Are you concerned about the many toxins in your home? Removing plastic from our home has proven to be challenging for me. We’ve taken radical steps to rid our home of these in the last few years. I’ve had to change the way I do things to avoid using plastics, especially in the kitchen. Learn how to get rid of plastics and have a safer home.
The more I learn, the more I’m overwhelmed by the toxicity in our homes. We’re supposed to be able to shut the door and feel safe and secure in our homes, but the reality is the atmosphere in our homes is one of the most toxic we are exposed to!
This is due to indoor air pollutants and there are so many it’s impossible to avoid them all. If anyone in your family is experiencing any health problems that you just can’t put your finger on, start by removing as many of the poisons from your home as you possibly can.
- Start by changing your cleaning products to homemade natural ones.
The health of our families is our responsibility. We must do all we know can to make our homes a sanctuary in an uncertain and painful world. Not only can the toxins in our homes cause us health problems, but the constant exposure to them in our homes can also make health issues worse.
How to Begin Removing Plastics From Your Home
Plastics are everywhere in your home. I challenge you to take just one room in your home and make a list of the plastics in that one room.
Be sure to include everything: the casings on your computer, any protective covers for your electronics, picture frames, containers, wallets, and even the backs of your earrings, include everything.
If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll be floored!
With something so overwhelming, how do we begin removing plastics from our homes? The best place to start is in the kitchen.
BPA Is a Part of Plastic
Number one to me was BPA or Bisphenol. It’s the easiest to remove from the home so I started here. From water bottles to baby bottles, from dental fillings to eyeglasses, even medical devices, sports equipment…you get the idea. It’s in plastic.
Did you know it’s also used to make the lining of food and drink cans?
What does exposure to BPA do?
BPA disrupts your endocrine system. It interferes with the natural behaviors of hormones by behaving like them which causes their production, transportation, actions, and secretion of them to be altered.
Babies and small children are especially at risk because the endocrine system is directly related to development.
There are health risks for everyone. Among them are reproductive disorders of males and females; asthma; heart disease; Type II diabetes; and brain disorders. These are just a few on a long list of effects of BPA on the human body.
How do I get rid of it?
The first step is to take all of your plastics out and take a look.
- Immediately throw away anything with the numbers 3 or 6 on them.
- Anything with these two numbers should never be used for products that will go in or on your body.
- Then look for the numbers 1 and 7.
- We’re told by the FDA to use products with these numbers “with caution.”
- The numbers 2, 4, and 5 we are told are “somewhat safe.”
What? I’m not OK with “somewhat safe” and “use with caution,” are you?
No Such Thing as BPA Free
Plastic is not something we routinely use in our home, but in our society, it’s difficult to stay away from it. When we do purchase it, we purchase “BPA Free” products.
The fact is though, there is no such thing as a BPA Free plastic. Because it’s plastic it has BPA in it, there’s no way around that. So if something is labeled “BPA Free” it simply means there are only trace amounts of it in the product.
We certainly don’t use plastic wrap. I seldom use aluminum foil either. At first, it was a bit difficult to let go of old patterns. Switching to using natural parchment paper and glass bowls wasn’t hard, changing the habits was hard.
I find using empty canning jars to store leftovers works great. During my research, I learned it isn’t good to reuse plastic storage/freezer bags because reuse increases the leaching of toxins into whatever is in the bag. Oh boy, I did that all the time!
If something is labeled “BPA Free” it simply means there are only trace amounts of it in the product.
What about Phthalates?
The second thing to come up when talking about toxins in plastic is Phthalates. These are a wide range of compounds produced by the reaction between an acid and an alcohol, they’re called esters.
They’re used to make products durable and flexible. The terrible thing about them is they leak into the contents of the container or product itself. From pacifiers, baby care, and cosmetics to PVC, they’re everywhere just like BPA.
It’s hard to discover when they’re in products because manufacturers aren’t required to list phthalates as an ingredient. These are listed in the black hole of invisible terms like natural colors, fragrance, inert ingredients, and such.
Some companies are willing to say “phthalate free” on their labels, but it usually appears in small letters in an inconspicuous place.
Just like BPA, this doesn’t mean there aren’t any phthalates in the product, it means there are only trace amounts.
