10 Ways to Make Your Home Toxic Free
How To Make Your Home Toxic Free
10 ways to a healthier & happier home environment
How to Make Your Home Toxin-Free
Many common household items we’ve used over the years are actually bad for your health. Some can damage your skin; others can contaminate your food. But the most dangerous toxins are in the air.
GoldLeaf Designs, custom home builders in Cherry Hill, NJ, says, “Make sure you have the necessary smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed. That should be your first priority. If you’re worried about other toxins, there are tests you can have done to check for common household toxins.”
Starting by installing those detectors, here are 10 items to put on your checklist to cut down on toxins in your home.
10 Steps to Remove Toxins From Your Home
1. Protect Yourself with Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
The first thing you should do is check to make sure your smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms are working properly. There should be at least one smoke alarm on each floor of your home, including the attic and basement. Keep them at least 10 feet away from kitchen appliances to avoid false alarms. They should either be on the ceiling or 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall.
Carbon monoxide alarms follow the same rules, but they should also be inside and just outside of every bedroom. They should be kept away from fuel-burning appliances, direct sunlight, areas with too much air circulation, and humid areas.
And if you’re a smoker, start the process of quitting, especially inside your home. Cigarette smoke is toxic and can set off both your smoke alarms and CO alarms.
2. Stop Using Pesticides
Pesticides can cause asthma, learning disabilities, and brain development problems in children. The benefits of keeping bugs out of your house and yard aren’t worth the potential damage that can be done to your children.
Instead, keep your home clean, and pests shouldn’t be an issue. Also, make sure all food is stored securely. And don’t worry too much about weeds. If they’re a problem, pull them instead of spraying them. It’s better for the environment and better for your health.
3. Cut Down on Plastic Use
Plastic water bottles can leak chemicals into the water you’re drinking, and plastic food containers can contaminate your food. At the very least, don’t heat up your food in plastic containers. That can melt the plastic and cause it to leak into your food.
When in doubt, use glass or ceramic containers instead. If you buy food that comes in plastic containers, remove it from the container before heating it up.
4. Get a Water Filter
Tap water can potentially be hazardous to your health as well. There are many water contaminants that aren’t regulated at all, and the ones that are regulated become higher than is safe occasionally.
You can either get a water pitcher filter or one that attaches to your sink. Many refrigerators come with filtered water dispensers as well. Just make sure that you change the filter regularly.
5. Switch to Non-Toxic Cleaners
Ammonia and chlorine are bad for you, yet we use them over and over again to clean our kitchens and bathrooms. And they don’t just do damage in your home. When they go down the drain, they end up contaminating lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
When you’re buying cleaning products, stay away from these two chemicals. Look for cleaners that say they are biodegradable, petroleum-free, or phosphate-free. You can even use common household items instead. Vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide can all be used as cleaners.
Do some research about the specific material you are trying to clean. There is probably a natural solution that will get the job done instead of using dangerous chemicals.
6. Ditch Nonstick Pans
Nonstick kitchen equipment often contains perfluorooctanoic acid, which can potentially cause cancer. Instead of risking chips of nonstick lining finding their way into your food, use stainless steel or cast iron equipment with nonstick sprays like olive oil. In some cases, Ceramic or glass baking dishes might be appropriate.
Chipping isn’t the only danger. Nonstick items can also release dangerous fumes that are deadly to birds. If they’re deadly to birds, they’re definitely not good for you either. You can develop flu-like symptoms if you expose yourself too much.
7. Swap Air Fresheners for Pure Soy Candles
Air fresheners might get rid of odors, but they’re damaging to your health. Even Febreze contains carcinogens. Instead, light a match or burn a candle for a while. However, not all candles are good for your health either.
Make sure all of your candles are made of soy and scented with organic essential oils. Most candles are made with perfume scented paraffin, which is a petroleum by-product that is bleached.
Obviously, you don’t want to breathe in bleach. Some candle wicks even contain lead. Worst of all, the perfumes used in candles can contain toxic chemicals. On the other hand, essential oils and vegan candles are non-toxic and smell just as good.
8. Switch to Natural Perfumes and Deodorants
The perfume you put on your body is just as bad as the perfume used in your candles. Instead of using a perfume that contains hundreds of chemicals, choose a non-toxic deodorant and products that use natural oils.
Or ditch perfume entirely and stick with a trusty stick of deodorant. Just make sure it doesn’t contain aluminum, parabens, or and PEG ingredients.
9. Don’t Use the Self-Cleaning Oven Feature
This useful feature can actually release dangerous fumes like carbon monoxide into your home. Superheating all the gunk in your oven causes it to become a mixture of gasses and tiny solids that float around your home for hours, and this mixture is not good for you.
Instead, let some baking soda and vinegar sit in the bottom of your oven for a few hours. Then simply wipe the mess up with a towel and throw it in the wash. You’ll have a clean oven with no fumes and minimal work involved.
10. Open the Windows
The air outside is cleaner than the air in your house. When we leave our windows shut for long periods of time, toxins build up in the home and have nowhere to go. Opening the windows every so often makes sure clean air replaces that stale air.
However, not all climates are ideal for open windows. If you need to have the windows closed for extended periods of time, consider investing in an air purifier. Some of the best purifiers can remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants.
What steps are you taking to clean the air in your home? Let us know in the comments below!
* Just a heads up: this pages contains affiliate links (as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases)! If you buy something through one of these links, you won't pay a penny more, but we'll get a small commission, which helps keep our tummies full 🐶Thanks! :)
