It was the Spring of 2005. My cleaning business was successful and organically growing at a comfortable pace allowing me to continually add more staff every month and in 2005 my business employed 8 and had over 100 recurring clients.
All was good, yet it only took a moment to change my way of life.
THE MOMENT OF BEING IN CONTROL
I researched the product, talked with a professional and purchased the safety gear. I read the instructions and then read them again. I followed the instructions. I was in control!
THE MOMENT OF THE UNKNOWN
My client’s desire to make life easier for me created a toxic environment. What happened next was a battle between 2 products, my client's off the shelf and my industrial-strength mould remover (2 vastly different types of chlorine) and without realizing it, I was in the middle of a toxic cloud and I did not stand a chance. My saving grace ...... researching, talking with a professional, reading and following the directions. I had no skin showing, my eyes were protected and I wore a face mask. It saved my life! However, I came out of it with some chemical burns in my nasal passages and lungs, as my face mask did not do a great job of protecting me from the toxic fumes, and lasting sensitivities to many synthetic and chlorine products. A little tidbit....you may ask why didn't I smell the chlorine bleach from the 'off the shelf' product the client sprayed? Fragrance (in the product) covered up the scent.
THE MOMENT OF FRUSTRATION
Believing the label, trusting the brand, being mislead and finally realizing it. After purchasing many off-the-shelf, commercially sold, distributor-only natural cleaning products I felt duped! Just because a label says it is 100% natural or certified organic doesn't mean it is. It only needs to have one ingredient that is for them to use those words. Derived doesn't mean from, it means copied from or in the 'natural' industry 'starting from'. Fragrance as an ingredient in a natural product is just wrong on so many levels.
Don't assume all products made by a company are natural just because they created a couple that are. If a product is certified 'eco' or 'green' it's not natural since there are no government regulations in the world of natural. Dawn, no matter what they say when they show you how it helps cute little animals, still has ingredients of great concern. Burt Bee's was bought out by Clorox. Have you been noticing changes in your Burt Bee's products, check the ingredients. Is there a creation date on your natural product? How about an expiry date? Why are brands not listing the ingredients anywhere?
THE MOMENT OF CHANGE
I no longer trusted so I needed to create
It all began in 2005 out of necessity because I couldn't find what I needed for my business to move forward using only natural products and closing the business was not an option. It became obvious, the only way I was going to be able to know for sure the products I was using were safe for me, my employees, my clients and the environment was to create them myself.
All was good, yet it only took a moment to change my way of life.
THE MOMENT OF BEING IN CONTROL
I researched the product, talked with a professional and purchased the safety gear. I read the instructions and then read them again. I followed the instructions. I was in control!
THE MOMENT OF THE UNKNOWN
My client’s desire to make life easier for me created a toxic environment. What happened next was a battle between 2 products, my client's off the shelf and my industrial-strength mould remover (2 vastly different types of chlorine) and without realizing it, I was in the middle of a toxic cloud and I did not stand a chance. My saving grace ...... researching, talking with a professional, reading and following the directions. I had no skin showing, my eyes were protected and I wore a face mask. It saved my life! However, I came out of it with some chemical burns in my nasal passages and lungs, as my face mask did not do a great job of protecting me from the toxic fumes, and lasting sensitivities to many synthetic and chlorine products. A little tidbit....you may ask why didn't I smell the chlorine bleach from the 'off the shelf' product the client sprayed? Fragrance (in the product) covered up the scent.
THE MOMENT OF FRUSTRATION
Believing the label, trusting the brand, being mislead and finally realizing it. After purchasing many off-the-shelf, commercially sold, distributor-only natural cleaning products I felt duped! Just because a label says it is 100% natural or certified organic doesn't mean it is. It only needs to have one ingredient that is for them to use those words. Derived doesn't mean from, it means copied from or in the 'natural' industry 'starting from'. Fragrance as an ingredient in a natural product is just wrong on so many levels.
Don't assume all products made by a company are natural just because they created a couple that are. If a product is certified 'eco' or 'green' it's not natural since there are no government regulations in the world of natural. Dawn, no matter what they say when they show you how it helps cute little animals, still has ingredients of great concern. Burt Bee's was bought out by Clorox. Have you been noticing changes in your Burt Bee's products, check the ingredients. Is there a creation date on your natural product? How about an expiry date? Why are brands not listing the ingredients anywhere?
THE MOMENT OF CHANGE
I no longer trusted so I needed to create
It all began in 2005 out of necessity because I couldn't find what I needed for my business to move forward using only natural products and closing the business was not an option. It became obvious, the only way I was going to be able to know for sure the products I was using were safe for me, my employees, my clients and the environment was to create them myself.