Detox Your Home and Make It Healthy
Home should be a safe haven from the outside world…and unfortunately, it is not! What is a family to do? Think about your family, your kids, your pets, and make some decisions that will have a positive effect on their health and their future.
Healthy kids in an unhealthy world.
Five definitive steps that you can take to protect your kids include: stop using lawn pesticides, eliminate tuna from their diets, select organic apple juice and apple products, use green cleaning products, and filter your drinking water.
The kitchen – the epicenter of safety
An area of the home in which water is used profusely is the kitchen. So, use a living water filtration system (www.nikken.com/corewellness), dispose of hazardous water appropriately, use non-toxic cleaners and watch items that are heavily sprayed. For example organic meals, dairy products, fruits and vegetables that are sprayed include apples, celery, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, and strawberries. Those that are least contaminated include artichokes, asparagus, avocados, banana, beets, sweet corn, cranberries, eggplant, mangos, onions, pineapple, and zucchini.
Minimize or avoid soft plastic, never microwave in plastic. Use glass food storage containers, baby bottles, and wood or metal bowls/cutlery. Avoid polyvinylchloride (PVC) and grades 3, 6 or 7 plastics.
In the Bathroom
We spend lots of time there, and yet, the bathroom is often unsafe! Use a shower or bath chlorine filter to eliminate the chlorine from the water. Otherwise, you may as well bath in the local swimming pool. Make healthy choices when it comes to shampoos, creams, personal care products.
In the Living Room
Minimize flame retardant exposure in products like computers, TV’s, carpeting, household furniture and flooring by reusing/buying second hand or consult buying guides at www.safer-products.org/page.php?p=hous&s=cosm. Limit formaldehyde exposure in many carpets, durable press drapes, particleboard and adhesives.
Only buy plastic toys if they are PVC or phthalate free- (PVC, polycarbonate/PC, #7 or #3 recycling code). Avoid dollar store toys and toys with kiddie meals. Phthalate-free teethers and rattles include Chicco, Little Tikes, Evenflo, Gerber, Hasbro, Fisher-Price, Shelco, Playskool, Mattel, Arco, Tyco and The First Years. PVC-free toys are made by Baby Vision, Early Start, Little Tikes, Primetime Playthings, Tiny Love (except Discovery Lane), Brio, Gerber toys after 2000, Playskool, Viking Toys, Sassy (except vinyl photo albums), and Lego (except Scala dollheads).
In the Basement
Avoid mould and mildew by ventilating properly, using dehumidifiers where needed and maintaining humidifiers.
In the Garden
Select pesticide free lawn care products. Check your lawn service carefully. It is common practice for mainstream companies to advertise “organic” or “green” care options where they use an organic fertilizer but still use pesticides and pre-emergent poisons. Be an educated consumer; visit sites such as: www.beyondpesticides.org/lawn/factsheets/faq.htm.
In the car
Have your infant car seat inspected to ensure safe installation. Consider a used car, which will have lower flame retardant and phthalate levels.
Make your home a safe haven from the outside world – and ensure good health for you and your family in the process!
Resources
“Household Detective Book” by Children’s Health & the Environment Coalition
“The Safe Shopper’s Bible: A Consumer’s Guide to Nontoxic Household Products” by Dr. David Steinman& Samuel S. Epstein
“Home Safe Home” by Debra Lynn Dadd
“Chemical-Free Kids: How to Safeguard Your Child’s Diet and Environment” by Allan Magaziner, Linda Bonvie, Anthony Zolezzi
About the Author
Chicago Magazine Housing Bulletin for Solar Verde
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