5 Steps to a Healthier Home: Small Changes Make a Big Difference
I don’t know about you but the continual onslaught of news about our myriad exposures to toxins can make me feel kind of crazy. Last week it was carcinogenic cellphones. Two months ago it was hormone disruptors in supposedly safe BPA-free plastic… I sometimes feel that the only solution is to isolate my family in a hermetically sealed box, or at least throw out everything we own and start over. Only those aren’t real solutions, are they?
Although exposure to toxins in the environment does pose risks to our health, small changes can make a big difference. Yes, it’s true! A few simple adjustments in our daily habits and choices can dramatically reduce exposure to toxins. This is especially true in our homes, which is where we spend the majority of our time and have the most control. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Leave Your Shoes at the Door
An astonishing 60% of house dust originates outdoors, and much of it is tracked in on our feet. Studies have shown that house dust contains many hazardous chemicals including lead, arsenic & even DDT, a pesticide which was banned in 1972. Because smaller particles of dust tend to stay attached to your shoes, you can take a big bite out of your home’s toxic dust burden simply by leaving your shoes at the door.
Keep It Clean
Even if we could stop all outdoor dust at the door, we’d still have to deal with the dust that originates inside. This dust also contains hazardous substances, including brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are found in a wide variety of household goods including furniture and electronics. Healthy Child, Healthy World recommends regular dusting and vacuuming (preferably with a HEPA filter) to capture BFRs. Of course, regular cleaning also helps pick up other unwanted and potentially unhealthy dust particles, including pollen and dust mites that are a trigger for allergy and asthma sufferers.
Use Your Kitchen & Bath Fans
Our kitchen and bath fans aren’t there just to get rid of bad smells. Their primary job is to evacuate hazardous emissions such as carbon monoxide and sulfur oxide, which are released by all combustion appliances, and water vapor, which we produce when we cook, shower, etc. Water vapor sounds harmless but especially in a small, enclosed space like a bathroom it can be a breeding ground for mold. We can mitigate these hazards simply by using our fans (just make sure they are vented to the outside–not, say, to the inside of your attic, in which case they’re simply transferring emissions from one part of your house to another). To learn more check out the Homeowner’s Guide to Ventilation, published by the New York Energy Research and Development Authority.
Pass on Pesticides & Herbicides
One of the first commitments I made when I embarked on my own green living journey was to stop using pesticides and herbicides on my lawn: that was four years ago and I’ve never looked back. Now I’m working on eliminating all pesticides from my home (I still use pesticides to kill the mice that find their way into my basement through my field stone foundation every winter). It is true that some pests, such as mice and termites, which are hazardous to your health and/or damaging to your home, may need to be treated with pesticides. But in many cases there are equally effective, safer alternatives. Beyond Pesticides is an excellent resource if you are ready to take this step. My favorite section of their site is their Alternatives Fact Sheets, which offer recommendations for effective, least toxic control for a wide range of pests.
You Are What You Eat
Last but not least, our food choices have a profound impact on our exposure to toxins. There are great tools and resources our there to help us make safer choices and–here’s the good news–studies show that these choices do make a difference. Choosing organic produce, for example, has been shown to lower the levels of pesticides in our bodies. Here is where I’d recommend you start:
- Avoid produce with high residues of pesticides. This is easier than it sounds thanks to the Environmental Working Group, which every year publishes a list of the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables with the highest residues of pesticides and the “Clean Fifteen” fruits and vegetables with the lowest residues.
- Avoid food packaged in plastic that has been shown to leach potentially unsafe compounds. Plastic containers have a number on the bottom inside a triangular recycling symbol. 2, 4 & 5 are widely recognized to be safe. There are concerns about the safety of 1, 3, 6 & 7. To learn more Healthy Child, Healthy World has published a plastic safety guide.
- Choose meat and dairy products from animals that have not been treated with growth hormones or antibiotics. Look for USDA certified organic, or products that you can be reasonably certain are hormone and antibiotic free (either because they are labeled or because you buy from a trusted source).
- Limit your consumption of canned food, which almost always contains BPA in its liners. Choose frozen instead, or look for food packaged in glass or aseptic cartons. There are also a few companies offering BPA-free cans (such as Eden).
Given the ubiquity of potentially harmful substances in our environment, it can sometimes feel impossible to protect yourself. But please don’t despair! The small steps that we take over time add up. And every step we take makes a difference.
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