Related
Internal Links
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
Steam cleaning may provide relief for people with allergies to household cleansers, a U.S. allergy-sufferer says.
Mercia Tappings, who runs AllergyBuyersClub.com., threw out her cleansers and now uses steam to clean tiles, counters and even bedclothes.
Steam cleaning "really was just an answer to my prayers," she said. "When I got the chemicals out of the house, I literally didn't wake up with headaches anymore."
Vapour steam cleaners kill dust mites, mould, germs, spores and bacteria just using water without chemical cleaners, her website said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said many common household cleansers, disinfectants and aerosol sprays can add to indoor air pollution.
The Health Canada website said it considers mould in houses a potential health hazard. The quality of household air is important because Canadians spend about 90 per cent of their time indoors.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
Top News Headlines
- Refugee reforms include fingerprints, no appeals for some
- New, tougher reforms to refugee legislation that hasn't yet come into force are already drawing fire from critics who say they give Canada's immigration minister too much power and risk the lives of claimants. more »
- Underwear bomber sentenced to life in prison
- A Nigerian man who tried to blow up an international flight near Detroit on behalf of al-Qaida has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. more »
- 7 MPs and their fiery quotes
- The election of a majority government was seen by some as a chance for less acrimonious politics on Parliament Hill. But the past week has seen its fair share of inflammatory rhetoric on both sides of the House. more »
- Bully victim's mother tells of 'suicide box'
- A mother who hired a bodyguard to protect her bullied daughter says the girl had prepared a "suicide box" in case the violence became unbearable. more »
Latest Health News Headlines
- Alcohol problem hits parents of 1 in 10 U.S. kids
- About 7.5 million children in the U.S. live with a parent who has struggled with alcohol in the past year, a report finds. more »
- B.C. Botox injections spark health investigations
- Federal and provinical health authorities say they will take action after CBC News revealed two Vancouver-area clinics were offering Botox injections that would be administered by people not licensed to carry out the procedure. more »
- Dandelion tea touted as possible cancer killer
- Researchers hope to test dandelion tea on patients at a Windsor, Ont., clinic after it was found the roots killed cancer cells in the laboratory. more »
- Toxin cleanser MMS warning issued in Canada
- The supplement MMS, which claims to cleanse the body of toxins, may cause serious health problems, Health Canada warns despite the distributor's defence of the product. more »
FEATURED HEALTH
- Dog kills newborn in Alberta community
- Montreal telemarketers in fraud case still making calls
- Refugee reforms include fingerprints, no appeals for some
- Bully victim's mother tells of 'suicide box'
- Honduras prison fire is world's deadliest
- Degrassi's Wheels death announced, 5 years later
- Nortel collapse linked to Chinese hackers
- 2 small earthquakes rattle Vancouver Island
- Barefoot girl's icy trek not blamed on babysitter

