In today’s society sadly most things seem to be very toxic. Toxins in the home run rampant from the clothes we wear, the products we use on our body to the beds we sleep on! It seriously can get overwhelming quickly when you really stop to think about it. But that’s not what I want for you! I want to discuss toxins that are prevalent in most homes and how you can easily swap them out for better items. I want you to feel empowered and not doomed by the load of rubbish that surrounds us. Remember once you know, you are able to do something about it. We can’t run away from everything, but we can definitely lighten the load. So, let’s get started with the list, which is in no particular order, just the first thing that popped into my mind.
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Artificial Fragrances
Artificial fragrances are a common toxin in the home. Okay I don’t want to scare you with big words or anything, but artificial fragrances are loaded with synthetic chemicals. If you stopped and looked at the ingredients most of them would probably seem like they are in a different language and the list would be long! These fragrances can cause many issues like respiratory problems, neurological problems, skin irritation, headaches and heart problems to name a few.
These toxic fragrances are found in most homes through candles, perfumes, body products, air fresheners, car fresheners and more. Now for anyone who wants a nice smelling car, home or body there are natural alternatives.
You can swap artificial fragrances for essential oils and naturally fragranced products. Essential oils are derived from plants and even have therapeutic properties. So, they not only smell amazing, but they also can help your body in different ways.
Artificial Fragrance Alternatives
Candles scented with essential oils are pretty common now and is an easy swap to make. You can also buy an air diffuser, there are so many beautiful ones out there and put a few drops of lemon, lavender, rose or whatever oils you like to make your house smell amazing.
There are car diffusers with essential oils as well and you can make or buy your own perfumes using essential oils. I absolutely love how versatile they are and how a very little amount can go a long way. If you go to a health food store or look up natural body products you should be able to find cleaner products.
Cleaning Products
Another prevalent toxin found in the home are cleaning products. I think it’s ironic how cleaning products which are meant to clean can be so incredibly harmful. Just think of bleach for example. That bad boy will whiten anything even your skin if it accidentally lands on you and make sure you don’t breathe to much of that in as it’s known to cause respiratory problems.
The problem is cleaning products contain many harmful chemicals that will kill off both the good and bad bacteria. Yes we have and need good bacteria to survive. If you killed them all of you wouldn’t live very long, but that’s a whole other topic. The most common issues with cleaning products are skin rashes, respiratory problems, neurological problems and can mess up your hormones.
Cleaning Product Alternative
But don’t you fear did you know you can easily make many of your own natural cleaners from home?! And if you don’t want to make them you can do a little research and buy one. But honestly, they are so cheap and easy to make, most of the ingredients you would already have at home. Most natural household cleaners require vinegar, water, lemon juice or lemon essential oil, baking soda and sometimes castile soap which is a natural pure liquid soap.
Do a quick search online and you will find heaps of natural recipes for everything you could ever want!
Mattresses
Did you know you will spend about 1/3 of your life sleeping?! That’s a long time when you think about it. Most mattresses are highly toxic and emit volatile organic compounds for years! These can cause respiratory issues, increase risk of cancer and cause skin allergies. Most mattresses will off gas for a long time releasing all these toxins into your room and while you sleep. They contain flame retardants and many other harmful chemicals you don’t want to be breathing or sleeping on.
Toxic Mattress And Alternatives
Getting a natural latex mattress can be a bit pricey compared to cheaper brands. But when you think about how much you use it and how long they last like 25 years or so the investment is well worth it. We have a natural latex mattress with organic cotton linings. There are many layers to a mattress so make sure you look into it a bit. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as this is a long-term item you will be owning.
Whenever you get a new mattress it’s a good idea to let it air out for a little before using it. Other options if you really cannot afford a new mattress just yet is to get a natural mattress topper so you aren’t directly breathing in toxins from your original mattress.
There are also mattress covers you can look into getting or people also suggest covering your mattress in baking soda with a few drops of essential oil in the mix like lemon and letting it sit overnight. Then the next day vacuuming it up to help absorb some of the volatile compounds in the mattress.
Pillows
Along the same line as mattresses of course is pillows! Your head is on that pillow breathing in and out for 1/3 of your life! Pillows can contain formaldehydes and other volatile organic compounds similar to mattresses. If your pillow is made of synthetic fibres, then it’s pretty much guaranteed to have toxins.
Natural Pillows
Luckily getting natural pillows is cheaper than buying a new mattress. If you are wanting to make a quicker change swap over your pillows to organic latex pillows, organic cotton or even bamboo ones. There is always a safe alternative to toxic counterparts. Finding a natural pillow is pretty easy as well. You should easily be able to source them online.
Bedding
Since we are on the topic of beds, we should also discuss bedding. Once again this is something you are in direct contact with for about 1/3 of your life so it’s pretty important. Bedding can contain many different chemicals such as formaldehydes, toxic dyes, parathion and more toxins. It’s important when getting bedding to also avoid anything that is wrinkle free. These are extra high in formaldehydes which have been linked to many different illnesses. When choosing bedding you want it to be labelled organic. The reason is even if you buy 100 percent cotton, the cotton plants have been heavily sprayed with pesticides and fertilisers which can cause many health issues.
