Over the last few years, we’ve become increasingly conscious of the chemicals and toxins that surround us in our daily lives. More people are choosing to create low-tox or non-toxic homes by switching to organic produce, clean beauty and skincare products, and non-toxic cleaning products to help minimise their exposure.
If you’re one of those people but you’re not quite sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve found eight easy, non-toxic home swaps that are relatively affordable and require minimal effort.
1. Swap plastic chopping boards for bamboo ones
We all know how easy it is just to use the same plastic chopping board for a number of years without even batting an eye. You’ve probably got one stashed in your cupboard or draw right now that has chop marks in the plastic, discolouration from one of your many cooking attempts, and some nice chunks out of it that you’re not quite sure when or which housemate hacked at it, but they have.
Truth be told, you’ve probably never looked down at your cutting board and really looked at it. However, I’m here to tell you that when you do, it’s a fucking eye-opener. You’ll start to wonder where all the microplastics you’ve sliced off over the years went, and suddenly, you’ll put two and two together that the answer is that it’s probably in your food and body.
A recent study revealed that the average person can eat, drink or breathe between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles every year — which is fucking WILD, and some of it could be coming from the plastics you use in your kitchen (aka your chopping board).
So, if you haven’t already switched to a wooden chopping board, we recommend making the swap. According to the NSW Food Authority, “Ideally, wooden cutting boards should have a smooth, hard surface and rounded corners that will not chip or crack. They should be dense enough to resist slice marks that harbour bacteria and be easy to clean.”
They also recommend regularly using an oil or wax treatment on the wooden board to prevent water absorption, mould growth, and germs and to prevent food particles from becoming lodged on the surface.
Seems pretty simple enough.
If you’re working to a budget, you can opt for something like Kmart’s classic Bamboo Cutting Board ($8). If you like to have a separate board for your meats and veggies, the Kmart Set of 4 Wood Cutting Boards with Stand ($29) is a great buy.
For something a little fancier, Seed & Sprout has some really nice Wood Fibre Chopping Boards ($39) that are made from compressed pine wood and sealed with a food-grade resin that’s safe, durable and won’t crack or breed mould. If you’re looking for a set of chopping boards, you really can’t go past Joseph and Joseph’s 3-piece Bamboo Chopping Board Set ($169.95). It’s a beautiful set of three double-sided boards and a compact metal storage stand. Each board is labelled — raw meat, vegetables and cooked food — to help avoid cross-contamination.
2. Swap plastic kitchen utensils for wooden ones
Like your plastic chopping boards, you might want to consider swapping out your plastic kitchen utensils (spatula, masher, mixer, ladle, flipper). Recent studies suggest that plastic from utensils has the potential to leak into your food and contain harmful brominated flame retardants, known as endocrine disrupters, as well as harmful heavy metals, so it’s better for your health to use wooden utensils.
The only real disadvantage of using timber utensils is that wood is naturally absorbent and can soak up moisture and bacteria, so you’ll need to clean them properly after each use. They can also stain and absorb certain odours from heavily fragrant food, so it might be worth having a few on hand that you reserve for cooking dishes with intense flavours and smells.
It’s also highly likely that wooden utensils won’t last forever without a few splinters and cracks, the good news is that they’re easy and affordably replaced. We’d highly recommend buying your first set, as a set, like this 11-piece one from Catzon available at Big W. It’s only $77 and comes with a spaghetti server, fried spatula, strainer spoon, spatula, soup spoon, mixing spoon, salad spoon, salad fork, slotted spatula, spoon rest, and a utensil holder.
If all that feels like a lot, you can opt for a smaller set like Kitchen Pro Elements Acacia Wood Utensils Set (currently $49.95) or Gourmet Kitchen Rustic Beech Wood Kitchen Utensil Set ($59.95).
3. Swap your plastic lunchboxes and pantry organisers for glass ones
You’ll notice that we’re continuing to kick the plastics. This time, it’s your lunchboxes. If you’re into meal prepping, it can be easy to choose plastic containers out of sheer convenience, and we get it. But every time you put hot food into those cheap plastic containers, you’re allowing it to leech unwanted plastics and chemicals like BPAs, phthalates and potentially PFAS into your food — especially as the plastic degrades with time and repeated use.
The most recommended non-toxic home switch is to use glass containers — especially durable tempered glass — as they won’t leech chemicals or absorb odours and stains. Plus, they’re safe for reheating in the oven and microwave.
The only downside is that they’re breakable, so you’ll need to take care when packing them for your morning and evening commute.
Now, it’s up to you how much you want to spend on glassware sets or if you’d like just slowly to collect them as you need them. For a big set, we like the Seed & Sprout Ultimate Glass Pantry Container Makeover ($272, usually $310). It comes with 15 different-sized glass containers, from pantry jars to round and rectangle containers to dip and dressing bowls.
If you’re working to a budget and just want to purchase one or two, IKEA and Kmart sell good glass and bamboo containers for $6.
4. Swap your non-stick pots and pans for ceramic ones
Undoubtedly, you’ve already heard about how toxic some non-stick pots and pans can be due to chemicals known as PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), which might be able to leech into your food while cooking, potentially causing health problems.
