How to Create a Non-Toxic Home: 10 Simple Swaps I'd Make First
Creating a non-toxic home can feel incredibly overwhelming when you first start looking at everything you use on a daily basis. When I first started researching, I remember feeling pretty overwhelmed as I started thinking about our cookware, cleaning products, laundry detergent, personal care products, what we were drinking out of...and wondering where we were even supposed to start.
But low-tox living doesn't have to be all or nothing. For our home, we've focused on making simple non-toxic swaps over time, prioritizing the things we use most often and replacing other products as they run out or as our budget allows.
In this guide, I'm sharing 10 non-toxic home swaps I'd prioritize first if I were starting over today, along with the products we actually use and what I look for when choosing lower-tox alternatives.
10 Swaps I’d Prioritize First
Food storage
One of the first swaps I’d make when creating a lower-tox home is switching from plastic food storage containers to glass. I try to minimize unnecessary exposure to chemicals that can migrate from certain plastics into food, particularly when plastic is heated. And while “BPA-free” sounds reassuring, it doesn’t necessarily mean a product is free from other bisphenols or chemicals of concern.
You’ve probably heard the pretty shocking statistic that we could be consuming around a credit card’s worth of microplastics each week. While that exact amount has been debated as more research has come out, we do know that microplastics are making their way into our food and water. For me, that’s reason enough to reduce unnecessary plastic exposure where I easily can.
I prioritize glass food-storage containers. Glass is nonporous, doesn’t hold onto stains and odors like plastic can, and allows me to reheat food without heating it in plastic. I especially love that I can bring leftovers to work and put an oven-safe glass container straight into the toaster oven.
Cookware
Cookware was another priority for us because it comes into direct contact with our food and is repeatedly exposed to high heat. I especially wanted to move away from traditional nonstick coatings and toward materials I felt better about cooking with every day.
We didn't immediately invest in expensive cookware! We started with more affordable ceramic-coated pans, like GreenPan, choosing options made without PFAS and PTFE. If you go this route, take care of the coating. Avoid metal utensils and replace pans when the cooking surface becomes significantly scratched or damaged.
Over time, we saved up and invested in Made In stainless-steel cookware. It's definitely an investment, but stainless steel is incredibly durable, and we fully expect these pieces to last us for decades (hopefully the rest of our lives!). For me, I'd much rather slowly invest in a few high-quality pieces than continually replace inexpensive nonstick pans.
Water Filter
When we moved into our home, one of the first things we noticed was how strongly our tap water smelled of chlorine. Chlorine is commonly used to disinfect municipal water, so we wanted to be more intentional about what was in the water our family was drinking every day.
If you're curious about what's in your tap water, you can enter your ZIP code into the EWG Tap Water Database to see which contaminants have been detected in your local water supply.
We decided to start by prioritizing our drinking water and purchased a Clearly Filtered water pitcher because it was a more budget-friendly option than installing a whole-home filtration system.
We also purchased a bathtub filter for our baby's baths, and eventually we'd love to invest in shower filters or a whole-home system.
And this is a perfect example of taking baby steps to replace items in your home. We aren't where we'd ideally like to be with water filtration, but we're making intentional changes as our budget allows.
Fragrance
Fragrance was a big one for me because it can show up everywhere— candles, plug-ins, room sprays, cleaning products, laundry products, and personal care. The word “fragrance” on an ingredient list can represent a mixture of different fragrance ingredients, and companies aren't required to disclose every individual component.
That doesn't mean I don’t want my home to smell good! I've just become much more intentional about how I add fragrance to our home.
Instead of conventional candles and plug-ins, I prioritize fragrance-free products where scent isn't necessary and look for candles made with simpler, more transparent ingredients like beeswax and essential oils or, even better, infusions. I also love natural ways to make our home smell cozy, like simmer pots, especially during fall and the holidays.
This is another swap you can make gradually. Start with the products that fragrance your home constantly, like plug-ins or heavily scented cleaners, and go from there.
Cleaning Products
Cleaning products were one of the easier places for me to start making low-tox swaps because we use them on surfaces throughout our home all the time. I look for simpler, transparent ingredient lists and we always avoid synthetic fragrances as they can be huge hormone disruptors.
And honestly, you don't need a separate cleaner for every surface in your house! One of my most-used cleaning solutions is simply white vinegar, dish soap, and water. It's inexpensive, easy to make, and works for so many everyday cleaning jobs.
