Ever since becoming a mom, I have been extra mindful of the products we use in our home. I think that more and more people are jumping on the non-toxic train because there is so much information now that reveals how harmful the ingredients in household products can be.
When I started my journey to detox my home, beauty, and personal care products I was so overwhelmed!! These toxins are in everything! From matrasses to cleaning supplies, to toothpaste, to sheets. And to be honest, it’s impossible to live a life completely shielded from toxins, and stressing about it can bring even more harm.
It’s about making small changes where you can – one change at a time. In this blog post, I want to share 11 things you can swap or do differently for a less-toxic home. Doing all of this at the same time may not only be expensive but also unrealistic. But being informed of better choices can help you make more healthy swaps when you are able to do so.
Disclaimers: This post does contain affiliate links since I am part of the Amazon Associates Program. However, if I have linked something here it is because it is something I truly believe in and love myself.
Also, I am not any kind of professional and you are responsible to do your own research. In fact, I hope that this post encourages you to do that and not just rely on information someone is giving you.
1. Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergents are famous for having some strong harmful chemicals. They can contain formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances, colors, and so on. This can lead to skin irritation, negative effects on the endocrine system, and even cause cancer or damage to DNA.
When you wash your clothes in the washing machine, there is still a trace of the detergent in your clothes, which you wear on your skin day and night. That is why this is the first thing I decided to swap out in my home.
Here are my favorite non-toxic detergents:
For softener, I love using a little bit of apple cider vinegar, or the 9 Elements Purifying Softener (A score on the EWG)
For whitening, I use Mrs. Stewarts Liquid Bluing after soaking my whites in water, vinegar, and a little bit of baking soda.
**EXTRA WHITENING TIP: For clothing pieces that still have a trace of stains after coming out of the wash, lay them out in the sun while they are still damp and this will whiten them even more!
2. Dishwasher Detergent
Similar to laundry detergent, dishes can still have a tiny trace left from the detergent. And since you use your dishes every day to eat, that is why it’s another important thing to swap out for a clean option. I personally switched over to the Puracy Dishwasher Detergent Packs and have found it to do the job very well!
3. Cleaning Sprays
We have all heard how important it is to use nontoxic cleaners because of the terribly harmful ingredients in the common ones.
For disinfecting, I love using Force of Nature. It is really cool because all you do is fill the bottle with water, add one capsule of the vinegar solution and then place it onto the appliance to electrolyze so that it can kill 99.9% of bacteria. It’s completely non-toxic and powerful enough to sanitize! It may smell a little similar to bleach but it has a completely different makeup than bleach.
As for a multi-purpose cleaner, I love making my own. I add a 2:1 ratio of water and vinegar and 20 drops of lemon essential oil. This has saved me so much money and works great for mirrors and windows too! It does not leave any streaks either which I love.
Sometimes when I am out of my homemade cleaner, I end up using my backup which is the Branch Basics Concentrate. I dilute it and use it as a multipurpose cleaner.
4. Candles
I love having candles in the home because of the ambiance it brings. The best part of my day is when my baby falls asleep; I light a candle and sit down with some tea. It just makes the atmosphere so much cozier and more relaxing. BUT candles can be incredible TOXIC. And we are just breathing that stuff in!
An entire post can be written on why it is important to have nontoxic candles but some of the components are fragrance (which contains phthalates and disrupts the endocrine system), formaldehyde (a carcinogen), and acetaldehyde (another carcinogen). And these are just a few of the toxic chemicals released when burning a candle!
Additionally, most candles are made from paraffin wax. This wax also releases other toxic chemicals such as benzene (a carcinogen) and toluene (disrupts the reproductive system and development).
For a clean swap, make sure to look for 100% Beeswax, soy wax, or coconut wax. Also, make sure that the wick is 100% cotton (as some made in other countries may contain lead). Another thing to look for is that the scent is from essential oils (not fragrance) and that there is no artificial color.
