New Year, Healthier Home

The New Year is all about a fresh start, a chance to clean the slate and ring in new habits for the months ahead. Many people make resolutions to lose weight, return to a forgotten hobby or save more money—but what about our homes? As the place we spend so much of our time, we should be setting goals for making our homes happier and healthier. Here are a few habits to kick off once January 1 rolls around.

Next time you go to scrub the toilet, opt for green cleaning agents, or you can even make your own with common cupboard ingredients, such as baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil.

Between water bottles and food containers, it’s hard to avoid plastic in our everyday lives completely. Some plastic products can contain chemicals Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, both known for messing with our bodies’ hormones**. You can cut back by swapping the synthetic material for glass or ceramic.

Non-stick cookware is popular for obvious reasons, but the polytetrafluoroethylene—or Teflon—its coated in releases toxins at high heat, possibly giving you flu-like symptoms. Play it safe with cast iron or stainless steel alternatives.

Filtrete™ Healthy Living Air Filters attract and capture microscopic particles, such as smoke, bacteria, dust and pollen, helping improve indoor air quality. Make it a goal to stay up-to-date on your filter changes, which should take place at least every three months.

Print this list before your next trip to the store to stock up on healthy home essentials for the New Year:
 

• Cleaning supplies labeled “green” or “non-toxic”
• Olive oil, vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice, if you want to try your hand at making your own cleaning agents
• Plants known for air purifying qualities, such as gerbera daisies and bamboo 
• Glass or ceramic kitchen supplies
• Cast iron or stainless steel cookware
• Filtrete™ Healthy Living Air Filter (needs to be changed at least every three months)

*Washington State Department of Health

** Environmental Working Group