Switch to Safer: Ditch Your Household Toxins

Why is it important to consider swapping out your current household cleaners, personal care products and other household items for non-toxic options? Bottom line, the answer is harmful chemicals. We live in a toxic world and we can’t avoid that. But we can make some easy swaps to help lessen our exposure and our body’s burden to detox these chemicals out of our system, if they can be cleared out (looking at you, annoying forever chemicals). These chemicals have been linked to many health issues including: infertility, endometriosis, early puberty, cancer, immune issues, respiratory problems, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular issues, growth, neurological and learning disabilities, etc.  Basically, nothing great happens by having a high toxic load of these manmade chemicals.

However, please keep in mind that living in a toxic world is not avoidable and try not to stress over ridding your house of every single toxin out there. Sometimes the stress over the chemicals is more harmful than the chemical itself!

To wade into the waters of a non-toxic home, here are 3 of the best places to start: your household cleaners, personal care products and your kitchen.

HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS

To keep your family safe with non-toxic ingredients, make the swap as you run out of the products you currently use.  Go slowly so you don’t feel overwhelmed by replacing everything all at once (unless you really want to!) 

To find out if a product is clean or not, use the EWG Healthy Living App – just scan the barcode of a product you are using or considering or type in its name.  Easy as that!

Some favorite brands (for household cleaners, detergents, dish soap, dishwasher, really everything!):

Branch Basics, Seventh Generation (most of their products), Force of Nature, Dr. Bronner’s, Puracy, Ecos, Aspen Clean, Molly’s Suds, Common Good

Another easy swap: eliminate dryer sheets for wool dryer balls.

PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

EWG has you covered for your personal care products too.  If you’re overwhelmed and only want to focus on a few ingredients to limit, avoid these 3 big offenders to start: fragrance, parabens, PEGs.

And just because a product is made of clean ingredients, it doesn’t mean it won’t clog your pores.  To be sure, check the ingredients of your chosen products here to make sure your products are working for you and not against you: https://clearstem.com/pages/pore-clogging-ingredients-list

Bonus: if you want to take your dedication to safer up a notch, ditch your fluoride toothpaste for one with hydropoxyapatite.  It’s just as effective at protecting our teeth without the negative neurological side effects associated with fluoride.  Favorite brands: Risewell, Boka. 

And for the ladies: opt for organic tampons and pads to keep the bleach soaked cotton out of your bodies.

KITCHEN

One of the places we most come into contact with unsafe chemicals is our kitchen.  Keep your family healthy by making these swaps to make the biggest impact:

  • POTS & PANS

    Ditch any non-stick pots, pans and cookie sheets for cast iron, stainless steel, glass or non-stick ceramic that is verified PFOA, PFTE, lead and cadmium free.

  • ELIMINATE PLASTICS 

    • Tupperware/plastic storage containers swapped for glass

    • Plastic water bottles swapped for stainless steel, glass or ceramic

    • Plastic wrap swapped for Bee’s Wrap

    • Plastic bags swapped for silicone bags like Stasher brand

    • Notice that most takeout food comes in these plastic containers.  Try to limit the amount of takeout you get and take it out of the plastic as soon as it arrives.

    • When you go to a coffee shop, bring your own cup or switch as soon as you can – those cups are lined in plastic.

  • ALUMINUM FOIL swapped out for unbleached parchment paper

  • Don’t use the SELF-CLEANING OVEN FEATURE.  It just sprays a bunch of chemicals in there that will then get into your food.