Let’s detoxify your home for a healthier life! Try a few of these tips and you’ll breathe easier and feel better instantly!
1) Do you ever wake up with itchy eyes and throat, feeling like you didn’t get much sleep? Most linen, like polyester-cotton blends and permanent press, have a finish that releases formaldehyde – the probable cause for your wakefulness. Try using untreated cotton or organic cotton sheets for your bed. These sheets are sans-formaldehyde and promise a safe and comfortable night’s sleep. We like Northern Naturals and Goodnight Naturals!
2) Is new furniture in your near future? Do your research when buying pressed wood furniture, as they also contain formaldehyde (which is linked to myeloid leukemia, by the way). Make sure to air out furniture with closed doors and open windows for at least 3 hours once you’ve found the spot for it in your home. And an even better alternative? Buy used pieces that have already aired out! Just make sure they come from a smoke-free home. Try Craigslist!
3) Instead of saturating your lawn with chemicals to kill unwanted weeds, do this instead: Use a soaking hose to water the lawn, add weed-inhibiting mulch for your plants and trees, and set the mower to 3 inches (longer grass shades and stifles weeds). If you feel you must use an herbicide to kill those pesky weeds, use one made with vinegar or corn gluten meal.
4) Go for organic fruits and veggies! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released a study listing the most pesticide-contaminated fruits and veggies. This list can change from time to time with farming practices but currently the worst include: Apples, followed by celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, imported nectarines, imported grapes, bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, and kale. Choosing organic vegetables and fruits will cut more than 80% of pesticides from your grocery list!
5) Craving a late night snack? Make one at home instead. Some pre-packaged food wrappers, cartons, bags and boxes (even microwave popcorn bags!) contain oil and water-repelling chemicals that transfer to and metabolize in the body, forming likely carcinogens. The EPA is working to reduce and eliminate these chemicals by 2015; but until then, cut back on the take out and make your favorite meals at home!
6) Although the Swiffer is not organic, it can definitely help reduce toxins from your home. Chemicals have a tendency of piggybacking on dust which, as we all know, ends up in pretty much every conceivable corner of the house. Use that Swiffer and be sure to dust surfaces and floors weekly, take off your shoes and wipe your pet’s paws at the door, and change filters in your central-air system at least once a year. (On a side note: Another EWG study found that women whose breast milk contained the fire retardant Deca, linked to memory and attention problems, also had Deca in their vacuum-bag dust!)
By
Raissa Wagner
Rain Tees Contributor
