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Home Safe HomeGoing green and reducing toxic chemicals are two things I feel go hand in hand, so I thought I’d combine the two and write a bit about both. In my household these are two things my family and I have been trying to do more and more for the past couple of years. It is not always easy, especially if you live with one or more people who you are also trying to get on track with the eco-friendly movement. Forces of habit can make switching products, routines, and tendencies very hard. One of my favorite singers, who is a big supporter of the green movement, said something I love and completely agree with, and that is to do your best to be earth-friendly, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t go to the 100% extreme. In other words, if you don’t do everything on the list of things to do to help the earth, don’t worry! Choose one thing to start and go from there.There are tons of things you can do to reduce toxins in your home and help yourself and the environment, and it can be overwhelming to take all that information in. Plus, the price tags on some earth friendly items are enough to make you say ‘no thanks.’ I think the key to being successful is taking it slow and realizing that every little step counts. Here is a list of things I have already done, and some things I still plan on doing, in my home and everyday life to go green and reduce toxins.

1. I have switched my dish soap and laundry detergent to chemical-free, biodegradable products that also happen to be scent-free and hypoallergenic.I have also swapped traditional fabric softener sheets for ones made of biodegradable paper and that contain only all natural plants and spice extracts for fragrance.Eco-friendly dish soap and laundry detergent are both now available at Costco and are cheaper there than anywhere I’ve seen.

2. The toilet paper I now buy is made from 100% recycled paper and is 80% post-consumer product.Recycled products take much less of a toll on the environment, and the bath tissue I buy is unbleached, chlorine-free, and free of any chemicals that may be harmful or irritating to your skin.

3. We used to go through a TON of plastic water bottles in my house, and our latest goal was to decrease that number.Even though we always recycled our plastic bottles, the flimsy plastic they are made of can leach chemicals into the water you drink, especially if left in hot conditions or if they are reused.We recently bought heavy duty, reusable plastic water bottles that are BPA free, and have gotten a water filter to increase the quality of our regular tap water.We each have two bottles and fill them with our filtered water and try our best to drink at least 64 oz. of water a day.The number of plastic bottles we go through has decreased significantly, and having larger water bottles with measurements right on the bottle helps us keep track of how much water we are drinking throughout the day.

4. We recycle!I’m sure there are some of you out there thinking, “I was recycling before recycling was cool!” but there are still some people who are uneducated about recycling.It can be confusing, and I am constantly learning new things about what can or can’t be recycled.To settle any confusion, here is a list for reference.Commingled bins make recycling easier than ever, and don’t forget that things like cans, plastic water bottles, and glass can be turned in for cash at local recycling centers!As much as we try to avoid plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc. because of their chemical-leaching qualities, when we do buy products in these types of containers, I always do my best to recycle them, and earn a few bucks in the process!

I feel like I have made a pretty good step toward reducing toxins in my home with the things above, but there are still some things I want to do, including:

1. Switching all of our current cleaning products to non-toxic, biodegradable equivalents.This is especially hard since my mom is the queen of clean in our house and has been using the same products for years.Also, the price of earth-friendly products can be quite a bit higher than brand name items, which never helps when trying to convince yourself or others to swap products.So far, we have purchased an earth friendly all-purpose cleaner that is being used more and more in our weekly cleaning.Also, I mix a 10:1 ratio of water:bleach in a spray bottle and use that for sanitizing countertops, sinks, cutting boards used for raw meats, as well as many other surfaces in our home.

2. Besides bath tissue, I would love to completely switch to biodegradable, recycled paper products like paper towels and napkins.Again, they are typically bleach and chemical-free and made of 100% recycled paper.We haven’t quite been able to overcome our fear of the price of these items; Costco still wins us over with its bulk section.

3. Lastly, I would like to start a compost.I am sometimes amazed at the amount of waste we produce, especially when most of it is food!Composting is very easy once you get a space set out for your pile.There are a few different types of composting available; bins, piles, etc., and for us, the major issue is finding space to put one.Once we get one going we can use the nutrient-rich soil in our home garden instead of sending all our food scraps to a landfill.

So remember, don’t feel obligated to change your whole life in an instant; take one of these ideas (or one of my co-workers’) as a starting point and go from there.Once you become comfortable with one step, choose one more.Continue doing this transition from one change to the next and you’ll be good-to-go!I truly feel that the more time you give yourself, the easier it will be for you to make you, your home, and the environment around you less toxic.

By Aaron, Sunshine Wellness Chef

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