You arrive home with several bags of groceries from your local organic food store, pleased you’re making healthy choices for what you (and your family) put into your body. But even though you’re making good choices when it comes to food, what you may not realize is that there are other toxins in your home that are just as damaging to your health as poor eating habits. To truly live clean and green in your home, you need to be aware of what you are breathing in and absorbing through your skin, in addition to the food you’re consuming.
What’s in Your Water?
Before we discuss airborne and topical toxins in the home, however, let’s talk about what comes out of your tap. You’re likely aware by now that water straight from the tap isn’t as healthy for you as it could be. In fact, tap water is often found to have traces of lead as a result of running through ancient pipes, with radiation levels above the maximum limit set by the EPA, as Wired reveals. Tap water can also contain DNA-damaging trihalomethanes, traces of ammonia and bleach, and small amounts of various pharmaceuticals. The best solution for this problem is to get a quality water filter. Of course, you can also buy bottled water, but it’s best to drink water from a glass rather than from a plastic bottle, especially if the plastic contains BPA.
Clear the Air
According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is typically worse than outdoor air pollution, sometimes much worse. This is because homes are usually tightly sealed, so any of those toxic things you use — from hairspray and deodorant, to chemical cleaning products and pesticides — get trapped in your home and have a hard time escaping.
There are several things you can do to reduce the indoor pollution in your home. Instead of harsh cleaners, use more natural options such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon. You can also find natural cleaning solutions, as well as organic hairspray, deodorant and pesticides.
Another good step is to buy some indoor plants. According to Natural News, NASA has discovered the best indoor plants for cleaning indoor air include the rubber plant, bamboo palm and areca palm.
Silent Killers
The silent killers known as radon and carbon monoxide can get inside your home as well. While radon has a distinct smell, carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, making it especially dangerous. Leaking furnaces and gas stoves generate carbon monoxide, so make sure to have your furnace inspected regularly, and that your stove is properly ventilated during use. Also, Lifeshield.com recommends having at least one carbon monoxide detector per floor, preferably connected to a security system that also has a fire sensor.
Topical Toxins
In addition to reducing air pollution in your home, you should be aware that anything you put on your skin can absorb into your bloodstream. For this reason, it’s important to stay away from products with harmful ingredients. For instance, many shampoos and moisturizers contain cancer-causing parabens, and anti-bacterial soaps and toothpastes often contain potentially harmful triclosan, as Time Magazine points out. Substitute products that contain harmful ingredients like those mentioned above for all-natural products, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier home life.
Komentáře