Have you ever stopped to think about how many household toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis? Simple activities like washing our hair, putting the dishwasher on, filling our car up with petrol and doing the laundry can all expose us to a myriad of household toxins. Modern day living is great for creature comforts but not so great for chemical free living. From our carpets, to the furniture, our cleaning cupboard and makeup draw - there are literally toxins everywhere. Unfortunately these chemicals aren't harmless and can negatively impact nervous, immune, reproductive, endocrine, cardiovascular and respiratory system health. So what can we do about it? Well, read on to learn ten ways to detox your home and reduce your exposure to household toxins.
Ten Ways To Reduce Household Toxins
One. Swap Your Skincare Products for Natural Versions.
As your existing products run out, replace them with natural chemical free products. Buying products that are organic will reduce your exposure to pesticides. Sulphates, parabens and phthalate's are all chemicals commonly found in skincare products including shampoo and conditioner, body wash, hand wash and makeup. Choosing natural products that are free from these chemicals is ideal. My favourite natural skincare brands and products are:
Moogoo - Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash & Moisturiser
Inika - Foundation, Concealer & Blush
Eye of Horus - Mascara
Ecostore - Handwash & Soap
La Mav - Cleanser, Toner, Face Moisturiser & Serum
Two. Buy Some Indoor Plants.
Not only are they totally in vogue at the moment, but indoor plants have a very important function. They help to detoxify the air, removing chemicals from the home. Some of the best indoor plants for detoxing the air are:
- Fiddle Leaf Fig
- Devils Ivy
- Boston Fern
- Chinese Evergreen
- Weeping Fig
- Bamboo Palm
- Spider Plant
- Peace Lily
- Snake Plant
- Flaming Lily
Note: A few of these plants may be toxic to pets, so be sure to find out if a plant you are buying is toxic beforehand if you do have a pet at home. You may just need to make sure you keep it out of reach.
Three. Embrace Baking Soda, Vinegar and Lemon Juice.
You could literally clean your whole house with just these three items. Baking soda is amazing for removing odours while vinegar and lemon juice can be used to clean toilets, glass, sinks, showers, even remove stains! Check out this article for more ideas on using these three cheap and effective products for cleaning. There are plenty of homemade cleaner recipes out there using baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice plus essential oils like clove, eucalyptus, tea tree and orange.
Four. Buy an Air Purifier and Essential Oil Diffusor.
Using an essential oil diffuser with oils like sweet orange, grapefruit, tea tree or lemon will help to kill off airborne viruses and bacteria. An air purifier will help to remove pollutants from the air.
Five. Take Your Shoes Off at the Door.
You would be surprised what toxins can be found on the bottom of your shoes. We can walk dirt, pesticide and other chemical residues into the house when we keep our shoes on inside.
Six. Avoid Using Plastics.
We all know about bisphenol A by now but what about the other myriad of chemicals and toxins that plastics contain? What chemicals are used to dye the plastic different colours? And what about phylates and other forms of bisphenol's that haven't been named and shamed yet? Avoiding the use of plastic containers, cling wrap, plastic water bottles and plastic baby bottles can drastically reduce your exposure to these chemicals. There are plenty of great options these days to use in place of these, which I have listed below.
Plastic Free Swaps:
- Glad wrap for beeswax wraps.
- Plastic water bottles for stainless steel.
- Plastic baby bottles for glass.
- Food containers and lunchboxes for glass or stainless steel.
Seven. Avoid Non-Stick/Teflon Cookware.
Chemicals found in non-stick cookware have been linked with developmental delays and cancer. Switch your non-stick cookware with a non-toxic version like Neoflam or simply use non-coated, stainless steel cookware.
Eight. Drink Filtered Water.
Although tap water in Australia is safe for drinking, it still contains a host of chemicals. Buy a water filter that not only removes toxins, but adds minerals back in.
Nine. Avoid Harmful Pest Control.
Cockroach sprays, ant powders, fly sprays and spider killers are all pesticides that you are willingly spraying into your air. Avoid using these products as much as possible. When it comes to pest removal services, there are services out there that use less toxic products, so be sure to research before you look into hiring a pest man.
Ten. Swap Laundry and Kitchen Cleaners for Natural Alternatives.
With the amount of great natural cleaners on the market, there really is no need to buy the harsher chemical varieties.
Remember, reducing household toxins by swapping out harsh chemical cleaners, conventional skincare products and plastics for natural cleaning products, natural skincare products and plastic free items is not only beneficial to your health but it will contribute to a healthier environment as well.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in my article - 6 Ways to Reduce Your Household Waste and Improve Your Health or 8 Plastic Free July Hacks.
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