You may not realize it, but your house could be hazardous to your health.
Insect droppings, dust mites, spoiled food -- all can contribute to a plethora of health problems. In fact, germ guru Charles P. Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, says you're more likely to get sick going home than nearly anywhere else in your life.
What's scarier is that the cure for a dirty home can be worse than the problem as we attack germs with enough toxic chemicals to make the EPA shudder. Green Seal, a nonprofit environmental standards organization, estimates that cleaning products contribute approximately 8 percent of total nonvehicular emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These can cause eye, nose, and lung irritation, as well as rashes, headaches, nausea, asthma, and, in some cases, cancer.
Source: Reader’s Digest, www.rd.com, Stealth Health
