Tips to Detox Your Home
By Sara Butler
Stop what you’re doing and take a look around your home. What do you see? Chances are you have toxic items in plain sight you weren’t even aware of. There are many objects in homes that are made from petroleum and other dangerous chemicals. These chemicals can contaminate the air and the surfaces of your home. If absorbed into your body they can disrupt your endocrine system, reproductive system, and even work as a neurotoxin in your central nervous system. Here are some products you should avoid in your home to reduce your toxic exposure!
Plastic Containers
If you’ve got a cabinet full of mismatched plastic food containers, you’re going to want to take a closer look at them. These containers can contain phthalates and BPA, both of which can act as hormone disrupters in your body. The heat and wear these containers are exposed to make them leach out these nasty chemicals, so it’s in your best interest to throw them out if they don’t explicitly declare they are free of these chemicals. Glass or stainless steel will make a great replacement.
Moisturizers
You think you’re doing your body good by moisturizing your skin, and while the spirit of what you’re doing is good, the stuff you’re using may not be. Moisturizers are often filled with chemicals that can be damaging to your body. And many of those chemicals haven’t been through rigorous safety testing, either. These mysterious chemicals have been linked to a host of problems, including
- Hyperactivity in children
- Fertility issues
- Birth defects
- Breast cancer
- Obesity
You can protect yourself by going to the Environmental Working Group’s Safe Cosmetic database to look up your favorite products to see what they really contain.
Air Fresheners
Air fresheners leave your air anything but fresh. Both the plug-in fresheners and aerosols are made with hundreds of chemicals that aren’t good for you. That’s made even worse by the fact the companies that manufacture these products aren’t required by law to disclose every ingredient used to make them. Even products labeled as unscented, all-natural, organic, and green can introduce noxious chemicals into the air you breathe. If you’re really looking to make your home smell nice, try an essential oil diffuser.
You can reduce the toxic load in your home by making some small and inexpensive changes. Half the battle is simply being aware of the things that can have a negative impact on your health and avoid them!