Our homes are where we spend the great majority of our time, so it makes sense to keep them as healthy as possible. You might be surprised to learn where some of the chemical toxins in your home actually come from, your mattress, couch, carpets and cleaning products. There are a few simple things you can do, to reduce a large amount of the chemicals in your home.

1. Cleaning Products

Switching to products that don’t contain chlorine bleach or phosphates makes a big difference. There are several commercial brands that offer cleaning products that are not only safe for you, but great for the environment too. Have a look at www.biome.com.au for some ideas.

You can also manage a lot of your cleaning with Bi-Carb Soda, white vinegar, and tea tree oil.  Our house has these three staple products in it, and with the exception of my clothes washing, we manage on only that.

To wash your clothes, disinfect your kitchen, and even wash your hair, you could use soap nuts. They’re the seed pod of a tree, that produce a soapy substance when wet or heated. They’re fantastic in the washing machine, and bring your clothes out soft, fresh and clean.

2. Furniture

When you buy a new piece of furniture, opt for something made from natural fibres – as a general rule, most commercial furniture is treated with fire retardants, and contains chemicals such as formaldehyde, which is associated with SIDS.

Bamboo, Soy, and Organic cotton fibres are best, and if you choose timbers – opt for something that is sustainable

There are even low-toxicity house paints available these days, that give off less fumes, and leach less as they age.

3. Clothing

All infant sleepwear in Australia has to be treated with flame retardants. And cottons are heavily treated with pesticides- nothing that you particularly want your children or yourself breathing in.

When choosing clothing, opt for natural and organic fibres – wool, bamboo, soy, organic cotton. And when you do wash your clothes, don’t add to their chemical load – wash them in a gentle detergent (such as soap nuts)

4. F00d

Wherever possible, choose fresh, organic fruit and vegetables. If you must buy non-organic, be sure to wash it well to remove traces of wax and pesticides.

Tin cans are lined with plastic coatings, which have been associated with BPA leaching. So avoid canned foods as much as possible.

Choose a non-reactive drink bottle, such as SIGG to carry your water in. And store your food in non-reactive containers. Tupperware claim to be non reactive throughout most of their range.

5. Children’s Toys

Plastic toys are associated with leaching BPAs with some countries going so far as to ban the use of Polycarbons in the manufacture of infant toys.

Selecting safe toys, such as Lego, wooden or cloth toys will reduce your child’s exposure to chemicals.

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