A Guide To A Toxin-Free Home

The average woman puts roughly 500 chemicals on her body every day. Over 10,000 chemicals are used in the beauty industry and less than 10% have been tested for long-term safety.

With many new chemicals introduced to the markets every year, toxins and allergens are more prevalent now than ever before. They lurk in just about anything from our food and water, homes and offices, to cleaning aisles in our supermarkets, and the trucks on our streets. Unfortunately, these troublesome toxins are difficult to see with the naked eye or simply hide in plain sight. It may feel like they are an accepted part of daily lives and therefore, there is nothing we can do about them. However, this is not true.

Eliminating your house of these harmful substances can make your home a healthier, happier, and safer place to reside. The following are some of the most common products that contain harmful chemicals;

• Air fresheners

• Bleach

• Candles

• Carpet

• Cleaning products

• Clothing

• Deodorant

• Dust

• Electronic magnetic frequencies

• Furniture

• Hair products

• Hand sanitiser

• Insecticides

• Mattresses and pillows

• Makeup and cosmetics

• Moisturizer

• Mouthwash and toothpaste

• Mothballs

• Nail polish

• Non-stick cookware

• Nylon cooking utensils

• Perfumes and cologne

• Polishing agents

• Scouring powders

• Shaving gel

• Skin creams and serums

• Soap and shampoo

• Sunscreen

• Talc

• Tap water

These common household are toxic as they include at least one or multiple of the following harmful substances:

• Aluminium

• Ammonia

• Aromatic hydrocarbons

• Arsenic

• Benzyl acetate

• Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

• Bisphenol-A (BPA) 

• Butylene glycol

• Cadmium

• Chlorine (in tap water)

• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

• Diethanolamine (DEA)

• Dioxins/Dioxanes

• DMDM hydantoin

• Ethylene

• Fluoride (in tap water)

• Formaldehyde

• Herbicides/Insecticides/Pesticides

• Lead

• Magnesium silicate

• Monoethanolamide

• Mercury

• Methylene

• Mica

• Parabens

• Polyethylene (PEG)

• Petroleum

• Perfluorocarbons (PFC)

• Perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA)

• Phthalates

• Plastic (i.e. drink bottles, containers)

• P-phenylenediamine 

• Propylene glycol

• Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

• Siloxanes

• Sodium hydroxide

• Sodium lauryl sulfate

• Sodium laureth sulfate

• Steareth

• Synthetic fragrances

• Triethanolamine (TEA)

• Tetrachloroethylene

• Triclosan

We absorb up to 60% of what we put on our skin. Children’s bodies absorb 40-50% more than adults. Children are at higher risk of diseases later in life when exposed to toxins.

How To Keep Your Home Toxic-Free

There are many unknown dangers around our home, most of which we have no control over. In a world "going green" it is hard to identify which products are a threat to your health and which are simply natural alternatives. Environmental toxins short-circuit the body’s ability functioning at the optimal level. Therefore, toxins reduce basal metabolic rate and the efficiency with which they are cleared and excreted out of the body.

Signs that your body needs a detox include; skin problems (rashes, acne, etc.), food/scent intolerances, allergies, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, frequent colds and viruses, unexplained headaches, lower back pain, general aches and pains, fatigue, compromised resistance to infections, inability to lose weight, fuzzy thinking, depression, and anxiety.

There are a few very simple changes you can make in five minutes or less to improve the safety and health of your home. Sounds too easy right? However, by looking at your habits and rituals, you will notice that it does not take long to make a change. Simply start with this guide, and once you see how easy it is to make these changes, you will see the difference it makes in your life.

1. Take your shoes off when you come inside.

Did you know that your shoes are covered in more than just dirt? An average of 400,000 units of bacteria live on the bottom of our shoes and almost 3,000 units on the inside, in which E. coli, meningitis, diarrheal disease, klebsiella pneumonia, and serratia ficaria may hibernate. The soles of our shoes contain more bacteria than a toilet seat! That should be enough to encourage you to leave your shoes at the front door.

2. Clean pets' paws before they come inside.

We all adore our pets to bits; however, pets can potentially bring dirt, faecal matter, pesticides, pathogens and much more into your home. The simplest way to eliminate this is to wipe their feet at the door with a microfiber cloth, baby wipes or paper towel. By keeping the outside stuff outside will pay off for you and for your pets.

3. Bring in some plants.

Plants are natural air purifiers in which they absorb toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, pesticides, biological pollutants, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the 1960s, Dr B.C. Wolverton conducted plant studies with NASA and found and rated more than 50 plants that absorb and purify the air. Just a caution, some indoor houseplants can be toxic and are not ideal to have around small children and pets. However, here are some effective air-purifying plants that remain stable indoors:

• Aloe vera

• Areca palm

• Bamboo palm

• Bromeliads

• Boston fern

• Lady palm

• Rhododendron

• Rubber plant

• Spider plant

• Snake plant

4. Use an air purifier.

I highly recommend using an air purifier, particularly for those with asthma, allergies, or other sensitivities. Effective air purifiers clear the air of allergens, dust particles, pathogens, and more other dangerous substances, such as mold, asbestos, and toxins in off-gassing furniture and paints. Try to invest in an air purifier that contains a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA), as this will help to capture harmful microscopic particles by forcing air through an ultrafine mesh filter. Additionally, make sure that you change the air filters regularly in order to reduce household dust and toxic particles as a clogged, dirty filter can circulate and make indoor air more polluted than outdoor air.