Dubbed “forever chemicals,” nasties like PFAS can seep into your cooking as pots and pans age or get damaged. Many people are turning to “clean cookware” like ceramics and alternative non-stick tech (aka not Teflon). If you’re keen to join the journey, brands like Crumble (not the cookies), Our Place, Green Pan and Le Creuset offer non-toxic pots and pans.
Now, before you get too excited, it’s worth noting that these cookware sets will cost you a couple of hundred dollars each. However, they do have pretty decent sales quite regularly, great bundles where you can save some cash, and a good warranty — just be sure to read each brand’s site carefully before you purchase.
Crumble even offers a 30-day home trial, during which you can try the Australian cast-iron cookware range at home and return it if it’s not right for you. Nice!
5. Swap your chemical household cleaners for natural ones
Over the last few years, you’ve probably noticed more eco-friendly, low-tox cleaning supplies popping up on Instagram and in supermarkets. That’s because there’s more awareness around the chemicals cleaning supplies can introduce to our homes, foods, and bodies. We’re looking for safer, affordable, non-toxic home alternatives, and that’s where brands like Koala Eco come in.
Koala Eco has a pretty thorough range of home and cleaning supplies, including multi-purpose kitchen cleaners, multi-purpose bathroom cleaners, stainless cleaners, glass cleaners, dish soap, fruit & vegetable wash, floor cleaners, hand wash, body wash, room spray, laundry wash, laundry powder, oxygenated bleach, stain spray, pillow and linen spray, and dog wash.
These might feel expensive if you’re used to buying cheaper chemical cleaners from the supermarket, but they’re affordable for natural, toxic-free cleaners and worth the extra dollars. The Complete Bundle, which contains almost the entire range, is around $143.66.
Each product is natural, non-toxic, and contains no synthetic fragrance, dyes, phosphates, SLS, or masking agents. It’s also not tested on animals, is certified allergy-safe, and is made right here in Australia.
Other non-toxic brands available in Australia include Koh, Bondi Wash, and EcoStore.
6. Swap fragrance-heavy candles for non-toxic ones
There’s a lot of debate on the internet right now around whether burning your favourite candles is bad for your health. It’s true that while they smell good, some heavily fragranced candles can release harmful, carcinogenic chemicals into the air, causing respiratory issues, worsening asthma, and potentially contributing to long-term health problems.
However, some experts claim that the amount of chemicals actually released is so small that under normal conditions of use, scented candles do not pose known health risks to the consumer. The short, annoyingly vague answer is that the current research and studies vary, so ultimately, the decision is yours to make.
If you are going to continue burning scented candles, make sure that you’re burning them in larger, well-ventilated spaces and that when the time comes to blow them out, do it outside using a snuffer, as that’s when they omit the most smoke and chemicals. Also, as beautiful as they are, try not to burn candles for longer than three to four hours at a time.
For those who want to swap to a more non-toxic home solution, we recommend looking at the ingredients before smashing that ‘add-to-cart’ button. Non-toxic candles are typically made from natural waxes like beeswax, soy wax, and coconut wax and are scented with 100 per cent essential oils or are unscented.
You’ll find non-toxic candles at places like Flora & Fauna, Inika Organics and Ecoya.
7. Swap tap water for filtered
I feel like we all kinda know how icky tap/town water can be, but we sort of just ignore it because it’s safe enough to drink. BUT it’s one of the quickest and easiest non-toxic home swaps you can make. Australian town water typically contains chemicals like chlorine and fluoride for disinfection and dental health, respectively. Some water utilities also add aluminium as a coagulant to remove impurities.
There have also been trace amounts of other substances like lead and copper found in tap water due to old plumbing. And, in some areas, “forever chemicals” like perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have been detected.
While all are safe enough for human consumption, if you would avoid all of these chemicals and create a more non-toxic home, you can always buy water filters. Depending on your budget, handheld water filters, like the BRITA Water Filter Jug ($69), are a super affordable option, or you could have a tap filter, like the Stefani Chrome On-Tap Digital Water Filter ($138), installed in your home.
8. Swap air purifiers for more indoor plants
While most air purifiers are completely safe to use in your home, it’s worth noting that the ones that generate ozone are generally toxic. Ozone is a harmful gas that can irritate the lungs and cause breathing problems — which is ironic given that’s why people often buy air purifiers for their homes.
Another natural way to help create a more non-toxic home is to plant more houseplants. Houseplants can reduce pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene, which are known to cause a multitude of health problems, including respiratory problems and cancer.
So, by adding some gorgeous greens to rooms in your home, you’re allowing them to naturally purify the air. You can pick out some good plants in person at local nurseries and retailers like Bunnings. Otherwise, you can also order them online via places like Cheeky Plant Co and The Good Plant Co.
Just be aware that if your plants aren’t looked after properly (we’ve all had one or two die on our watch), they can also introduce allergens and mould into the home. So, if you can’t commit to being a good plant parent, maybe stick with the air purifier.
These are just a few simple, non-toxic home swaps you can make to reduce exposure to chemicals and toxins in your home. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some plant shopping to do.
Image: Koala Eco / Crumble / Seed & Sprout
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