Reducing your exposure to chemicals within the home is not easy.  Toxic chemicals can be found in just about everything in your home, from the flooring and your clothes through to the cleaning products we use, what we put on our skin and the food we eat.

Here are the top 6 easy things we do to try and minimise our exposure:

1.  Get a weekly organic box – having most of the fruit and veg the family organic reduces a lot of exposure.  We always top up with non-organic options during the week, but we find this an affordable way of getting quality organic produce that is fresh (not alway the case with supermarket-sourced organic produce).  We use Cam from Community Organics here in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney but there are plenty of services around to choose from.  The added benefit is often the flavour – usually much better.
2.  Carry a list of toxic chemicals when you shop.  We now know the worst offenders having done loads of research – but they are long hard to remember names.  Having a list while you shop is very helpful.  Beauty Counter have a great list ‘The Never List‘ or you can print pocket-sized versions here.
3.  Shop at online natural stores.  Our favourites in Australia are Human Wellness, Nourished Life, The Natural Supply Co and The Lab Organics.  In Taiwan and Hong Kong look for 10/10 HOPE stores and online.
4.  Look for natural fabrics and materials in clothes and building materials.  We avoid polyester clothes – not so easy these days – preferring cotton, linen, silk, wool and other natural fibres.
5.  Buy organic or gluten free bread.  Glyphosate (or ‘Round-up’) is used to spray most of the wheat grown commercially in Australia.  We think it may be why there are so many with wheat allergies these days and why coeliac disease is increasing in prevalence. The WHO has said it probably causes cancer (read more here). So we try to buy only organic bread or gluten free bread.
6.  Avoid pesticides and chemical fertilisers in the house and garden especially ‘Round-up’ (glyphosate)  We have a worm farm to fertilise our garden.  It is great for reducing household waste, does not attract rats and is sensational for the garden.  To spray pests on plants we use a chilli, garlic mixture made up in a spray bottle.  Spiders get moved outside, cockroaches get squashed and ants get sprayed with Bondi Wash Bench Spray (it works!).

Feel free to email us your tips for reducing chemicals in the home.