Tips: Keeping Toxins Out of Your Home

Simple tips to keep toxins out of your home

(NC) As cooler weather pushes us to spend more time indoors, many of us are re-evaluating our spaces to make sure they encourage good health. One way to do this is by eliminating common sources of contaminants. Here are some steps that can help you protect your family home:

Rethink your décor
Pressed-wood furnishings can release toxic fumes like formaldehyde, a known carcinogen in second-hand smoke. To reduce your risk, try to buy untreated wood or formaldehyde-free furniture whenever possible. Affordable options are available at popular home decorating stores.

Install a water filter
Lead, chloride and other potential toxins can seep into your tap water from sources like plumbing and soil. Fortunately, a water filter attachment on your kitchen sink can help. Not sure if your water has contaminants? Try an easy at-home DIY test kit from My Water Quality. Simply follow the instructions and use the courier service that is included with the testing kit to ship your sample to an accredited laboratory. An easy-to-read report card will arrive within five to 20 days and provide you with all the results

Ditch the plastics
From food containers to water bottles, plastics can be a big part of our everyday lives. But they can expose you to BPA, phthalates and styrene. So, swap out plastic containers for glass ones, avoid putting plastics in the microwave and switch to a stainless-steel water bottle.

Bring nature inside
Sometimes the best defence is a good offence. Since it might be hard to know exactly where toxins in your home are coming from or to remove them all, you can use green plants as natural detoxifiers to purify your indoor air. The best antitoxin plants include spider plants, philodendrons and rubber plants.

Find more information mywaterquality.ca
 
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