5 Simple Ways to Create a Healthier Home
Home is where the heart is. We all need a place to unwind, relax and rejuvenate. Or at least, a place to house our children and our laundry :)
Our home should SERVE us. It should provide comfort, peace and HEALTH.
Often in an effort to make our home more clean, more inviting, more fresh, we do more harm than good.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indoor air is usually more polluted than outdoor air, even in major cities.
Harmful toxins are found in the products we use to make our home more “homey.” Cleaning supplies, furniture, toys, kitchen dishes…many of these contain harmful chemicals. Exposure to these chemicals (especially overtime) can cause serious health conditions.
Having a healthy home plays a crucial role in our overall health. Therefore, we need to throughly vet the products we allow into our home and mindfully be aware of our home environment.
Fortunately, we can “control this environment” more than the air outside, and a few adjustments can help drastically.
For a Healthier Home:
1.) Say BYE-BYE to Toxic Cleaners
Admittedly, I used to be one of those “bleach everything” people when I was growing up. My mom was always telling me to relax with antibacterializing everything but I had it in my head that bacteria was BAD and needed to be destroyed!
Armed with copious amounts of Lysol and Clorox Bleach, it was Me vs. Bacteria. Well add that to the list of things that I should have listened to my Mama about.
After adopting a Greener lifestyle, my research has taught me that bacteria does not need to be wiped out from existence. You can put the Lysol down, Nic! Hahaha!
In fact, our bodies need to interact with bacteria in order to build up our immune system. Not that you should lick the bottom of your shoes, BUT many of us (myself included) have long been overly fearful of BACTERIA. It sounds scary, right?! Say it aloud. BAC.TER.IA.
As consumers, we have been fashioned to believe that we need to kill 99.99% of bacteria or else…or else our home will be…unsafe!!
Well, maybe we need to pump the brakes a bit. Certainly we don’t want harmful bacteria living in our home. But we need to explore how we handle this bacteria. Especially considering the fact that using antibacterial products can cause some serious problems:
1.) Antibacterial products can cause bacteria to evolve and become resistant. Hence “super bugs.” This is really problematic. Just a quick Google search will affirm that.
2.) The FDA announced a couple years ago that the ingredients in many antibacterial products (namely triclosan and triclocarban) did NOT work any better than plain soap and water AND that these chemical ingredients can cause major health concerns.
3.) What about viruses? Guess what? These “antibacterial” products do NOTHING for viruses.
So what can you do?
Well, I would suggest ditching your harsh chemical spray.
But wait!
How will I ever clean the counters, the nasty fridge when something spills, the grime and fingerprints on the sliding door?!?!
Don’t fret! I got you!
For the last 3 years, I have only used distilled water, castile soap and drops of essential oil as my all-purpose cleaner. I bought myself a nifty dark amber, glass spray bottle (has to be glass, not plastic) and mix up my own concoction with whatever oils fancy me. This smells delicious and works at keeping the bad germs and viruses at bay without compromising my family’s health with harsh chemicals. And…I’ve saved a lot of $$!
Here is the recipe I follow:
1 1/2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of castile soap
10-15 drops of essential oil*
Mix together in glass bottle. Voila. Store in a dark place and shake before using.
*As far as choosing essential oils to use, I would recommend using a citrus oil for degreasing and an herb oil for antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial properties. I love lemon + lavender, rosemary + orange and basil + lime. That’s some serious YUM.
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2.) Get Your Self Some Houseplants
Right now, as I’m typing this, I’m counting the houseplants in my kitchen. 13. And, I want more. Give me all the plants! If my house looked like a jungle I would be thrilled.
Not only do I love the aesthetic of house plants, their health benefits are no joke. NASA research has revealed that houseplants can remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hours! And! Studies have shown that indoor plants improve mood, concentration and productivity. I can definitely attest to this, which is why every room in my home has some sort of greenery.
Here are some important things to consider when choosing houseplants:
1.) Most plants release oxygen during the day, but during the night, they release carbon dioxide when photosynthesis pauses. However, some plants do the exact opposite. Succulents and snake plants emit oxygen at NIGHT, so keep these in the bedroom for better sleep :)
2.) Be mindful of children and pets. No brainer. Always make sure toxic plants are placed far away from the reach of little hands and paws.
3.) Choose houseplants like you would a dog. Make sure that each houseplant fits your home and your style. If you aren’t going to remember to water regularly, don’t get a finicky plant. Also, don’t choose something that needs a lot of sun and place it in your den where the curtains are drawn. Taking the time to do a bit of research (here) will make a huge difference in whether or not you kill Aunt Pat’s spider plant.
