First 5 Swaps To Detox Your Home
When we are working hard to care for our nervous system and to make sure we are putting in the highest quality foods and nutraceuticals, we are doing ourselves a disservice if we don’t work to change a toxic environment. The environment you are in for the longest amount of time has the biggest effect, which for most of us is our home.
To give you an idea of just how many cleaning products there are out there, according to www.EWG.org (Environmental Working Group) there are 507 all-purpose cleaners that they rated for safety. Of those all purpose-cleaners, only 59 products scored an A rating on its safety scale (only 11%) and 350 scored a D or F! (69%!)
Chemicals exist in many forms all throughout a home. A lot of the cleaners used in the home can actually cause severe burns internally and externally if inhaled or touched and in some cases even death if ingested. That’s why we need to throw out these common household cleaners that may include harmful substances like triclosan and phthalates and opt for natural cleaning products and safe eco-cleaners instead.
I’m not saying we should hyper obsess, but I am saying we should start paying closer attention. Remember, perfection isn’t the goal, progress is. So as you finish up something in your home, instead of automatically repeating the same purchase, consider seeking a better version!
1. Kitchen: what we clean our surfaces with and wash our dishes in are some of the biggest forms of assault. It’s the daily exposures that do the most damage. Think, kids touch and eat off these surfaces and end up consuming these chemicals.
Kitchen brand recommendations: Aunt Fannies, Better Life, & Thieves by Young Living
2. Laundry: all of these scented detergents and dryer sheets become major hormone disruptors, and also lead to allergies and asthma. Most common products like Dawn, All, and Cheer get either a D or an F from the environmental working group when it comes to the health and safety of the product.
Laundry brand recommendations: ECOS & Branch Basics
We love branch basics especially for their stain remover - with two young boys we go through A LOT of it quickly and with just using the concentrate & water to quickly make their stain remover it's a much more cost effective option.
3. Air: Have you ever heard of VOC’s? They are volatile organic compounds that are found indoors from chemicals and off-gassing of solids. Indoor air has been proven to be 5x all the way up to 100x more toxic than the outdoor air. As you rid your home of toxic chemicals and sprays, these will naturally decrease.
Air recommendations: invest in air cleaners and house plants that reduce air pollutants.
The company Air Doctor is my favorite. I would start with putting it in your bedroom as this is where a majority of time is spent.
For a quicker, cost effective start you can also opt for Barnakl ceiling fan filters.
4. Water: Tap water should be something that is top of the list to avoid. Tap water contains many forms of toxins, heavy metals, fluoride, and even multiple drug residues, which are detrimental to your health long-term. Make better choices not only when it comes to what you drink, but also what you shower/bathe in.
Water recommendations: invest in whole home filtration systems (aqua boss or pioneer are great brands) or if you don’t want to invest that heavy, you can find shower/bath filters and drinking systems for each individual faucet or shower head you use regularly.
5. Personal care products: when it comes to personal care my mindset is to first focus on the things that you utilize daily (think: soaps, toothpaste, makeup for females, deodorant) as we are putting these items onto our skin which is our largest organ and then its being absorbed into the skin and bloodstream.
Personal care product recommendations: One of my new favorites for the shower is a company called Hygiene Lab. For deodorant I use Real Purity. It’s the only natural deodorant I’ve found over the years that is really clean and still works. For toothpaste, I recommend the company Risewell, as they have a mineral toothpaste that doesn’t have any fluoride, sodium laurel sulfate, or artificial sweeteners or MSG (our kids love their kid version, too!)
I hope this is an easy guide to help you start changing what’s most important in the home and that it puts you and your family on a better path to health. Remember - this isn't a sprint. This is a marathon that over time you will look back and realize how far you've come!