5 Tips to a Healthier Home
If you spoke to me just a few years ago about reading labels and switching my cleaning products or cleaning tools to make my home healthier or more sustainable, I’d think I wasn’t able to do it. It just seemed so overwhelming. Making any changes to my routine or beliefs seemed like climbing Mount Everest, basically an impossible challenge.
Does that sound familiar to you? Is it really hard to imagine making these changes in your household? You don’t know the first thing about what is a bad ingredient? Or are you ready to make some changes, but are just not sure how to implement them? Well, no matter the reason for you reading this post, I’m so proud of you! I am so excited you decided to educate yourself on this very important topic. To me, taking charge of our body through living in a less toxic environment is essential in living a longer and healthier life.
Here are 5 small changes you can make today:
1. Upgrade your multipurpose cleaner.
We all have these in our homes. We use them nearly every day, to wipe our kitchen counters or the coffee table in our living room. They are also used throughout the house for dusting or bathroom cleaning. This little cleaner plays a large role in many homes and is an easy swap for an eco-friendly and chemical-free product. Some brands I love include the Seventh Generation and Ecos.Â
If you want to take it a step further and create your own product, filling a spray bottle with white vinegar mixed with water or Castille soap is also a great option.
2. Another easy adjustment you can make is what you use to clean your dishes.
This is actually really important because the dish soap or dishwasher detergent that we use goes straight on our plates and utensils which interact with our food. That’s why it is very important to use clean dishwashing products. My absolute favorite brand to use for this is Ecover. I use their tablets and their dish soap. It’s a very clean company and their products are great! My dishes have never looked and felt better.
3. Clean oral care is so important.
Most people brush their teeth 2x a day, which is plenty of opportunities for chemicals to infiltrate our bodies. I’ve been using clean and fluoride-free toothpaste for years. Over 400 studies have found that fluoride is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain. A team of Harvard researchers published a “meta-analysis” of 27 studies that found that fluoride is linked to reduced intelligence in children. Picking up a cleaner toothpaste is very important and an easy swap. I love the Burt’s Bees fluoride-free toothpaste.
4. Ahhh laundry.
Who doesn’t love the fresh scent of clean linens? I know I do. I’ve swapped out my detergent, softener, and dryer sheets ages ago. It’s really important to use clean laundry products since they go straight into our clothes which we wear for hours at a time. Whatever interacts with our skin, goes right into our bloodstream, therefore it’s very important to ensure it’s a healthy and clean product. My favorite detergent and softener brand is Ecover again. Their products are of great quality and I have never felt safer when using them.
I have also swapped out my dryer sheets, which can be very toxic, for wool dryer balls. They are reusable, sustainable, and work like a charm. It’s such an easy swap too!Â
5. Last but not least are air fresheners.
To be frankly honest with you, they are my pet peeve. According to a study by the California EPA, you breathe anywhere between 10,000 and 70,000 liters of air every 24 hours. Since you cannot live without it, the quality of it becomes extremely important, even minute levels of airborne toxins can pose significant health concerns. The number of chemicals that are found in everyday fresheners from brands like Bath and Body Works or Febreze is staggering. What’s even scarier is that it is legal for companies to not fully disclose their ingredients in the US. Approximately, 3,163 ingredients hide behind the word “fragrance”. When you look at the labels of many household and skincare products, you will find the word fragrance written on many. It may look like one ingredient, but remember it’s not. Some clean companies such as Lush, use the word fragrance on their ingredient list, however, they claim that’s in order to prevent other companies from stealing their signature scents. It’s a tricky topic, to say the least.
If you cannot live without air fresheners, I recommend clean wick soy candles as an alternative. Now only are they safe to use, they are also a cute addition to any room.
Well, there you have it. Those are my 5 ways of making a healthier and cleaner home in 2020. I hope you enjoyed this mini-guide. Please leave any comments or questions you have below. I’d love to chat with you and really appreciate your input.Â
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