Another safer alternative is using an oil diffuser. However, with this make sure that you are doing your research on which oils you can use. Just because something is natural does not mean that it cannot harm you.
I love this Pure Enrichment Essential Oil Diffuser because it doubles as a Himalayan Salt Lamp as well which helps to ionize the air.
5. Dryer Sheets
Another easy swap to make is to ditch the harsh chemicals and fragrances from dryer sheets and use dryer balls instead. I would especially make this swap if you are swapping your detergent. That way your clothing will be chemical-free.
This will not only save your clothing from harsh chemicals but also 1) saves you money and 2) saves the time your clothes need in the dryer. You will only need to have one pack and will be able to reuse them. Just add several drops of your favorite essential oil!
The dryer balls help separate your laundry while it is drying which makes the drying time faster!
6. Turn off the Wifi Router at Night
We are around EMF waves all the time, whether it’s our phone, laptop, microwave, wifi, etc. We can’t really avoid this unless you live completely off-grid. But then if you are reading this, you are surrounded by EMF waves.
HOWEVER, one thing we can do is try to reduce our exposure as much as we can and one way to do that is by turning off your wifi router at night.
I would definitely recommend reading about the effects of EMF waves (because there are many) but some of the negative impacts are sleep disorders, possible carcinogenic effects, and overall damage to our body cells.
This ties in with the next tip which is…
7. Charge the Phone Outside of your Bedroom
Charging your phone on your nightstand at night is unhealthy for several reasons including the EMF waves it emits. However, it also makes it tempting to look at your phone at night before falling asleep or first thing in the morning.
I have made it a habit to leave my phone charging on the kitchen counter, and this has made falling asleep so much easier!
8. Cookware
Okay, so we also all know how bad nonstick pans are. And if we are trying to eat food that nourishes us, cooking it in something that releases toxins is just counterproductive.
I have personally made a swap to stainless steel as well as the ceramic nonstick GreenPan which I love! The GreenPan was an investment but it’s really easy to use whereas the stainless steel took a bit of learning and practice.
For stainless steel I just make sure that it has a decent amount of oil and is on a lower heat setting, otherwise, things do get stuck to the pan. Now, I use it all the time without any problems!
9. Bring in Air-Purifying Plants
This is probably my favorite change that I have made for a less toxic home. Plants are very powerful at detoxifying your home. You can make changes here and there but it’s difficult to completely get rid of toxins. That is why having air-purifying plants that help detoxify is so beneficial! Plus, they just help a home feel fresher. These are some examples of plants that are great for purifying the air:
**I want to stress the importance of doing your own research when picking plants because some of these may be toxic and even poisonous to pets.
10. Open Up the Windows
This is another easy thing to do for a less toxic home. Cooking (even with nontoxic cookware) can release toxins into the air and a great way to circulate and clean the air is to open a couple of windows.
Obviously not something to do if it is during fire season and the air quality is bad outside (happens during the summertime here on the West Coast)
11. Water Filter
This is probably one of the most important swaps to make when beginning a less toxic lifestyle. We know that drinking lots of water is important, BUT you want to make sure the water you are drinking is not harming you with hidden chemicals.
You can actually go to mytapwater.org to see what kind of contaminants are in your water by putting your zip code in. I have found that my water had 9 different contaminants that exceeded the Maximum Contaminate Level (MCL) set by the EPA. That is why having a good water filter is so important!
These two are really good options:
My personal favorite is the Clearly Filtered because we can install it under the sink and just use our spout instead of having a bulky water filter on the counter taking up space.
**Clearly Filtered has many other options as well such as pitchers, water bottles, etc…
I hope that this post inspires and encourages you to make your home a little less toxic. These changes do not have to happen all at once, and stressing out about toxins can be even more harmful. It’s important to be informed about better options but it may take you some time to be able to swap certain things out, and that is OK! Every little change you make counts!
