There has been a bit of publicity recently about the formaldehyde in products coming out of China. But a lot of the dangerous products are lurking in supermarket and department store aisles and we've been bringing them home for years. So Dads (and Mums), it is time to stand up to the manufacturers of cleaning and personal care products.

Here are some reasons why:

Most of the manufacturers don't give a toss about the impact of their product on the health of your family. United States data shows that of the 17,000 chemicals that appear in common household products, only 30% have been adequately tested for their negative effects on our health, and only 10% have been tested for their ability to cause nervous system disorders. Why is that? Because there is no law requiring pre-market safety testing, and manufacturers are not required to list the exact ingredients on the label.

And don't think that locking the cleaning products away or putting them out of reach will help. Children can inhale vapours while you are cleaning, and they absorb chemicals through their skin when they come into contact with surfaces that have been cleaned.

For example, children exposed to the same level of ammonia vapour as adults may receive a larger dose because they have a greater lung surface area to body weight ratio, they are closer to the ground where higher levels of toxic gases are found and their immune systems are not able to provide the same level of protection against toxic exposures.

The same applies to personal care products. Again, the law does not require that personal care products be tested for safety before they are allowed to be sold. Citing US data again, an analysis of nearly 3,000 chemicals used in personal care products found that nearly 900 were toxic, over 300 caused biological mutation and about 150 caused tumours. Deodorant, toothpastes, sunscreens and shampoos are among products with the most toxic ingredients.

Two years ago we switched stores to a responsible manufacturer of natural based products and haven't looked back. Our health hasn't been better. We love the products, they are very effective, safer and delivered direct to our door each month. I'm proud to say that Jesse, my youngest son, has been brought up in a toxic free home.

OK, I can't protect the kids from nasty chemicals outside the home environment. Schools are a case in point. I've written to the Minister of Education pointing out that schools in California are required by law to purchase non-toxic, chemical-free cleaning to maintain their facilities, and asking what measures were being put in place in New Zealand to protect our children. The response was: "The Health and Safety Code of Practice for Schools provides extensive and obligatory guidelines for schools to follow in the management of hazards and risks in school environments, including the use and storage of dangerous substances". Interpretation: its OK to use chlorine bleach and ammonia in schools as long as they are locked away.

Just over the weekend I popped into a local preschool that is about to open for business and asked them what cleaning products they would be using to sanitise equipment. The answer was that they must use a bleach solution as endorsed by the Ministry of Education, and that they were not open to looking at alternatives which might be available.

At least I can limit my children's exposure to chemicals in the environment in which they will spend the most of their young lives - our home.

-Dean

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