and harder for babies to hold on to. Luckily, most baby bottle manufacturers have now stopped using BPA in their baby bottles.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is the perfect, BPA free option to plastic. Unlike glass, you can throw or drop a stainless steel bottle without it breaking. They’re perfect for taking to the gym, on walks, to the park, and in the car.  The sports section of your local Target or Walmart has a selection of stainless steel sports bottles and travel mugs that are all BPA free.

If you need another reason to switch to stainless steel, think of the planet. The landfills are getting full fast; the more we use reusable glass or stainless steel instead of disposable plastic, we’ll be helping save the planet as well as our health.

In May of 2010, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition released the findings of a study that proved Vitamin D supplements are more effective at preventing the flu than the flu vaccine itself. What are the odds that the flu shot will fade out in favor of Vitamin D supplements?

The study performed at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo was a randomized, double blind study performed with school aged children to see the health benefits of Vitamin D. Some school children were supplemented daily with 1200 IUs of Vitamin D, while others were given a placebo.

Researchers found that Vitamin D cut the risk of contracting the flu virus almost in half; that’s much more effective than the flu vaccine! The risk of Influenza A infection was decreased by 42%. Yet we are still being pushed to get the flu shot. We are still told it’s dangerous to NOT get one.

Amazingly enough, researchers discovered that preventing the flu isn’t the only benefit Vitamin D supplementation offers. Asthma sufferers can also find relief. Of the asthma suffering children that participated in the study, 12 of them on the placebo had asthma attacks during the study, while only 2 attacks occurred among those who received the Vitamin D Supplements.

At the very least, this study should raise enough interest to reproduce the study here in the United States. Unfortunately, I don’t think that it will. You would think that since other research studies have already proven the flu vaccine to be ineffective, this new study would encourage further studies here in our own nation.

So far, the track record of drugs used for medical treatments has not been good. For evidence of this, turn your television on. The vast array of commercials for new class action lawsuits for damages caused by prescription drugs speaks for itself. A natural remedy such as Vitamin D supplements is welcome among other dangerous options.

The pressure to get a flu shot isn’t going to go away, even though scientific studies have proven its inefficiency. (Read “Should You Get A Flu Shot?” for more information.) The point of the flu shot has never been to protect us from contracting the flu virus; it’s merely a money marketing scheme. The pharmaceutical companies are making billions off our ignorance.

Doctors are trained in medical school that the only viable solutions to sickness and disease are scientific drugs. Health solutions, such as foods or certain nutrients, are viewed as “quackery”. Even in society, people who search for natural cures or natural prevention are looked down on.

Take the safer route, and ensure your children get enough Vitamin D. Exposure to sunlight helps with Vitamin D levels as well.