5 Easy Ways To Create A Non-Toxic Home

Ready to ditch the toxic items in your home and start the journey of non-toxic living? Check out 5 easy ways to create a non-toxic home!

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, then you may know that I’ve been ‘switching & ditching’ many of the products in my home as a part of my health and wellness journey.

If you aren’t familiar with what the switch and ditch is, it’s a short phrase that describes the act of switching to natural, plant-based products and ditching the toxic ones.

Since learning how harmful most of the ingredients in our everyday items are, I’ve made it my mission to cultivate a non-toxic environment for my family.

So, if you’ve been wanting to ‘switch and ditch’ or if you’re simply looking for ways to make your home less toxic, check out these 5 easy ways that you can start today!

1. Ditch The Candles & Switch To Diffusing Essential Oils

Before I start, trust me, I was a HUGE fan of candles.

HUGE

Like whenever Bath & Body Works had a candle sale I was in. there!

Fast forward a couple of years and two kids later and you won’t find any candles in my home. Once I started doing my research and learned just how toxic they were, I got rid of my beloved candles and didn’t look back.

See, most candles are made with a special type of wax called paraffin which emits highly toxic carcinogens when burned.

And that’s just scratching the surface.

The main reason that most of us buy candles is for the ‘wonderful’ scent – at least that was true in my case.

Unfortunately, that beloved scent is made up of a cocktail of toxic ingredients that we usually see labeled as ‘fragrance’.

Sounds pretty harmless right?

That’s what I thought too until I learned that most fragrances can pass through the skin to the blood and that companies aren’t required to disclose what is said ‘fragrance’.

Thankfully, your beloved candles can be easily replaced with a diffuser and essential oils.

Essential oils can be used in soo many ways – including adding a wonderful aroma to your home.

2. Ditch Fragranced Soaps & Switch To Organic Soaps

So remember when I told you that fragrances can pass through the skin and go into your bloodstream?

Well, this is exactly what is happening when we use highly fragranced soaps (& perfumes).

Our skin is the largest organ on our body, and therefore, it is so important that we are mindful of what we put on it.

Once I switched from using my favorite, fruity/fresh scented soaps and started using this, I saw a huge difference in my skin.

It wasn’t nearly as dry and my dark spots even started to fade.

While I won’t say my fragranced soaps were the cause for my previously dry, blemished skin, I definitely don’t think that it’s a coincidence.

I encourage you to check out the soaps that you’re using and look up the ingredients.

You’ll be surprised at what you find.

3. Ditch Dryer Sheets & Switch To Wool Dryer Balls

This is one of my most recent ‘ditch & switches’ and it has been amazing so far.

I recently learned that most dryer sheets emit endocrine disrupters and other carcinogens that are detrimental to our health.

While most of these toxins are the result of added fragrances, you may think that as long you avoid the dryer sheets that contain fragrances you’ll be fine.

Well, it’s not that simple…

Similarly to candle manufacturers, many dryer sheet companies aren’t required to disclose all of their ingredients.

So there is literally no telling what chemicals are hidden inside. It’s basically like playing Russian Roulette with your health.

Luckily, there’s an easier, cheaper alternative.

 Ditch your traditional dryer sheets and switch to wool dryer balls.

Simply pick up a few dryer balls from any retail store or grab some here and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. 

Then toss them in the dryer with your laundry.

Not only will your clothes dry quicker, but they’ll also be toxin free!

4. Invest in Non-Toxic Cookware

One of the easiest ways to make the switch to a non-toxic lifestyle is to become mindful of the types of foods that you eat, but did you know the surface that you cook on is just as important?

Traditional cookware often contains harmful chemicals like lead, cadmium, and PFOA’s which can leach into our food during cooking and as a result, contaminate our food. Not to mention, by investing in high-quality, non-toxic cookware, we contribute to a sustainable lifestyle and also save money in the long run!

My favorite non-toxic cookware brand is Caraway! Not only is their ceramic-coated cookware absolutely beautiful, but Caraway’s cookware is free from potentially toxic materials like those listed above! It also comes with a unique storage solution so that you can stay organized and keep your kitchen free of unnecessary clutter!

You can check out all of the beautiful cookware sets Caraway has to offer here!

5. Ditch Toxic Cleaners & Switch To Natural, Plant-Based Cleaners

The biggest switch that I’ve made and the one I’m most excited about is the switch from toxic, hormone-disrupting cleaning products to natural, plant-based cleaners.

Before the switch, I had so many ‘staple’ products that I used consistently!

I used a different product to clean the kitchen, and the bathroom, to ‘disinfect’ the kid’s toys, to mop the floors, clean the mirrors, etc.

Little did I know, I was practically drenching my home in toxicity and increasing our risk of respiratory and gut issues.

Initially, I switched to a few of the popular ‘all natural’ cleaning products but many of those still contain synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals. 

So I decided to make the switch to completely plant-based, ALL natural, and nontoxic cleaners from The Art of Green and Boulder Cleaning Products.

Now I can have peace of mind when I clean my home and wipe down toys.

There you have it!

5 easy ways to create a non-toxic home for your family.

Have you already started to ‘switch and ditch’ in your home?

If so, which things have you started to switch out?

If you haven’t, which switch do you think you’ll make first?

Let me know in the comments!

-Kermilia