I have a really close woo-woo friend. She is as crunchy granola as they come. She makes her own kombucha and chocolate, SHE DOES NOT HAVE A SINGLE PLASTIC ITEM IN HER HOME (not even trash bags), and she even brings her own plates and utensils to fast food joints to avoid their packaging. I have no doubt in my mind that she is going to single-handedly save the planet.
As close as we are, we are very different. I know that I can do more to help the planet, but I’m a little behind the advances of my woo-woo friend. Like lightyears behind. Even with that said, I would ideally like to have a home that is as close to being toxic-free as possible so that my child has a safe and healthy place to roam and romp about. I’m busy and I don’t have a lot of time to engage in research for every ingredient of every product that I purchase. When Camille was a little bug, I’d use EWG’s Healthy Living App for products and foods with low to no toxins.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to reduce or eliminate toxins from your home, good for you. It’s a personal decision, and tbh, I don’t think that the Jupiter household will be 100% toxin-free anything soon. However, we are slowly moving in that direction.
These quick tips are by no means a holistic look at making your home completely toxin-free.
Non-Toxic Kitchen
This one is a pretty big deal since the food that your body will consume and absorb is in contact with these items. Here’s the quick and dirty for a basic, non-toxic kitchen:
- Opt for glass dishware and food storage is when you can.
- Consider tossing out your non-stick pots and pans as well as cookware that contains lead, cadmium, or aluminum. These heavy metals usually contain neurotoxins which can lead to brain damage. Opt for cast-iron and enameled cast-iron instead. You can even purchase glass cookware like skillets!
- Be mindful of detergents and kitchen cleaners. Choose kitchen cleaners with easy to recognize ingredients – or go the extra mile and make your own!
Non-Toxic Home
- If you have pests, switch out your exterminator for food grade diatomaceous earth (DE). DE is fossilized remains of phytoplankton and is non-toxic to mammals. When bugs with an exoskeleton come in contact with DE, it punctures the shell and kills them. You can get DE off of Amazon for pretty cheap.
- Dryer sheets are coated in harmful chemicals that can easily enter the air in which we breathe. Instead of dryer sheets, opt for wool balls. They last quite a while and can scent clothes if you add a drop or two of essential oil on them.
- If it’s time to do some paint touch-ups, opt for low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Low-VOC or Zero-VOC paints can be a little pricer, but they really reduce or even eliminate harmful fumes.
Non-Toxic Baby
- These days, most sippy-cups are BPA-Free, however, recent studies have revealed that BPA-Free plastic can leach chemicals that are just as bad as BPA into baby beverages. Glass sippy-cups, like ones by Lifefactory can kick plastic sippy cups to the curb.
- There are so many really great natural teethers for babies. My favorite teethers are from Lexy Pexy. They are aesthetically really cute and health-wise really safe. There was not a single day where Camille would be out with her Lexy Pexy wooden croissant and we wouldn’t get compliments. They are just so dang on cute!
- The softest most delicate thing in all the wold is brand new baby skin. When Camille was super little, I was very conscious of the products that I put on her skin. Thankfully, finding non-toxic baby products is much easier now than when I was a pup. I highly recommend using EWG’s Healthy Living App to determine which products you deem as being safe-enough for your family.
These few pointers don’t even scratch the surface of creating a non-toxic home. There are so many really great resources that can guide you in making sure that your family is toxin-free. If you have pointers on how others can move in the direction of non-toxic living, share it in the comments!! Here’s to a happy, healthy life!