Toxic Free Bedding Options
Some amazing options of bedding to choose from are organic cotton, organic hemp, organic linen or bamboo. Bamboo isn’t something that is really sprayed so you should be alright getting away with non organic bamboo. If you really want to go health-conscious our bodies frequency is about 100. Linen and wool have been found to have very high vibrational energy of 5,000. These two products when on you separately not at the same time can rejuvenate the body. If you place both linen and wool on at the same time, they actually cancel each other out. Seriously do a little research about linen and wool and the health benefits they can have you will be amazed!
Non-Stick Pans
Another common toxin in most pans are nonstick pans. There are so many different types of nonstick pans these days and some are definitely worse than others. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and fluoropolymer are common ingredients to make the nonstick coatings. There have been many negative links to using non stick pans if you want to look further into it.
There are general rules and guidelines you are supposed to adhere to keep them safe and effective.
- never use stainless steel utensils on nonstick pans as this will scratch the coating and end up in your food. You do not want that.
- Don’t heat the pan too high they can’t go above 260c/500f or they can get damaged.
- When cooking at high temperatures you need to use oils that have a high smoke point like avocado oil, coconut oil, lards and fats. If you use low smoke point oils like olive oil it will cause sticking and burning to your pan making it get ruined quicker.
Non stick pans need to be replaced pretty regularly if used regularly due to wear and tear. You don’t want to be cooking with a damaged pan.
Natural Swaps For Non Stick Pans
Easy swaps to consider is to go for ceramic pans, stainless steel pans or cast-iron pans which can last you a lifetime if taken care of properly! You can make these pans work so they are nonstick pretty easily and with a quick google search you will see how. I use cast iron and fry everything on my pans no issues best nonstick pans ever! With cast iron it does release a little iron which benefits most people over all who are low in iron. If you have high iron levels, you might want to consider stainless steel pans or ceramic ones instead.
Fabric Softeners
To be honest this one surprised me a bit. We don’t use fabric softeners in our home but many people I know do. They actually contain some pretty harmful chemicals which have been linked to issues like pancreatic cancer and respiratory issues! I totally understand if you want to have soft clothes but there are other options available to you!
Natural Fabric Softener Ideas
Did you know you can add several things to your wash that have been known to soften clothes? Some natural alternative include baking soda, vinegar and borax? My Recipe For Homemade Laundry Detergent That Works uses all these natural ingredients. While my main reason is clean clothes having soft clothes is a benefit.
Did you know dryer balls can really help soften your clothes as well and also cut the time of drying clothes. You can easily make your own as well using wool. Have a little google on how to make if you want to and you will find heaps of recipes or of course you can buy natural dryer balls!
Plastic Containers Are Toxic
Plastic containers are pretty prevalent in most home either in the form of water bottles or for storing food in. While apparently, they are safe to use they do say you can’t heat them or it will leach out chemicals or put hot food in them. How many people put hot leftovers in these containers or place them in the microwave to reheat food?! Or what about leaving plastic water bottles in the car or sun?!
All plastic if heated or scratched can leach chemicals into the food you eat. While it may seem like just a little bit at a time this stuff builds up in your body overtime leading to other issues.
Alternatives To Plastic Containers
Instead of using plastic use stainless steel or glass water bottles. All my kids have their own stainless steel water bottles. Instead of plastic containers you can get some really nice glass or stainless-steel containers which will last a whole lot longer and most are heat safe as well.
Shower Curtains
This was another toxic item found in most homes that surprised me! If something smells strong when you open it, it probably isn’t very good for you. Plastic or vinyl shower curtains release a high amount of volatile organic compounds, and the heat of the shower doesn’t help at all. I never even considered shower curtains to be so toxic but now that I think about it, it does make sense!
Toxic Free Shower Curtain Swaps
Instead of purchasing plastic or vinyl shower curtains look into cotton, bamboo or even hemp. You can easily purchase a better-quality shower curtain at the shops, amazon, Temu or other online stores for reasonable prices. It’s an easy fix and you can shower in a bit more peace knowing you aren’t breathing in a constant supply of toxic chemicals.
Body Products
I know everything is toxic right! But wow body products in general are just loaded with all kinds of colours, fragrances numbers and more! Have you looked at the ingredients in your deodorant, shampoo or conditioner recently? Remember your skin absorbs all of this and it goes straight into your blood stream.
Toxic Free Body Products
But don’t stress or worry you can easily make swaps. You can find natural shampoo and conditioner bars which are a lot healthier. Or go to a health food shop and buy natural body products. Soaps are probably the easiest to find a natural alternative for.
You can find natural deodorants at most stores as well but they can be a bit pricey. Some natural ones that do tend to work on the stronger sweating person are the no pong deodorants. I like deodorants that have a bit of charcoal, baking soda and essential oils for the extra scent as well.
Conclusion
When there is a will there is a way. More and more people are becoming aware of the everyday toxins that surround them and are making conscious swaps. It’s not about getting rid of everything at once but making conscious choices with the items you purchase. As the demand increases suppliers will then continue to create better quality products for their consumers. They don’t want to miss out on the money now.
I hope you didn’t find this article to overwhelming and found some simple tips to make the swaps easier. Let me know in the comments what is the first thing you will swap?! As always have a blessed day!