Switching to A Toxin Free Home: Making The Switch

You’re at the store.  You have decided to make the switch.  You’ve educated yourself and know some alternative ingredients to look for. As you’re looking, you still don’t feel comfortable and confident – and that’s okay! Making a change is scary and hard. Switching to a toxin free home IS worth you. Your health is worth it and I know you can do it!  The question is, what can you start doing this very moment?

The Quick & Easy to Toxin Free

You can start cleaning up your house without ever spending a dime! Here are a few that may work for you:

1. Open you windows and get some fresh air.
   1. Not only does this get the air circulating within your home, if you keep your home filled with fresh air and high humidity, it can decrease your chances of the flu virus spreading within your home.
2. Avoid cheap things (to include the Dollar Store!)
   1. The problem with toys and products from the dollar store is how and where they’re made.  Kids bracelets containing lead (Note: there is no ‘safe’ level for lead established), bromine on plastic utensils, phthalates in kid’s products, the list goes on. After the Campaign for Healthier Solutions outed dollar stores for containing products hazardous to the public’s healthy, certain chains stated they would start selling safer products, with a slow start.
3. Ditch plastic usage in your home.
   1. Here are a few reasons why you should never put your food in plastic.  The biggest reason is that when you heat the plastic, yes, even from the dishwasher, that chemicals can get into your food and drinks.  Even the alternative to BPA plastic is showering to be as harmful to your health as the BPA varieties.  Plus, when you’re done with it, it isn’t leaving the Earth for a long long time.
4. Avoid burning candles, if you must use soy and beeswax. We only diffuse essential oils in our home now.
   1. Not only do you get the harmful fragrance heated up so everyone is breathing it in, you may also be burning petroleum based candles, meaning you’re breathing in toxic fumes.
5. Look at your baby’s chew toys or what they put in their mouths.
   1. Plastic isn’t ideal, try to find natural wood that is conditioned with coconut oil.
6. Use essential oils when possible!
   1. Instead of store bought vapor rub, use peppermint and eucalyptus (keep in mind, to use them safely, there’s a special type you need to buy for children under 6). You can also make your own homemade vapor rub!
   2. You can also use them for cleaning or sleeping better.
7. Make your own cleaning products!
   1. DIY cleaning products don’t have to take up a lot of time. I like to use vinegar and filtered water. Or, if I have a hard to clean place, I make a paste of baking soda and castile soap. I even use hydrogen peroxide spray to clean my toilets and around my bathroom (or if someone has been sick!)
   2. If DIY cleaning products aren’t for you, here is the cleaner we use.  We put a capful into our glass spray bottle, fill it with water, and voila.
8. Using dryer oils can also be a great way to get fragrance back onto your things if you miss it!
   1. All you need are some dryer balls to put them on.  Make sure that you don’t spray too much in one spot or you spray them then let them sit while you load your dryer to ensure the oils don’t transfer to your clothes.
9. Swap non stick pans for stainless steel and cast iron.  These pans aren’t just bad for your health, but the manufacturing process is bad for the environment also.
10. Please, get rid of anything with fragrance in your home.  You’ll hear me preach this from the rooftops because it’s what use to make me feel so horrible.  Perfumes, lotions, scented candles or plug ins, and room sprays are horrible for your respiratory and nervous systems.

Take Your Time

Switching to toxin free products is a slow process & it should be!  Making little changes help you to see big results.  Don’t rush this or you may get bored of it or find it overwhelming.  A few ways to start the transition are:

• Buy a better alternative the next time you run out of a product
• Focus on one section of your life.  If you’re a mom, focus on your kids first.  No kids? Go ahead and pick a room, like your laundry room, and slowly make switches.
• Throw out all the fall candles and lotions you bought.  It hurts, I know, but you will recover and feel better.
• Make one product, even if you save some old lip balm tubes and then DIY.
• Pay attention to your produce.  If you eat the skin or outer layers, buy organic so you aren’t eating a part of the plant that was sprayed with pesticides.

I hope you enjoyed this series and found it useful! If you found this helpful, would you mind sharing it? I’d also love to hear what you learned or how you’re starting your toxin free journey!

Disclaimer: I may make a small commission off of some links if you make a purchase from them.  This does not cost you extra, but I really appreciate you purchasing through them to support this blog!