Reducing Chemicals in the Home

5 Ways to Reduce Chemicals in the Home

By: Jennifer Kumar

This following list of five ways I have reduced chemicals is not exhaustive. 

1.         Cleaning the home.

            For the past three months, we have been using a steamer to clean floors, stove tops and grime around sinks. In addition to not having to use chemicals (floor cleaners, lime away, degreasers, etc.), this method also saves on purchasing scrubbers (which generally are not biodegradable), and considerably saves on water. With the steamer, we are using 2-4 cups of water in comparison to filling a bucket once or more with water. Of course, this saves on back pain, also! Carrying the steamer is much easier on the back than the mop and bucket!

2.         Laundry day.

            I have been using Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent for washing our clothes. Besides being free and clear of chemicals, it is good for our septic system. Even before I switched to this earth-friendly brand, I was cutting down the amount of soaps and softeners I was using by three- quarters. In the wash cycle, I would add a proportion of three-quarters of the soap to one-quarter baking soda . Also, instead of using chemicals to prevent color bleeding, I use salt and wash in super cold water. I remain addicted to the ‘regular’ softeners, but use one-quarter of the recommended amount.

3.         Bathing and beauty.

            Fighting acne and dry skin over the years, it remained challenging to find a product that worked with free of chemicals, dyes, animal products, etc. That finally drove me to start making my own soap with essential oils. In addition to using these oils and other fragrances in soaps, I use essential oils as perfume instead of the commercial preparations, again saving on chemicals. Lastly, to soften skin and hair, I occasionally ‘take oil baths,’ a beauty trick I learned in India where I apply different oils (coconut, olive, grapeseed, almond, etc.) to my body alone or infused with herbal powders, spices or essential oils.

4.         Daily Nourishment

           Cooking from scratch and buying organic eliminates chemicals used in food production such as hormones (in milk, for instance), pesticides (on non-organic produce) and chemicals used in preserving and coloring foods and drinks. In addition if these food items can be purchased locally, this encourages the local economy and cuts down on transportation costs and impact (i.e. gas and petroleum usage), as many locavores know!

5.         Health Care

            I try to employ alternative health care whenever possible. Instead of over the counter medicines full of colorants, sugars and chemicals, I opt for herbal supplements, reflexology, massage, essential oils, diet changes, spiritual enhancements, and other related approaches. Herbal supplements and diet changes (especially eliminations in diet) are done under the supervision of my ayurvedic herbalist.

A few other interesting ways I struggle in reducing chemicals include: my affinity for hair conditioners, using dryer sheets, 1000 Flushes, toothpaste, and buying a lot of products packed in some kind of plastics.

Thank you for reading.

Jennifer Kumar is a freelance writer in Pittsford. In addition to discussing ‘green’ topics, on her blog, alaivani.com, she shares about cross-cultural experiences and stories about India.