4.) Speaking of Aunt Pat (who is a real person) and her spider plant (who is a real plant, named Ludwig), don’t think you need to drop a ton of money on new plants. Ask around. Do you have a friend or relative that gives you house plant envy? Ask them to give you a clipping of certain plants. The huge spider plant I got from Aunt Pat was propagated from my Grandma’s spider plant. To date, I have given quite a few friends clippings from that same plant. That’s the cool thing about plants. Many can be divided, and in doing so, come with a cool story.
3.) Toss Toxic Candles and Fragrance Sprays
Unless using beeswax candles with non-toxic and all natural fragrance, the candles often found in homes are emitting loads of chemicals. They smell great, but paraffin wax creates benzene and toluene when burned. Both of these are known carcinogens and are the same toxins found in diesel fuel fumes.
Oh…and and those fragrance sprays and plugins are no different. They are toxic. Toss them!
If you’re like me, though, you want your kitchen to smell like fresh rosemary and your bedroom to smell like lavender and sweet dreams.
Is that too much to ask? Absolutely not!
This is also why I have 6 or 7 or 9er (“Did I hear a 9er in there?” We are best friends if you know what movie I’m quoting there) diffusers in my home. I LOVE diffusing essential oils. It is easy, healthy and just yummy. You’ll want to choose high quality pure oils (not the kind you find in the aisles of TJMaxx) and research the oils that are safe for you and your family (children and pets cannot be around certain oils). Nothing makes me happier than my kitchen smelling like rosemary and peppermint.
And! Diffusing essential oils purifies the air in your home!
4.) Purge Your Home of Plastic
Plastic makes me angry. It makes me angry because I am acutely aware of how bad it is for humans and earth and yet I still struggle to get rid of it. IT IS EVERYWHERE. Toys, dinnerware, cookware, electronics, furniture, decorations. Sheesh. I mean, look around your home, open your cupboard. I know I’m not alone in this!
I have been trying to make a conscious effort to stay away from plastic. Do my kids have plastic toys? Yes. Have I bought them plastic toys? Yes. But I’m getting much better at this and haven’t purchased them anything plastic in awhile.
Honestly, the plastic industry is not something I want to support. It’s horrible for the environment and plastic is quite toxic.
The chemicals that make plastic rigid have been linked to cancer, hormonal issues and reproduction issues. I’m sure you’ve heard of BPA-free plastic, but it’s not better. The most common replacement of BPA is BPS. Studies have shown that BPS is linked to the same health concerns as BPA but at HIGHER percentages.
So what can we do?
We have to take steps to get away from plastic as much as possible.
Get yourself a nice water bottle (and jump over to my blog on water that will blow your mind)
Find wooden toys vs. plastic toys
Find natural decor, furniture, etc.
Don’t forget to stop in your kitchen during your purge. Some of the most harmful plastics live in our cupboards and then..we put food on these and then toxins are released into our food. No Bueno.
Is it time that you cleaned out your cupboard of plastic?
But what will the kids eat on?? Surely you can’t give your 2 year old a glass mason jar and porcelain plate!
So glad you asked.
I have been using Bamboo Plates for awhile, and honestly, I love them. Bamboo is non-toxic, sustainable and biodegradble. Win, win, WIN!
I have ordered all my bamboo plates, bowls and cups through bobo&boo and I really think you should take a look!
My kids love their divider plates! I love knowing that harmful chemicals aren’t leaching into their food
5.) TURN OFF YOUR WI-FI AT NIGHT
Full disclosure, we do not have a WI-FI router in our home. However, I understand that a lot of people do. It’s simply the world we live in. WI-FI emits electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and although there is a debate on just how dangerous this is, more studies need to be done overtime to really understand just how this radiation exposure effects us. We do know that EMFs can cause adverse biological effects (think brain development issues, cancers, reproduction issues, etc).
One easy way to reduce our exposure is to turn off our WI-FI router at night, or even better, turn it on ONLY when using it.
In addition, keep cell phones out of the bedroom at night and if you’re using your phone as your personal hotspot (which is what we do) turn it off when not in use.
Turn off the Personal Hotspot and Get Hot with your Partner instead…read my most visited blog all about sex for tips on how to have great sex)
By taking these steps, you can make a huge impact on the health of your home…and thus, your family.