Toxicity may be on the menu if you’re bringing some common household items and foods into your kitchen. All of the organic foods and disinfectants in the world won’t save you from the damage that can be done by these household health hazards.
It’s time to take stock of your goods and see if you’re housing these dangers.
ITEMS TO DITCH
1. Non-stick to Your Guns: Non-stick metal pots and pans. They are coated with a synthetic polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon. According to the Environmental Working Group, this Teflon cookware releases toxic fumes at high temperatures that may kill pet birds and cause people to have flu-like symptoms.
Other items to toss are aluminum pots and pans because aluminum can leach into foods cooked on the stove. Aluminum is on the list of priority toxins in the U.S. from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Aluminum has been named a toxin with deleterious effects on the human nervous system, immune system and genetic system. It has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s the sensible solution for cookware? Opt for cast iron, which is durable and has the added advantage of even heat distribution. Other items for safe cooking include glass, ceramic and stoneware. Stainless steel is considered one of the best options.
2. Not Your Cup of Tea: Parchment paper and coffee filters. Most paper products in the U.S. are bleached with chlorine gas or chlorine derivatives known to create dioxins as a result of the bleaching process. Even in small amounts, dioxins are toxic.
Instead, purchase unbleached parchment paper. You can find it at natural food stores. Though the price is a bit higher, the rolls are larger and last longer. Don’t buy white coffee filters. Switch to brown ones at the same price.
3. Flour Power: Foods commonly found in homes contain toxins we may not consider. Bleached white flour is made with benzoyl peroxide. Cake flour is bleached with chlorine dioxide. Both of these substances are toxic. Instead, buy unbleached flour or grind whole-grain flour. Pure white cane sugar is processed and bleached using chlorine. Instead use organic evaporated cane juice, which tastes just as sweet, according to www.keeperofthehome.org. Most brands of baking powder contain aluminum, which can accumulate in the brain, causing Alzheimer’s disease. Rumford Baking Powder contains no aluminum.
4. BPAs are a NO-NO: Avoiding plastic and canned goods is the recommendation of www.naturalsociety.com. They contain BPAs, harmful chemicals with dire health effects found in the liners of most metal cans. BPA, or Bisphenol-a, acts as an environmental estrogen, disrupting the proper functioning of hormones and altering genes. It also interferes with normal physical and behavioral development. Instead, buy frozen vegetables and cook your own beans from scratch.
5. Go Light on the Starch: Home cooks usually have cornstarch on hand to use as a thickener for gravies, sauces, soups and stews. But the product is often genetically modified. Substitute arrowroot powder for cornstarch. It has a neutral flavor and is especially good in thickening delicately flavored liquids.
Even the packaging on certain products, like candy wrappers and microwave popcorn bags, have been shown to contain PFOA or C8, which is perflurooetanicacid, a chemical linked to tumors and developmental issues in animals. Toss all plastic cups and containers, especially if they are scratched, because they are more likely to emit chemicals in food and drink.
OTHER TOXINS TO NOTE
Eliminating the five factors above isn’t going to give you a clean bill of health. There are other elements lurking in the shadows. Keep in mind that hazardous waste lives in most homes.
Hazardous waste is considered anything poisonous, flammable or likely to explode. If an item can corrode other materials or mix with other chemicals and cause a dangerous reaction, it is hazardous. Falling in this category are potentially harmful household chemicals like bleach, oven cleaner, drain de-clogger, batteries, anything in an aerosol can, mothballs and fluorescent light bulbs.
It is recommended that all these items are stored safely away from pets and children (and that doesn’t mean under the kitchen sink). Find a place that is out of reach and make sure containers are upright and prevented from spilling, leaking or mixing with other chemicals.
If you choose to get rid of these items, never put the liquids down the drain, on the grass or in a waterway. Do not dispose of them in the trash, either. Most cities have special hazardous waste pick-up dates for curbside pickups or on-site disposal days. Call your city hall or information hotline to find out the locations and hours of hazardous waste business collection locations for the safe disposal of hazardous wastes.
NON-TOXIC CLEANING
Perhaps you want to switch to non-toxic cleaning products, which don’t emit harsh chemical fumes and don’t leave a nasty residue. There is a growing number of offerings, though not all may be found at your grocery store. Seek out natural food stores. They tend to carry these special items.
Why it is important to go green in cleaning at home? The Environmental Working Group studied more than 2,000 home products for cleaning and discovered fumes from some that led to the development of asthma. Others were laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1.4 dioxane. Still others contained preservatives that released low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer who wants to ban all toxic cleaning chemicals, there are recipes online to help you with different areas of the home. Take those sinks, for example. According to www.thankyourbody.com, one way to unclog your drain safely is to use one-half cup baking soda, a cup of vinegar and eight to 16 cups of boiled water. Shove the baking soda down the drain and follow it with half the vinegar. Cover the drain with something. Once it stops fizzing, pour in the rest of the vinegar and cover it for 15 to 30 minutes. Then slowly pour the boiling water down the drain. This process may have to be repeated several times to achieve the results you want.
But you’re getting the job done without those toxic cleaners.
Another thing to consider -- some commonly found household products can do double duty in ways you never considered. According to www.greatist.com/health, essential oils and castile soap, which is made from 100 percent plant oils, should be part of your cleaning arsenal.
Also include olive oil, used for cleaning and polishing, lemon juice, which is great on mildew and mold and shining hard surfaces, and vinegar because its acidity eliminates grease, soap scum and grime. Another cleaning powerhouse is baking soda. It has virus-killing ability besides being a cleaner cutting through grease and grime. It is also a deodorizer and brightener.