Inhalation and ingestion are the two ways we’re exposed to these dangerous esters. They’re in so many things, it’s incredible to consider. From hair spray to IV tubing they’re everywhere.
I know it’s scary and overwhelming, but if we’re determined, we can almost completely eliminate their influence in our home.
What does exposure to phthalates do to us?
The effects are numerous. Breast cancer in men and women of all ages is documented. Liver cancer is also a high risk.
Because it has been proven that phthalates are carcinogenic to humans, the cancer risk applies to the whole of a person exposed to them.
The endocrine and immune system compromise and all the illnesses which result from them are a real threat.
The respiratory system is extremely susceptible and birth defects are a major result of exposure.
How do I remove these from my home?
To lessen the risk of inhalation exposure, there are a few tips I would share.
- Always use products like paint in well-ventilated areas. A better option would be to purchase products like these without phthalates.
- Children should NEVER be in an area where these are being used.
- It may surprise you to know air fresheners are the major source of air pollution in the home. Even fragrance-free products contain them.
- I use natural air fresheners I make myself.
- Mix 1 part organic witch hazel with 3 parts water, and add 20-30 drops of any organic essential oil or blend of oils you like. Put all these in a spray bottle and shake well. Simply shake well each time and mist the air or your fabrics with a natural, refreshing homemade air freshener.
- If you purchase something that has a “new car smell”, you’re purchasing a product full of these toxins.
- I suggest purchasing non-vinyl mini-blinds, shower curtains, raincoats, and the like.
- If you can’t replace them in your home, keep your home clean. Since these esters are airborne, they cling to dust particles.
- Any room which has these products in them should be cleaned regularly using a wet mop, a vacuum with a good HEPA filter, and keep the room dust-free.
- Ingestion exposure is easier to manage by using glass or stainless steel for food storage, water containers, and even baby bottles.
- I know glass requires more care because of the risk of breaking, but the benefits far outweigh any inconvenience. When we’re out and about, we like carrying water in stainless steel water bottles.
More Tips to Avoid Plastic and Other Toxins
- Never heat food in a microwave. I haven’t owned one for years. If you choose to use one, don’t use plastic containers to heat food.
- Don’t put plastic containers in the dishwasher. When plastic is exposed to high heat, toxins leech into what they contain.
- Think about this next time you leave your plastic water bottle in the car and then drink from it.
- Children put things in their mouths, it’s simply what they do as part of their discovery process. This makes it important to purchase products that are non-vinyl. Especially in the case of toys, bottles, sippy cups, and pacifiers.
- Most processed foods come wrapped in plastic. We don’t eat processed foods, but I realize many of you do. If you purchase something wrapped in plastic, I would remove a thin outer layer of it before each use.
- Remember, as a patient in a medical setting, you have the right to ask for non-PVC tubing and any other equipment that will be used on or in your body.
- It’s worth noting, that many pills come with a protective coating that contains phthalates. There are many non-coated alternatives available.
What does eating a healthy diet have to do with removing plastics from our homes?
Eating a healthy diet helps to ensure our body’s natural defenses are strong and working properly. They will process and eliminate many harmful toxins when they’re not overrun with poisons in the food from which they draw their energy. They’ll be in top working order to help with all those things we just can’t avoid.
We should all be eating a healthy diet. I say should be. Eating healthy in this dangerous time of our country’s food supply means eating the old-timers’ way. How do you ask?
- Avoid foods laden with pesticides and herbicides.
- Remove processed foods from your diet and consume non-gmo foods.
Eating a healthy diet helps to ensure our body’s natural defenses are strong and working properly. They will process and eliminate many harmful toxins when they’re not overrun with poisons in the food from which they draw their energy. They’ll be in top working order to help with all those things we just can’t avoid.
Wrap Up
Limiting our exposure to the toxins all around us is part of the decisions we make every day. There are so many more toxins polluting our homes, that it’s overwhelming.
The truth we all must face is we can’t remove all of them from our lives. They’re in our clothing, in our food, in our indoor air even more so than our outdoor air.
We can, however, make conscious decisions each day to do all we know to do to remove them from our bodies and homes.
We can only make the best decisions we can with the knowledge and resources available to us and live life to the fullest, every moment.
Do you have experience with removing plastics from your home? What did you do? What made you decide to do it? Please share your story with us.
As always, we’re here to help.
Leave a Reply