Healthier Home, part 2: Reducing Toxins

Part of the Green and Frugal Series

I am continuing the inventory of my home, trying to reduce toxins.  Last week, we covered a number of ways to reduce toxins and hazardous materials by substituting natural ingredients, especially cleaners, and being aware of additives and contaminants.  This week, I thought it might be interesting to approach it from a big picture perspective.  In particular, from the vital things in life: air, water, food, and clothing.

Air – a couple of things you can do to improve air quality is to have plants in the house to oxygenate the air and help remove toxins naturally.  Ficus trees are believed to help with this.  In addition, skip the spray or plug-in air fresheners that release a stream of chemicals. If you want to freshen the air, use natural baking soda or essential plant oils.

Water — one of the biggest problems for young children used to be lead poisoning, and lead is still an issue with old paint and old pipes.  If you think lead might be a problem, there are relatively cheap test kits that can help with detection.  Filtering water is also a good idea.

Food — food preparation these days is made easier with a lot of convenience foods and pre-packaged items.  In addition to chemical additives many of these foods are packaged in containers with BPA, phthalates or other plastic additives.  I have been shifting more and more preparation and storage to nice glass and corning ware containers with glass lids.

Clothing — I don’t know about you, but I am very sensitive to heavy perfume scents and strongly dislike scented detergents, soaps and other items, so I’ve been skipping the dryer sheets and softeners for years.  Many people like to add vinegar to the wash cycle as a softener.

I am interested in hearing other ideas for making a healthier home.

shared at Works for Me Wednesday