5. Clean green with eco-friendly natural cleaners.

Switch to using eco-friendly natural cleaners as this will reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. The home cleaning market is famously unregulated in Australia in which manufacturers are not required to share what is in their products. Some deep cleaners are laced with triclosan, an antimicrobial chemical that is linked to antibiotic resistance. I recommend purchasing natural cleaners that list all of its ingredients on the label. If you do not recognise some of them, take the initiative to search them just to be safe. One general rule of thumb: If you feel like you need to open a window when you use a cleaning product, you probably should not be using it.

6. Put vitamin C powder in the bath to neutralize chlorine.

Research shows that we absorb more chlorine from a bath or shower than from drinking water. If you are concerned about your exposure to chlorine, I suggest purchasing a shower filter or simply add one tablespoon of sodium ascorbate or ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder) in bathwater.

7. Skip using plastics.

If you really care about keeping your home toxin-free, you need to dispose of plastics in your home, especially in the kitchen, unless it is BPA-free. Plastic leach harmful chemicals into your food and water; therefore, opt for glass or stainless-steel alternatives. You may wish to adopt the following habits:

• Purchase goods that are fresh or jarred in a glass.

• Replace bottles and drinking glasses with a stainless-steel or glass version.

• Investing in reusable grocery bags to avoid single-use plastics.

• Carrying a stainless-steel water bottle instead of buying bottled water.

• Buying foods that use little to no packaging whenever possible. Shop at your local farmers market means you are supporting the community and receiving fresh, seasonal food.

• Use beeswax-covered cloths or a reusable lunch box instead of single-use plastic wrap and bags.

8. Invest in a water filter.

Tap water contains more than 300 pollutants; therefore, water filters can help to remove chlorine, lead, pathogens and other contaminants from your water. There are many options, from inexpensive pitcher systems to under-the-counter filters, to whole-house systems. They use different filtration methods such as carbon, reverse osmosis and deionisation.

Health issues linked to the use of toxic substances include; skin allergies, asthma, cancer, depression, anxiety, infertility, gut issues, birth defects, reproductive problems, dementia and learning disabilities.

Help Your Body Eliminate Toxins

Before detoxifying the body, it is important to consider our bodies natural elimination pathways. If we are not eliminating effectively as we are detoxing, toxins build up in our system and therefore, cause more damage to the body. The five primary exists in which toxic wastes can be expelled from the body include the colon, kidneys, urinary tract, respiratory system (lungs) and skin.

To ensure optimal elimination of toxins, maintain regular bowel movements by consuming many colourful and fibrous fruits and vegetables, drink 1.5 litres of water daily, drink lemon water or celery juice every morning, and move your body to increase your rate and get your body sweating. Below is a list of 8 tips to detoxify your body.

 1.   Eat clean foods – consume lots of fruits and vegetables, such as; celery, leafy greens, parsley, cilantro, citrus fruits, berries, ginger, cultured vegetable, and cruciferous vegetables. Consume high fibre fruits and vegetables abundant in chlorophyll, vitamin C and antioxidants to eliminate toxins from the body. Avoid foods high in sugar and hydrogenated oils.

2. Stay hydrated with filtered water – aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Avoid drinking tap water or plastic bottled water as they contain chemicals and heavy metals. Aim for filtered or reverse osmosis water.

3. Spend time in nature – spending time in nature, particularly amongst trees boosts the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest system). This aids detoxification of the liver and metabolism, and induced blood flow and bile secretion.

4. Practice meditation – meditation helps to reduce cortisol levels and inflammation, ease stress, anxiety and depression, and also helps digestion. Making your exhale longer than your inhale during meditation signals to the body to relax.

5. Use a sauna – using a sauna induces high amounts of sweating and therefore, helps to eliminate toxins from the bloodstream, relaxes muscles, clears the skin, and reduces inflammation. Make sure to drink plenty of water if you use a sauna.

6. Maintain good oral health – make sure to use non-toxic toothpaste and mouthwash. To increase dental hygiene and prevent plaque and gingivitis, try coconut oil pulling. This involves swishing one tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 10 – 15 minutes.

7. Do body brushing - dry skin brushing removes dead skin cells, reveals youthful skin, allows the skin to breathe, improves circulation by stimulating the lymphatic system, improves livers and kidney function, and eliminates toxins in the blood.

8. Consume superfoods – herbs, spices, and superfood botanicals naturally cleanse, strengthen and nurture the body’s detoxification system. Powerful detox herbs include; green tea, bacopa, dandelion, ashwagandha, liquorice root, milk thistle, turmeric, and pau d’arco.

Research has proven that the common household is two to five times more toxic than the outdoors; therefore, we need to be proactive in detoxing our homes. Fortunately, awareness of chemicals in our environment is growing. The public is demanding substances that do not seep into our bloodstream and damage our health in which the ideas of “nontoxic” and “natural” are moving to the mainstream. So make the decision to go toxic-free to protect your health and our beautiful Mother Earth.