by Lianne Castelino www.whereparentstalk.com

I've done some research, but apparently far from enough.  So I will be doing more and pronto.

The topic?  Everyday, household items that are potentially toxic, items that release invisible gases, chemicals and toxins that experts say will have an impact on our health over time and in some cases perhaps immediately.

It is disturbing.  

I admit that I don't wash newly-purchased bed linen or clothes 2 or 3 times before use.  And yes, we do have non-stick, teflon frying pans.

We have some eco-friendly cleaners, but some aren't.  And there are other items that I will be going over with a fine tooth comb.

We don't heat up food items in plastic, tupperware containers anymore, but I'm not sure I've impressed this upon my children, especially my oldest who often heats up his lunch at school.  I will be doing that asap.

Eco-friendly advocates can sometimes come across as militant and therefore misunderstood.  While I am completely against fear-mongering of any kind, I really don't think this is about fear. 

We tend to be influenced by what major manufacturers tell us, which of course is communicated through retailers and what they sell.   We seem to place a certain amount of blind trust in what is on those store shelves.  Let's face it, eco-friendly products do not dominate the shelf space of major retailers — hence a large part of the problem.

Imagine not knowing that items in your home were emitting toxins.  That you unintentionally exposed your children to them.  That a simple change in product choice, practice or philosophy could have made a huge difference.

It's enough to move me into action.

I'm on a mission to find those silent predators.

Video Interview:

Angela Higgins, an interior designer who specializes in creating healthy living spaces.