Detoxify your Home

Introduction

Every week 200,000 new chemicals are registered in the chemical abstract service. And 80% of those chemicals haven’t been tested. Our health also depends on our environment. For that reason, I’ll be taking you on a tour around your house. To help you recognize those harmful chemicals and suggest a replacement for them. so, let’s dive in.

Kitchen

Starting with your non-stick pots and pans. These non-stick pots and pans are made a coating of Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE). Actually cooking with Teflon cookware is easy. Now, on to your plastic cups, plates, bottles, & bag. Certain plastics contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which is harmful to your body. Anytime you heat food in plastic, for example, the BPA enters the food. Or perhaps hot water or hot tea in a plastic cup has the same effect.  I don’t want to scare you too much but it’s a fact.

Generally speaking, Teflon is a safe and stable compound. However, at temperatures above 570°F (300°C), Teflon coatings on nonstick cookware start to break down, releasing toxic chemicals into the air. Inhaling these fumes may lead to polymer fume fever, also known as the Teflon flu. Despite the reassurance that Teflon is safe, it has been found in the blood of 90% of adults tested. Pet birds have died after exposure to fumes It’s now even found in clothes making it difficult for dirt to stick.

Try as much as you can to avoid plastics. They contain hormone-altering chemicals too such as DEHP, BPA, and Nonylphenol. These fake estrogens affect the reproductive system. Responsible also for early puberty, increased rates of testicular and breast cancer. It can also cause obesity and infertility.

Solutions & Alternatives

So, what’s the solution? ?I’m assuming you feeling literally everything in your kitchen is harmful. Don’t worry, just try your best and leave the rest.

1. cookware: Switch to stainless steel, cast iron, ceramics, and glass.
2. Chopping boards: Avoid plastics and switch to wood, glass or bamboo.
3. Utensils: Switch to wood, stainless steel or silicon.
4. Kettles: Use stainless steel or a good ceramic kettle.
5. Go for glass jars, stainless steel water bottles, and food flask.

So how do you feel now? better? Alright take a deep breath and let’s move to your bedroom.

Bedroom

I’m going to spend a lot of time in your bedroom. So, Let’s start with your device. The phones, Tv, laptop etc. The light from them affects our sleep, leading to a lack of sleep. No modem or router in the room, It gives your bedroom radiation that is harmful. The fluorescent light bulb contains mercury in them and if broken there’s harm. The digital clock on your bedside should be at least 40cm away from you. Preferably there should be no carpet in your bedroom.

You’d be wondering why no carpets right? And always open windows for fresh air. Clean dust lying. There’s something called a dust mite, you can’t really see them because of their microscopic nature. Dust mites cause allergies, you begin to cough, sneeze, runny nose, depending on how severe it can also trigger asthma.

Solutions & Alternatives.

1. Make your room free of devices as much as you can.
2. If possible, use halogen light instead of those fluorescent lights.
3. Open your windows for fresh air, instead of those artificial air fresheners.
4. Use cotton bedsheets instead of nylon or polyester.
5. Avoid thick curtains.
6. Low allergy floor covering.
7. Avoid smoking.
8. No pets indoors.
9.  Put your mattress 3times a year, and your pillow once a month under the sun.
10. Have a good vacuum cleaner.

I have a lot to share with you, but I’m stopping here for your bedroom. I will touch briefly on the cleaning products you use and put an end to my article.

Cleaning Product

The cleaning product industry is self-regulated. And most of your cleaning products contain ingredients that are known to be skin and lungs irritants. Manufacturers are not obliged to list their ingredients. And somehow we’ve been convinced that all germs are bad and we nee harsh chemicals to create a clean home.

So, you’d like to avoid bleach(sodium hypochlorite), Ammonia and it’s compound, ionic and non-ionic surfactants, d-limonene, dry-cleaning solvents, some fragrances, and air fresheners.

Alternatives

1. Microfibre cloths and mop ( to dust, wipe surfaces and floors and to clean windows)
2. Cream cleanser paste: 6 tablespoons, bicarb soda to 3 tablespoons of natural detergent.
3. mold spray: 80% naturally fermented vinegar to 20% water solution in a spray bottle.

My tour ends here, I truly hope you find this beneficial. Thank you for dropping by.