Detoxify Your Home CHECKLIST! While environmental toxins are everywhere, they are especially concentrated in your home due to poor indoor air quality. Many people are shocked to discover that the air is cleaner on the street than it is in our homes due to the continuous off gassing that occurs with the purchase of most household items. This list has been created to help you identify proven sources of toxicity in your homeso that you can upgrade to safe alternatives. It seems that these days everything is chemically treated- toxins tend to accumulate in our system over time and the effects are cumulative. Don t feel worried or paranoid about this exercise. Just logically assess your home and begin systematically replacing things to the degree that your budget can handle it (or as things wear out). Start weeding out the toxins in your home slowly. Living Room Checklist (upgrades are in bold): Carpets that contain stain repellents and brominated flame retardants Replace with organic or natural fiber carpets, such as wool, cotton, rattan or jute. Upholstery and furniture that are treated with stain repellents and brominated flame retardants. Replace with furniture without stain repellents or brominated flame retardants. Curtains that are treated with stain repellents and brominated flame retardants. Replace with curtains without stain repellents or brominated flame retardants. PVC-containing mini-blinds from Mexico or Asia as they may contain lead. Use blinds manufactured in the USA or Canada. Chemical air fresheners or Potpourri. Instead use baking soda, natural incense or herbs such as sage or sweetgrass. Clean the air in your home with plenty of plants and by opening the windows in your home on a daily basis. Paraffin and lead wick candles. Beeswax candles.
Bedroom Sheets that are wrinkle-resistant (they contain formaldehyde), or made with pesticidetreated cotton. Replace with sheets that are 100% cotton, hemp, linen or wool, and preferably organic and unbleached). Mattresses with brominated flame retardants, plastic, or foam Replace with wool mattress or ones that have cotton stuffing or at least cotton padding around the foam core. If a new mattress is not an option, wrap your mattress in an untreated 100% cotton cloth barrier sheet with a high thread count (250 or more) to offer some protection. Kitchen Baking powder that does not say non alum has aluminum in it. Non alum baking powder (available at health food stores). Canned food (the cans are lined with an epoxy resin that may leach bisphenol A) Instead eat fresh fresh, frozen or dried food. Plastic food wrap (may contain bisphenol). Avoid using plastic in your kitchen to store food if at all possible. Plastic is a source of toxic carcinogenic xeno estrogens which can easily leach into your food. Instead cover with wax paper/parchment paper and tape or simply keep your kitchen well stocked with glass containers. Having mason jars of many sizes is the most affordable option. Don t use your microwave (NEVER microwave food in plastic wrap, or plastic containers that are not marked microwave safe). Reheat your food on the stove. Produce treated with pesticides. Eat organic food or at least begin by avoiding the Dirty Dozen. Avoid non-stick cookware, ceramic glazed cookware (may contain cadmium and lead) and crystal tableware (may contain lead). Instead use cookware made of glass, cast iron, and terra cotta without lead glaze or my favourite stoneware. Remove all aluminum bakeware, Teflon pots, aluminum stovetop espresso machines etc. from your home and replace them with stainless steel, glass versions. There is no
need to worry about sticking when you use generous amounts of good fat to line your bake ware. Avoid cleaning products with harsh chemical ingredients and synthetic fragrances (often strengthened with phthalates). Instead use fragrance-free and non-toxic biodegradable products and homemade all-purpose cleaner like vinegar and baking soda or clean with water (microfiber). Never use antibacterial soaps, dishwashing liquids and other cleaners that contain triclosan. Use regular non-antibacterial soap. Bathroom Cosmetics, toiletries and perfumes with synthetic fragrances (many contain phthalates and other harmful chemicals). Human skin absorbs most things from the environment very efficiently, in some cases better than our digestive system. Reduce general toxic load by looking at all of the cleaning supplies, cosmetics and personal care products that are in your home and replace them with non-toxic natural products. You can find out just how toxic your products are and which ones are the least toxic @ www.cosmeticsdatabase.com (avoid soap, shower gels and bubble baths whenever possible). Miessence Brand cosmetics is my favourite. Deodorant and anti perspirant (contain aluminum and other nasty chems). Use deodorant stone, homemade version made with coconut oil & baking soda or Miessence roll on. Perfume (petroleum based). Essential oils. Anti-bacterial toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwashes that contain triclosan Nonantibacterial products. Miessence Brand. Sanitary products bleached with chlorine, or made of pesticide-treated cotton. Use organic cotton and unbleached disposable sanitary products or better yet cloth pads, the Diva cup or sea sponges. Vinyl shower curtains, and fabric shower curtains with a water-repellant coating. Hemp shower curtains.
Chlorine and Flouride: Avoid bathing, showering or drinking chlorinated or fluoridated water, all of which kills your beneficial microflora. Avoid swimming pools and instead swim in natural non polluted living waters which are full of life, biological energy from plants and other life forms, minerals, enzymes and many other beneficial substances. Chlorine is a poison, which affects every system in the body, particularly the immune system and the liver. It absorbs very well through the skin (some sources say as much as 10 times better absorption than drinking it!). In addition, a thick layer of chlorine gas floats above the swimming pool and is inhaled unknowingly by swimmers. Ozonated or natural pools are best, since even salt water pools use chlorine. Use water and shower filters. Nursery Polycarbonate plastic feeding bottle (identifiable by the #7 marked on the bottom of the bottle inside a recycle symbol) Breast feeding is obviously best. The next option is bottles made of glass or plastic #1, 2, 4 using latex (or silicone) rubber nipples. PVC-containing toys or soothers. Wood or organic, untreated cotton toys. Purchase gently used clothes, toys and furniture to prevent sometimes years of inhaling off gassing fumes. Disposable diapers (most contain dyes, fragrances and plastics). Organic and unbleached disposable or cloth diapers Children s clothing with plastic labels or chemical treatments. Organic, untreated cotton or hemp clothing. Laundry Laundry detergentsand fabric softeners with synthetic fragrances. Fragrance-free, biodegradable detergent, soapnuts or other natural homemade washing detergent. Chlorine bleach Food Grade H2O2 Dry clean only clothes (most dry cleaners use PERC). Purchase machine washable clothes.
Clothing with stain repellants, wrinkle resistant treatments (they contain formaldehyde), brominated flame retardants or pesticide-treated cottons. Organic, unbleached clothing made of cotton, hemp, linen or wool.