Healthy Living with MADE SAFE: Best Practices

We’ve pulled this go-to resource together with some of our best tips for healthy living, for anyone looking to cultivate healthier lifestyle habits and a safer home environment.

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Body & Mind

Care for yourself with healthy habits

• Practice good hygiene
• Sleep: aim for 8 hours every night
• Hydrate: although individual needs can vary based upon lifestyle, aim for eight 8-ounce glasses per day
• Eat whole foods
• Exercise regularly
• Choose nontoxic products
• Take care – mentally & emotionally
  • Incorporate laughter into your day
  • Make space for play and creative expression
  • Get moving
  • Be involved in community.

Hand sanitizer
Use when soap & water is not available. Look for:

• Simple non-active ingredients like water, glycerin, and plant oils
• Safer active ingredients such as ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol
• Avoid: hand sanitizers with parabens, PEGs, “fragrance,” or colors or dyes listed on labels.

Handwashing The How

• Wash hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water
• Fully dry hands

The What

• Look for: plain old soap and water
• Avoid: parabens, phthalates, triclosan & other antibacterials, PEGs, isothiazolinone preservatives.

Face coverings

• When choosing a face mask, look for high-quality natural materials, such as organic cotton
• Avoid “stain resistant” or “wrinkle-free” fabrics
• Avoid materials labeled as “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial”
• Wash the mask regularly using nontoxic detergent.

Home

Keep your indoor air healthy

• Open your windows for at least 10 minutes a day, when air quality is good
• Use safe cleaning products
• Use proper ventilation if utilizing conventional cleaners
• Vacuum with a HEPA filter often
• Avoid fragranced products
• Dust frequently with a damp cloth
• Properly vent your appliances.

Cleaning

• Cleaning vs. disinfecting
  • Cleaning = the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. By removing germs, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
  • Disinfecting = using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. The process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs.
• Choose safer cleaning products
  • Look for the MADE SAFE^® seal
  • Choose products with all of the ingredients listed on the label
  • Choose a multi-purpose cleaner
  • DIY your own cleaners.
• When to clean
  • Prior to disinfecting
  • After using a harsh cleaner
  • On a regular basis for general cleanliness.
• What to clean with
  • Wipes – 100 percent biodegradable materials like cotton or bamboo. Make sure the wipe itself is NOT plastic
  • Paper towels –natural fibers like paper and bamboo, whitened without the use of chlorine bleach
  • Reusable cloths – natural fibers such as cotton (even better if it’s organic). Old cotton tee-shirts make great cleaning cloths!

Disinfecting

• Choose safer disinfectants
  • Citric acid
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • L-lactic acid
  • Alcohol (ethanol & isopropanol)
  • Thymol
• Where to disinfect in the home
  • High-use surfaces such as doorknobs, remotes, faucets, etc.
  • Surfaces touched by ill household members.
• How to disinfect
  • Properly ventilate the room (especially if using harsh cleaners)
  • Wear gloves
  • Follow label instructions
  • Clean surfaces prior to disinfecting
  • Clean surfaces with a nontoxic cleaner after using harsh cleaners
  • Disinfect properly based on your surface type.