10 Toxic Things To Ditch In Your Home
Ditching and Switching in your home can seem complicated and overwhelming! The key is to do it slowly, one thing at a time, and when you run out of something, replace it with something cleaner or with less waste.
Here are 10 things we have ditched over the past three years! I always try to reduce the toxic load in our home wherever I can. I can’t control what happens outside, but I do get to decide what we bring and use in our own home.
1) Paper napkins- We have been using cloth napkins in our house for years and I never buy paper ones anymore. Paper napkins can contain bleach so we try to stay away from them. I also look at a low tox home as creating less waste and this was a huge area of waste for us. This is such an easy switch and I find it easier for young kids to use a cloth napkin. I love these cloth napkins. They wash well and are soft and casual for daily use.
2) Plastic water bottles-The harmful effects of plastic water bottles on the environment are significant. They also contain BPAs which are known endocrine disrupters. We are fans of the Stanley cups in our house! This is the small version we love! (Doesn’t leak and the kids can easily take these to school). And I love this one for around the house. They are worth the hype if you’re on the fence! I use mine every day!
3) Non Stick pans- Did you know that non stick pans have a dangerous coating that can leach into your food? Just google Teflon and you’ll be floored at the information on these chemicals. We use cast iron, stainless steel, and a Le Cruset dutch oven to cook all our food. I really don’t miss the non stick at all. It also really simplified the way I cook!
4) Plastic food storage- We ditched plastic food containers for glass and so glad we did. When microwaved, plastic food containers that contain BPAs leach the chemicals into our food. Not good. This is actually a very easy switch and you can get glass containers everywhere now! I like to check Home Goods to see what they have!
5) Traditional cleaners- Traditional cleaners contain chemicals that can aggravate allergies, headaches, and asthma. They also pollute the air in our homes. Although we have been taught differently, we don’t need harsh chemicals to get things clean. We completely ditched chemical cleaners. No more child locks on the cabinets or airing out the bathroom after cleaning. We use Thieves cleaner which is plant based and free of chemicals! It smells amazing and cleans just as well if not better than what we used before. The best thing is that it’s concentrated so you can use it for lots of things and it saves so much money and waste. You can read how we clean our whole house with Thieves here.
6) Dryer Sheets- Switch our your dryer sheets for wool dryer balls. There are a lot of health concerns with traditional dryer sheets. Not only can they mess with hormones and allergies, they also release VOCs into the outside air. Dryer balls with pure essential oils are a great replacement. Check out my Ultimate low tox laundry guide to see recipes and tips!
7) Artificial fragrance- If you are looking to change one thing in your house and make a huge impact, consider ditching artificial fragrance across the board. This one change can greatly lower the toxic load in your home. The issue with fragrance is that it is a ‘trade secret’ and companies can put 1,000s of chemicals under this word on their ingredient list and they do not have to disclose that to the public. Look for products that are fragrance free or if they do use a fragrance make sure the company discloses what they put in their fragrance blend. I only use Young Living essential oils to scent my products because I know I can trust the source. You can read about why we love them here.
8) Candles- Although we are taught to believe that candles can make our homes smell good, they ultimately contain fragrance discussed in number 7. Even soy candles with cotton or bamboo wicks usually have some form or artificial fragrance. They also can create a fire hazard in the home. Best switch is to use a diffuser instead. Using pure essential oils makes your home smell good and actually purifies the air, instead of masking odors. They can also support your emotions, wellness, and sleep! You can read more here.
9) Air fresheners- Air fresheners in the form of sprays and plug ins contain fragrance and chemicals that pollute the air in the home. They also contain endocrine disrupters which means they are messing with our hormones. I like to use my diffuser in place of a plug in and make my own sprays with oils. You can read my top 5 spray recipes here. So easy to make your own and so much better for you too.
10) Traditional laundry soap- Our laundry is touching our bodies all day and night. When we use products with parabens, phthalates, optical brighteners, and fragrance, that is on our bodies non stop. Remember our skin is our largest organ and soaks that in. Changing to a plant based laundry soap was the best change for my health and my aha moment with fragrance. I use Thieves Laundry soap. It’s free of all the ingredients listed above. If you want more of my laundry tips and recipes, read this post.
The goal to ditching and switching is not to be 100 percent perfect! Start with one item on this list and slowly work your way through it from there. It’s impossible to have a completely chemical free life. By making small changes though we can greatly lower our toxic loads in our home. We get to decide what comes in our homes! Hope this was a helpful list and helps you get started!
Planning a room by room guide for 2023 to help you tackle a room a month! Stay tuned!
XO
Sarah