“How do I decrease the toxic burden in my everyday life?” is one of the most common questions MADE SAFE receives. We believe that one of the best ways to begin the journey is at home. Not only do we spend a substantial amount of time inside our homes, but we generally have more control over our home environments. Decreasing the toxic burden in our homes is an important step towards healthier living, and we recommend approaching this as a journey rather than a one-time overhaul. As you need to buy or replace household items, try making a lower tox choice. Remember: Removing toxic substances is actually the first step to reducing the toxic burden. What matters most is taking consistent steps where you can and as you are able. Below we’ve outlined ten steps towards a less toxic home environment to act as a roadmap.
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1. Personal Care Products. $
What: Swap any toxic personal care products with nontoxic options. One of the easiest ways to spot safer products is by shopping the MADE SAFE seal or another trusted third-party seal that prohibits harmful ingredients. Don’t do this all at once, but over time as you need things, to help keep the cost manageable.
Why: Personal care products are hugely important for two reasons: First, they are used regularly, and second, they are a common hiding place for many toxic ingredients. This category spans everything from deodorant and hand soap to sunscreen and bug repellent. A few examples of frequently used ingredients in these products are surfactants like isothiazolinone preservatives, benzophenone, dioxins and furans. All of these products carry concerns for health and these are just a handful of the many ingredients prevalent in personal care products today.
Shop MADE SAFE Certified personal care products.
2. Mattresses + Bedding. $$-$$$
What: Nontoxic bedding is an important aspect of creating a safer home. Whether you’re currently looking for new bedding or you’re simply thinking ahead for the next time you replace your bedding, there’s likely room for improvement. Products include mattresses, pillows, sheets, comforters, quilts, duvets & inserts, toppers, mattress protectors, and anything else on your bed.
Why: Conventional bedding (mattresses, pillows, sheets, comforters, etc.) are known sources of flame retardants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and pesticides.
Shop MADE SAFE Certified mattresses + bedding.
3. Cleaning products. $
What: Dispose of toxic cleaners safely. When you finish up what you have replace with safer options. Consult your municipality to learn how to dispose of hazardous waste safely in your area and opt for purchasing nontoxic cleaners or making your own.
Why: Many conventional cleaners contain (whether intentionally added or as a by-product of manufacturing) chemicals known to cause harm to humans and/or the environment such as fragrance formulas, 1,4 dioxane, ammonia, chloroxylenol, polyethylene glycol compounds (PEGs), and ammonium quaternary compounds.
Shop MADE SAFE Certified cleaning products.
4. Apparel. $$
What: When purchasing new clothing select natural materials like organic cotton, linen, hemp, and sustainably sourced wool and silk. Avoid synthetic materials (such as rayon, nylon, polyester, and acrylic) and look for clothing without treatments (often labeled “stain resistant,” “no wrinkle,” “antimicrobial,” etc.). See our Sustainable Fashion Guide for more tips.
Why: Searching out sustainable textiles will not only help you avoid chemicals such as pesticides and PFAS that could be detrimental to your health, but will also be easier on the environment as natural materials will break down in the environment (unlike plastic-based textiles and persistent chemicals like PFAS).
Shop MADE SAFE Certified apparel.
5. Plastics. $
What: Try to minimize your plastic usage and refuse single-use plastics (i.e., the plastic items you use once and throw away). A few steps to get started: Bring reusable grocery and produce bags to the grocery store, purchase wipes that use a biodegradable substrate like cotton, replace plastic water bottles with a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle, and keep a reusable set of travel utensils with you when you’re on-the-go.
Why: Plastic contains harmful substances such as phthalates, PVC, BPA, BPS, and other bisphenol substitutes that can leach into the substances that they come into contact with. On top of that, plastic does not readily break down in the environment. For these reasons plastic and plastic pollution are negatively impacting communities, ocean and freshwater ecosystems, food, and the planet at-large. Eliminate single-use plastics and avoid plastics wherever possible.
6. Pesticides. $$
What: Reduce your exposure to toxic pesticides. Eat organic food that hasn’t been treated with toxic pesticides, look for textiles and home goods made with organic materials (an easy way to spot these items is to look for third-party certifications such as MADE SAFE or GOTS), and avoid pesticide use on your lawn and in your home.
Why: High-risk pesticides are harmful to human and ecosystem health and are common within our world today. Pesticides such as pyrethroids can even be found in personal care products like bug repellent. MADE SAFE does not permit high-risk pesticides in any Certified products. Shop our seal to avoid these chemicals.
7. Fragrance. $
What: Reduce your use of conventionally-fragranced products by seeking out natural fragrance sources in products with the full fragrance formula listed, or look for third-party certifiers like MADE SAFE who require full disclosure and prohibit the use of ingredients of known or suspected harm.
Why: Fragrance formulas can contain many different undisclosed substances hidden behind trade secret regulation such as phthalates and synthetic musks. Common ingredients utilized in conventional fragrance are endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, carcinogens, and developmental toxins.
8. Cookware. $$
What: If you are in need of new cookware, consider searching out safer cookware options. Safer materials include stainless steel, glass, cast iron, and carbon steel. Avoid aluminum cookware and products labeled as “nonstick.” Read MADE SAFE’s tips on how to swap your cookware pieces and why.
Why: Cookware can contain materials of concern like aluminum (in pots, pans, and foil), nanoparticles (in some quasi-ceramic “nonstick” cookware), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
9. Rug pads. $
What: Remove any padding underneath your carpeting and opt for nontoxic double-sided tape to prevent sliding instead.
Why: Rug pads often contain foam materials that have been treated with toxic flame retardants. Flame retardants have been linked to many harmful effects like lower IQ, endocrine disruption, hyperactivity, altered neurodevelopment, altered sexual development, fertility issues, thyroid dysfunction, and cancer.
10. New furniture purchases. $$$
What: With any upcoming furniture purchases, be sure to look for items manufactured without the use of toxic flame retardants. Where flammability is a real concern, look for products made with naturally flame subduing materials such as wool or cotton which may not require added flame retardants. Read the labels and warnings and ask the retailer questions. (While you’re at it remember to skip the stain resistant coatings, which are made from PFAS chemicals.)
Why: Many furniture items such as couches, recliners, and children’s furniture can also contain foam that has been treated with toxic flame retardants. As mentioned above, many commonly-used flame retardant chemicals are highly toxic to humans and the environment.
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