We also use Truly Free Everyday Cleaner and Branch Basics for different jobs around the house. I love having a few versatile products rather than an overflowing cabinet of specialty cleaners.
If you're just getting started, I'd replace your most-used cleaners first as they run out. There's no need to overhaul everything at once.
Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergent was one that took us a little trial and error. We tried a lot of different lower-tox laundry detergents, and honestly, most of them we just didn’t love. We felt like they didn’t do a good job, or oftentimes that our clothes had a funky smell after a few washes. I almost caved and went back to our toxic detergent because of how difficult it was to find a swap.
Truly Free has been the clear winner for our family. They offer both scented and unscented options, and while I’m comfortable with the ingredients in both, I personally find the scented version a little too strong. We stick with Truly Free Unscented Laundry Wash, and it’s one we continue to repurchase.
Our clothes, towels, and bedding are against our skin all day (and night!), so this is a simple swap that makes sense for our family.
Prioritize Your Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is something I think is easy to overlook when creating a lower-tox home. But between cooking, dust accumulation, and everyday household activities, there are plenty of things that can affect the air we're breathing.
One of the ways we've prioritized air quality in our home is by investing in an air purifier. I recommend looking for a purifier with effective particle filtration, an appropriate clean air delivery rate (CADR) for your room size, and affordable replacement filters.
We currently have an AirDoctor air purifier, which we've been happy with in terms of its performance. However, there are several quality air purifiers available, and I encourage you to research your options before making an investment.
Not in a place to afford a high-performing air purifier? Ventilating your home when outdoor air quality is good by opening windows, using your kitchen exhaust fan, and regularly replacing HVAC filters are great places to start.
Swap Conventional Personal Care Products
Personal care products are a huge area I've become much more intentional about, especially because they're things we use directly on our bodies every single day. I’ve honestly done a pretty big overhaul in this area, including my skincare and makeup, deodorant, shampoo, body wash… pretty much anything in our bathroom.
I prioritize products with transparent ingredient lists and avoid harsh and harmful chemicals. And while I love finding cleaner alternatives, they still need to actually work!
Here are a few of my favorite swaps:
9. Choose Lower-Tox Baby + Kids Products
One thing that really surprised me when I became a mom was just how many questionable ingredients and materials can be found in everyday baby products. From plastics in bottles and toys to flame retardants and PFAS (also known as “forever chemicals”) in certain fabrics, there are quite a few things worth paying attention to.
According to the EPA, babies and young children are especially vulnerable to certain environmental exposures because their bodies are still developing, and they spend so much time putting things in their mouths!
When choosing products for our son, I aways try to prioritize natural materials, transparent ingredients, and avoiding chemical treatments whenever possible. While not everything we own is perfect, we do our best to make intentional choices with everything we buy for him, and we request that family members do the same when gift-giving.
10. Choose Natural Fibers for Clothing + Home Textiles
Clothing and textiles are an area I've become more intentional about this year, especially considering how much time we spend wearing clothes, sleeping in our bedding, and using towels every day.
I try to prioritize natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, wool, and hemp whenever possible. I also look for certifications like GOTS and OEKO-TEX, which can help identify products that meet certain organic textile or harmful-substance testing standards.
For bedding, we love these organic cotton sheets from Amazon. For clothing, Pact is one of my favorite places to shop for organic cotton basics.
*My Pact shopping tip: I like to order pieces to try on, then keep an eye out for clearance sales. You can score some incredible deals if you're patient!
I also love browsing Quince for affordable natural-fiber clothing. Just be sure to check the fabric composition of each item, since not everything they sell is organic or made from natural materials.
And remember, you don't need to replace your entire wardrobe overnight! We're gradually making swaps as things wear out and our budget allows.
Creating a Non-Toxic Home Doesn't Happen Overnight
If there's one thing I hope you take away from this list, it's that creating a lower-tox home doesn't mean throwing everything you own into the trash and starting over. And while you certainly can do that, it would be pretty overwhelming and expensive.
We've been in the process of making these swaps for years, and there are still plenty of changes we'd eventually like to make in our own home. I try to focus on what we use most often, make better choices when something needs replacing, and invest in bigger changes when our budget allows.
Remember, small changes add up, and creating a healthier home doesn't have to happen all at once.
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