Most of us exercise a fair amount of caution whenever we’re out of the house. We don’t walk through dark areas alone at 3 AM, we look both ways before crossing the road, and tell our kids about “stranger danger” from a very early age. However, not every threat in life comes from outside, and many of us live amongst some incredibly dangerous products. Here are some of the hidden dangers which could be within your very walls…
Non-Stick Cookware
From Pixabay
When non-stick pots and pans were first introduced, they were considered the greatest thing since sliced bread. You’d never have to spend hours soaking pans and scouring them with steel wool again! In the decades that followed, however, we’ve learned that this convenience comes at a pretty heavy price. When the coating that makes non-stick pans work is heated up, it can release toxic gasses which have been linked to organ failure, reproductive damage, cancer, and a range of other serious conditions. Fortunately, these issues tend to occur at very high heats, so if you still use non-stick pans, try to keep to medium and low heats. Alternatively, you could get rid of them altogether. Cast iron and aluminum pans are just as effective with a little oil, even if they take a little longer to clean!
Treadmills
It seems ironic that something designed to maintain your health would be a risk, but treadmills can be exceedingly dangerous, especially when they’re being used by inexperienced people. Broken bones, sprains, friction burns and other nasty injuries have all been attributed to treadmills in the past, and have even sent a few people to personal injury lawyers in pursuit of a product liability case. When using a treadmill, you should always have the safety key attached to your person, start off straddling the deck and getting the speed up, and make sure you have enough space so that you’re not pressed up against anything by a rapidly spinning belt. Most of all, keep children away, and take the safety key with you whenever you’re away from the treadmill.
Herbicides and Insecticides
Seen as the purpose of these products is to kill bugs and weeds, it’s hardly surprising that a lot of them contain chemicals that are also toxic to humans. A lot of popular ant and roach killers are known to cause eye, skin and respiratory irritation. Common weed killers have also been known to cause kidney damage and reproductive problems when a person is exposed to it too much. When you’re using these products, be sure to read the can and follow all the safety instructions it gives you. Ideally, you can stop using conventional herbicides and pesticides altogether, and pay a little more for organic alternatives. If you do a lot of gardening, or live in an area with a lot of pests, then this can end up costing a small fortune in the long term. However, you’ll be able to use the products freely without ever having to worry about the health risks it could pose!
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