Our homes contribute to our health more than we realize and a few key spaces have the greatest impact. Today we’re tackling perhaps the most important of those spaces: the kitchen. From what you use to prepare food to what you wash your dishes with, it all makes a difference. So below I’m sharing how to detox your kitchen in 5 different areas.
Some are relatively easy swaps and some may take more planning or saving up money for. Even if you incorporate one or two of these, you’ll be kicking some toxins out of your home. And as a bonus, most of these help the environment as well. Every little step is progress!
5 Ways To Detox Your Kitchen
Food Storage
From phthalates to BPA, to the equally bad chemical they replaced BPA with, it’s pretty clear that plastic doesn’t belong near our food. Some better food storage choices to look for are glass, stainless steel, and silicone.
This doesn’t have to be expensive. We love jars in our house. Salads, overnight oats, and even smoothies store well in them. They’re not only cheap to buy, but you can take a page from zero wasters and save jars from food products. We’re also really big fans of Stasher Bags and glass storage sets like this one. Another great product is Beeswrap which we use in place of plastic wrap.
Cookware
A big one! We’ve known for a few years that Teflon is extraordinarily bad for us. (yet another example of chemicals not being thoroughly tested before going on the market). It’s not the only harmful type of cookware out there, though. I have a whole post on cookware here that my friend Janny and I put together that lists our top picks!
Water Filter
Photography by http://emmaloo.co
If you don’t filter the water you drink and cook with, you may want to consider it. I think this may be the most important way to detox your kitchen since you’re consuming water every day (hopefully!). Most tap water in America is contaminated with heavy metals, pesticide runoff, treatment byproducts, and more. You can find your water report here to see specifically what’s in your tap water.
**Update: Berkey is currently not selling products. Find Berkey replacement filters here**
After over a year of research, we decided to go for a Berkey system, as it filters out the most things, is easy to maintain, and very cost-effective. They’re having a big sale on bundles right now, with some of the best prices I’ve seen. We use the Travel System bundle but for a bigger unit the Royal Berkey bundle is great for a family. Use code MAISONPUR5 to save on their site.
Kitchen Cleaning Products
Photography by http://emmaloo.co
Swapping over to non-toxic cleaning products does wonders for your indoor air quality. It’s also safer to use in areas around where you prepare food. It also has an impact on the environment. Harsh cleaning chemicals and detergents found in some dish soaps have shown to have an negative effect on aquatic life after they go down the drain. You can check out my full review of Branch Basics products here and (*2023 Update) I hope to review some new natural cleaning brands soon. For the kitchen, focus on dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and a cleaner that will do a good job cleaning and sanitizing your counters and appliances. Here are my top picks:
Ecover Zero Dishwasher Tablets (make sure you buy the blue one, not the yellow)
Branch Basics All-Purpose Spray
Reusable Cloths, Produce Bags, & More
This may seem like more of an eco-friendly swap than a health-related one, but it’s actually both. Most paper towels are bleached, which creates a carcinogenic byproduct called dioxin. Formaldehyde and chlorine have also been found in paper towels. Swapping them for reusable cleaning cloths, paper towel alternatives, and cloth napkins are your best bet to avoid exposure. This is something we’re still working on.
Getting back to plastic + food storage: getting reusable produce bags like these can help reduce your food’s exposure to plastics and is a great way to reduce the amount of single-use plastic being used.
Small swaps add up over time and help you create a healthier home for your family!
*Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are always my own.
Was so sad to leave ecover was bought out my Johnson and Johnson.