Detox Your House – Simply!

One of the big problems at the crux of living a better, healthier, cleaner life is that there are so very many changes to make and directions to turn. In a vegetarian or vegan diet alone, there are innumerable products, foodstuffs, supplements all competing for your attention and our vote of confidence. So when Casey Powers, founder of Eco-Centric Mom, upholds that there are but four simple swap-outs we can do to detoxify our homes, we pay attention.

Because we cover ourselves in clothes, every day, and cause we are passing our clothes through the washer and dryer constantly, it stands to reason that the laundry room should be Job One in the detox process. Powers points out that manufacturers are not required to disclose their ingredient lists on the packaging, so even if you know what to avoid, you may have a hard time doing so. Products whose labels indicate they contain dyes, fragrances, and fabric brighteners should be avoided. The word “natural” on a label is meaningless, by law. Don't be swayed! Swap out your laundry detergent with a non-toxic brand you trust, and replace your dryer sheets with wool dryer balls.

Your hand soap likely bathes more than your hands – you cover your whole body in the stuff! What's in it? The so-called anti-bacterial soaps contain the chemical triclosan, which can not only reduce our body's resistance to antibiotics, it can harm marine life as well. Hand sanitizers are not a toxin-free option, as they contain the substance 1,4-Dioxane, which is recognized as a likely carcinogen. Again, you won't see this listed on any product label: it is a by-product of the production process rather than an input. The swap-out here is any “old fashioned” soap that does not contain triclosan, or contain any ingredient ending in “-paraben” or beginning with “eth-.”

Powers suggests that the single best move we can make to detox our homes is to go fragrance free. Many of the chemicals used to create a fragrance have not actually been studied, let alone approved for use by consumers. Replace all these potentially toxic skin-irritants with products that are either fragrance-free, or whose labels note they were scented with essential oils.

Finally, eliminate all the plastic in your kitchen. Even the so-called “BPA-free” items contain replacement chemicals that can be equally damaging. As we have reported here before, the Center for Disease Control that 95 percent of Americans over age 6 have harmful phthalates in their urine and bloodstream. So replace plastic wrap with cloth or fabric, and plastic baggies with glass containers. Avoid buying water and other drinks in plastic bottles, and be sure to provide your own reusable cloth bag in which to bring items home from the supermarket.