7 Ways to Detox Your Home
Cleaner products for a fresher, safer home
This just in: every product we love contains toxic ingredients and is out to get us. 😩 That’s what it seems like at least. With relatively new research coming out showing the risk ingredients like parabens, phthalates, VOC’s pose on our health, there’s a push to replace toxic home products with clean ones. Obvi we want what’s best for our health, but when it comes to swapping out toxic products with “clean” ones, where do we even start?
Well first, we need to know which ingredients are best to avoid.
Parabens: These guys are preservatives used in soaps and cosmetic products that are used to prevent bacteria, fungi and yeast growth. They have been shown to disrupt hormones, and studies have shown potential links between these chemicals and breast cancers. While cleared by the FDA, the European Union has banned the use of certain parabens in cosmetic products.
Phthalates: These are chemicals used to soften plastics and give pliability to vinyl items like shower curtains, bags and product packaging. They are also used in fragranced products like candles, shampoons, cleaning products, perfumes, lotions, room sprays, etc., to give fragrances more staying power. Several studies have shown evidence for their negative impact on both women and men’s reproductive health.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s): These are chemicals commonly found in cleaning products that, according to the American Lung Association, vaporize at room temperature and can contribute to chronic respiratory issues, allergies and headaches.
These ingredients are increasingly being restricted or banned in the EU and countries world-wide. While the FDA and CDC clears many of them for use in American products while further studies are underway, history and common sense tells us that it’d be best to avoid them if possible. Why take the risk on your and your family’s health?
Here are seven household products you may want to consider making sure are nontoxic. I’ve also linked examples of each that I have tried, liked and come well-reviewed (and all are made by small businesses!)
1. Candles
I mean, you knew this would make this list. But seriously, burning petroleum-based candles with toxic fragrance oil is literally polluting your home’s air and infiltrating you and your family’s lungs. Yeah the “non-healthy” ones are cheaper, but at what potential cost to your health?
When it comes to candles, look for ones made of organic plant-based waxes. Avoid labels like “soy blend”, because that blend is often paraffin wax, which contains a host of unhealthy chemicals. You also want to make sure they’re scented 100% certified clean fragrance oil or essential oils.
And make sure you find ones that explicitly state they’re free of toxins, because candle makers are not obligated to disclose their ingredients, and may use deceiving language like “natural blends”.
Here are some I like:
Black Pearl Candles - duh. These 100% organic soy candles are made with certified clean fragrance oil and are free of toxins and full of charm. Their sophisticated scents enhance your space without overpowering, and burn time is wildly long compared to commonly-found paraffin candles. And the crackling woods wicks are *chef’s kiss*. Try best selling scents Slow Sunday Morning or Grandpa’s Leather Chair.
Arctic Wicks - this family-run company makes dreamy non-toxic beeswax and coconut candles. Beeswax blends tend to be pricier than soy because it’s harder to come by, but it shares a lot of the same benefits such as a long, clean, non-toxic burn. Their candles have unbleached, lead-free cotton wicks.
2. Cleaning Supplies
Obviously there are some messes that require harsh chemicals (if you’re a parent or a pet owner or living in a frat house, you definitely know…). But for everyday surface cleaning, opt for sprays that cut grease without contaminating your air and skin with harmful ingredients.
Better Life All Purpose Cleaner - This cleaning brand and surface spray went viral after being pitched on Shark Tank, and comes highly reviewed. It is excellent at removing tough stains and grease without leaving streaks, and has a nice fresh scent. It’s made by two dads that wanted a safer, but effective cleaning solution for their families. Check out their Kitchen & Bath Scrubber, Glass Cleaner or Nursery Cleaner.
3. Laundry Detergent
Name-brand laundry detergent is chalk-full of harmful chemicals used to make clothes smell nice. Harsh ingredients, phthalates and other toxins coat permeate garments and seep into your skin as you wear your clothes. They can cause allergies for sensitive skin and worse, have been linked to cancers and hormone disruption.
For gentler detergent that still gets rid of stains and keeps clothes smelling fresh, I like the brand Attitude. It comes in delightful scents like wildflower, citrus zest and lavender, and also has an unscented version. As a rule, I tend to spill coffee or inexplicably get makeup on every piece of clothes I wear, and this brand erases all traces of my clumsiness everytime.
4. Dish Wash Detergent
Dishwashing detergents contain high levels of phthalates and VOC’s, and because newer dishwashers are being made to optimize water efficiency, many don’t have an automatic extra rinse cycle, meaning your normal cycle may leave high amounts of detergent residue (whether you can see it or not). You may want to invest in detergents that not only cut through tough grease, but won’t leave harmful chemicals for you to ingest.
For dishwashing pods, I like the popular brand Dropps. They are made of a natural mineral-based cleaning solution that is truly effective at cleaning dishes without leaving a filmy residue. The company is committed to sustainability and being environmentally friendly every step of the way.
For hand-washing dish soap, I like Purcy, which comes in both individual bottles, and bulk sizes to refill reusable soap dispensers. It smells great and it suds more than most non-toxic dish soaps.
5. Hand Soaps
When it comes to products that you use frequently like hand soap (I hope you’re using it frequently at least…), you definitely want to make sure they contain clean, harm-free ingredients. What’s also interesting is that according to the FDA, there’s no evidence that using antibacterial soap helps prevent illness better than plain soap. Using antibacterial soap can however lead to bacterial resistance, so it’s best to use plain soap and warm water.
I like Public Goods Hand Soap, free of toxic ingredients and full of sudsy lather. It has a nice scent without being overpowering, and doesn’t dry your hands.
6. Room Sprays
This nice-to-have home product is an easy way to freshen your space, or make you feel like you’ve teleported to a beach where you’re sitting in the sun sipping mai tais…Of course you want to make sure it’s free of harsh chemicals, as you and your family and your pets breathe it in. Non-toxic sprays also are far less likely to aggravate any allergies or asthma.
Muse Apothecary Home Ritual Active Odor Eliminator Spray is a great way to deodorize linens, pet scents and just fresh your space with a delightful, but not overpowering scent. It comes in four sophisticated scents, is great at covering odors and giving your home a luxurious ambiance.
7. Plants
Lastly, plants - real, fresh, green, living plants - are a beautiful way to detox your home. Not only do they consume our CO2 in exchange for precious oxygen, but they also absorb toxins like formaldehyde and nitrogen oxides from the air.
Some of the best air-purifying options, according to NASA, are Dragon Tree, ZZ Plant, Heartleaf Philodendron and Snake Plant. Just make sure you read up on which ones may be harmful to pets or small children if eaten.
Sources
Mitra, P., Chatterjee, S., Paul, N. et al. An Overview of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Paraben and Search for An Alternative – A Review. Proc Zool Soc 74, 479–493 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-021-00418-x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8834979/
https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/Parabens.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S153204562300100X, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09603123.2023.2196056, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8157593/#:~:text=Among%20the%20epidemiological%20studies%2C%20it,and%20thyroid%20function%20%5B29%5D.
https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/cleaning-supplies-household-chem#:~:text=Many%20cleaning%20supplies%20or%20household,ingredients%20include%20ammonia%20and%20bleach.
