Decrease toxic exposures in your home with these 5 tips

Nobody wants to live in a dirty home. You can sweep and wipe as much as you like, but your home can still be “dirty”. More than just dust and grime, toxic chemicals can lurk inside and outside your home. These unhealthy pollutants can harm your family by increasing your risk to disease or by hindering your child’s intellectual development. What’s truly frightening is that these toxic chemicals tend to originate from common household objects and utilities. Plastic containers, outdoor footwear, and even tap water can become unsafe in the long run. Fortunately, protecting you and your family’s health from toxic exposures is simple and easy to do.

1. Wash your hands — Almost everything you touch has germs, and those germs can make you sick once they enter your body. According to EWG.com though, you don’t just come into contact with germs on a daily basis but chemicals as well. Heavy metals from home fixtures, phthalates from plastic products, flame retardants from furniture are all dangerous chemicals that have no place being anywhere in your body. So make sure to wash your hands with soap and water before every meal. Avoid using hand sanitizers since these can seep into your food.
2. Filter your water — We use water for everything from cleaning our food to washing our bodies to watering our plants. What comes out of our taps isn’t always pure, however. Sediments, pesticides, and bacteria can make their way into our water supply without us knowing any better. Rather than taking a chance on your health, choose to filter your water instead. This way you can be sure you’re getting pure water, whether you’re drinking it to cool down or washing your hands. There are a wide variety of water filters you can use and they’re all good additions to any home.
3. Do away with plastic bottles — Using plastic bottles doesn’t just harm you but the environment as well. The most notorious chemical associated with plastic bottles is bisphenol A (BPA), which is a hormone disruptor that can cause a wide scope of health complications even at minimal exposures. Most manufacturers have already banned the use of this chemical in their products, but that still doesn’t take away the fact that plastic bottles don’t biodegrade easily, meaning their massive carbon footprint hurts the environment and forces us more and more to rely on fossil fuels. (Related: Plastic containers are poisoning you and your family)
4. Remove your shoes inside the house — This may seem like an odd tip, but when you consider how much your shoes deal with everyday, it makes sense. Bacteria, viruses, and even pesticides can be found in outdoor spaces and can cling to your clothing and shoes. When you walk around your home with these shoes still on, you transfer the bacteria and viruses to a floor that children and babies love to play and crawl on.
5. Invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter — The word “HEPA” stands for “High efficiency particulate air”, and these are mechanical air filters that trap dangerous particles in a fine mesh. Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean your sofas, curtains and those hard-to-reach corners diminishes you chances of touching or breathing in contaminants. Plus, it’s far more economical to purchase a vacuum with a HEPA filter than replacing your curtains and furniture.

Save yourself and your family from toxic chemicals that can force a heavy burden onto your bodies. Embrace a healthier and greener lifestyle that ensures the safety and well being of every member of your family.

Sources include:

EWG.org

ThoughtCo.com

LiveStrong.com