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11. Clean safely.

You may want to consider a similar overhaul of your cleaning materials as was suggested for your personal care products. At the very least the next time you run out of any cleaning product seriously consider an organic all-natural alternative. Most of the cleaners, detergents, and soaps we were raised on contain phthalates, surfactants, and potent solvents – many types of which have been shown to be dangerous to development. Lucky us, times have changed and many companies have realized there is a market for safe and non-toxic products so your choices are nearly endless (that is if you stay away from the big-box stores).

 

 

Living the Science Resources and Recommendations: Clean safely

 

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12. Buy or borrow some stainless steel, cast iron, or copper pans.

Time to toss those non-stick pans you love so much – yep, they really are too good to be true. Non-stick surfaces contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which is a known carcinogen. When PFOA is heated the coating can break apart and emit particles and gases that are dangerous to human health. Dupont and other producers of non-stick coatings have agreed to eliminate its use by 2015. Stainless steel, cast iron, and copper are all good alternatives in fact the leaching of iron from cast iron can actually good for you!

Living the Science Resources and Recommendations: Better pans

13. Clean-up your clothes care routine.

Pregnancy and motherhood is also a time when women tend to buy a lot of clothes for themselves and/or their infants. While your first impulse may be to be purchase new items buying used items may actually be safer in terms of chemical exposures. New clothes often have chemicals embedded in them that were part of the manufacturing process. Often these chemicals include dyes and other types of carcinogens that keep them looking nice and bacteria free until purchase time. While this may seem like a good thing it can often take several washings to remove these chemicals. Generally used clothing has been washed a number of times and as such, the chemicals used in its original manufacture have generally been washed out which is why buying used is often preferable in terms of chemical exposure (not to mention that it is certainly the more earth friendly decision). Whether you buy new or used be sure to wash the item in warm water with an eco-friendly detergent made of all natural ingredients (at least twice for new items).

For subsequent washings (and for your other clothes and that of other family members), consider stopping your use of bleach, fabric softeners, fabric brighteners, and dryer sheets. All of these items have chemicals that can be irritating to the skin and in some cases, can be dangerous to human health. Consider using vinegar to help brighten your clothing (1 cup per wash) or using baking soda for softening if your water is quite hard (1/4 cup per wash).

This is also an important time to think about your dry cleaning practices. If at all possible try and find a “wet” dry cleaner (sounds counter intuitive doesn’t it). Those that offer wet cleaning use no solvents or toxins and as such they are much safer in terms of preventing chemical deposits on your clothes which can then be absorbed through your skin and be deposited throughout your environment. Typical dry cleaners use dry cleaning fluid that contains perchloroethylene (PCE). This is pretty icky stuff that was classified as a hazardous air pollutant by the EPA and has been shown to be toxic in animal studies. If you do use a non-wet dry cleaner at the very least you may want to try and reduce the number of clothes you send for dry cleaning. Also, after you pick up the clothes try and find a place outdoors or in the garage to unwrap the clothes from the plastic. PCE tends to build up under the plastic and as such when you unwrap your clothes you tend to get a strong does of exposure and so does your closet. If at all possible leave the clothes in the garage or outside to air out a bit before putting them in your closet. While pregnant and breastfeeding try and find someone else to do the unwrapping.

Living the Science Resources and Recommendations: Clean-up your clothes routine

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