Reducing Toxic Chemicals in Your Home

What do oranges, dryer sheets and dishwasher detergent have in common?  These are items you’ll find in almost every home.  But did you also know that they could be the carriers of toxic chemicals that can be extremely harmful to you, your family and your pets?

It’s true. Toxic dangers are lurking everyone, and some of them we unwittingly bring into our own homes or routinely release them doing household chores.  How can this be?

There are tens of thousands of chemicals in commercial use, with an estimated 1,000 new ones entering the market each yet. Very few of these -- estimates average around 2 or 3 percent -- have been tested adequately for the threats they may pose to humans and wildlife. And evidence is mounting that many of these chemicals can alter sexual and neurological development, impair reproduction, cause cancers, and harm immune systems.

What is a consumer to do? Reduce your consumption and use of toxic chemicals by learning which products can be harmful, avoiding them, and finding safer alternatives.

Start by shopping for products that are free of toxic chemicals. Inspect labels for potentially harmful ingredients and choose the least hazardous product.

Here are other practical ways to limit the toxic chemicals around you:

Food

• Buy and eat organic food (grown without pesticides or fertilizers) as often as possible
• Wash and peel fruits and vegetables whenever possible
• Avoid processed foods and foods with colors, dyes and preservatives

Clothing/Fabrics

• Wear only natural-fiber clothing (100 percent cotton, linen, wool, or silk)
• Make sure the clothes are not "permanent press" or "wrinkle resistant." These are treated with formaldehyde that does not wash out

Household Products

• Avoid all fabric softeners, dryer sheets, chlorine bleach, oven and toilet cleaners, and scented detergents; they are very toxic and very harmful to the environment as well
• Use simple and inexpensive cleansers such as soap, vinegar, lemon juice and borax instead of harsh, store-bought chemical cleaners
• Avoid air fresheners and other perfumed products; freshen your air by opening windows or using baking soda, cedar blocks, or dried flowers

Lawn/Garden

• Green up your yard using natural methods
• Avoid all pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizers
• Use compost and mulch to improve soil health
• Grow plants that repel insects such as basil, chives, mint, marigolds, and chrysanthemums

Other Suggestions

• Grow houseplants that remove toxins from the air such as philodendrons, spider plants, aloe vera, English ivy and Boston fern
• Leave your shoes at the door before walking into your house; shoes can track in harmful amounts of pesticides, lead, cadmium and other chemicals
• Vacuum carpets and floors regularly, especially if you have young children and pets
• Choose pump spray containers instead of aerosols, which emit volatile organic chemicals into the air