The Simple Secret To Switching To A Natural, Non-Toxic Home
A natural, non-toxic home. Sounds great right? Maybe it's on your to-do list?
Sure, in a perfect world. But who has time to DIY a mountain of natural cleaners and who has the money to purchase an organic bed?
Not me. Probably not you either.
But here's the secret: you don't have to do it all at once.
That's right, you don't have to get stressed about switching out all of your cleaning products and toiletry products RIGHT NOW. You don’t have to go out and spend a bundle on a new mattress and sofa. Do it slowly over time and focus on just one thing as you need to replace it. If you've been living with the chemicals for years, another few months won't make a difference.
I took about a year to switch out my cleaning products first, then air fresheners, then laundry detergent, then hand sanitizers and soaps, then toiletries, then beauty products. Finally, if I needed new furnishings or linens or decorations, I made sure to look for sustainable, healthy options. But that's only if I needed to bring new things into my home at all. Until then, my current pillows stay (with hemp pillow covers over them!).
Below I'll spell out for you a simple strategy for switching to a natural, non-toxic, healthy home.
But first, in case you need more proof that a healthy home environment is necessary...take a gander at the typical ingredients that commonly come into our homes through cleaners, air fresheners, beauty and body-care products and even on furniture.
Parabens - disrupt the endocrine system and may increase breast cancer risk
Phthalates - disrupt the endocrine system and affect reproduction
Triclosan - linked to skin sensitivity, liver damage and hormone disruption
Chlorine - aggravates asthma, destroys gut bacteria, can disrupt thyroid function, linked to colon/bladder cancer
Perchloroethylene (PERC) - commonly found in dry-cleaning solutions, spot removers, and carpet and upholstery cleaners, it is a neurotoxin and possible carcinogen
Chloroform - found in dryer sheets, it's a neurotoxin and carcinogen
2-butoxyethanol - irritates skin and eyes
Benzyl acetate: linked to pancreatic cancer
Fragrance - triggers allergies and asthma, linked to hormone disruption
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - can cause severe skin irritation
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) - may damage liver and kidneys, disrupt hormones and promote tumour growth
Ammonia- commonly found in glass cleaner, causes eye, skin and lung irritation and worsens asthma.
Formaldehyde - aggravates allergies, irritates the skin and burns eyes, nose and throat, a carcinogen
DEA (diethanolamine), TEA (triethanolamine) and MEA (monoethanolamine) - can cause allergic reactions, linked to liver and kidney cancer
Yeah, pretty bad right? Ready to begin making the switch?
Here's a simple strategy for switching to a more natural home without a huge investment of time or money:
Choose one area. For example, cleaning products are a good place to begin. Or maybe skin products like lotions and soaps.
Replace something only when you've used up your current product. No need to waste your already-purchased luxury skin cream and you certainly don't need to ditch your furniture for organic pieces until they're worn out.
Look for DIY alternatives, check out your local natural foods store or go online and search for natural, organic products. Check out my resource source page for online stores I like.
If you'd like to get started with non-toxic cleaning as the first natural change you make, I've got a really easy DIY formula for you:
Learn my all-time favourite DIY natural cleaning product formula: the all-purpose cleaner. I use this daily on countertops, my sinks, toilets, floors and even windows. It's just vinegar and water and essential oils. And it really works!
And if you’re interested in looking into natural beauty and body care products, here you go:
I share my favourite natural, organic beauty products here. I love them - they work really well and cost way less than I was spending on a ton of big-name brands!
I hope you'll consider slowly but surely making the switch to a more natural home - the benefits for years to come are well worth it.
