non-toxic household items
During my pregnancy and affter the birth of my children, I (like many new moms) started to become more focused on ensuring we had non-toxic household items for our baby’s health. It started with needing to choose a mattress, which for many new moms is the “gateway” into non-toxic living; when it’s time to choose a crib or a mattress, new moms do some Googling and learn about all the toxic stuff in their current mattress as well as in everyday items. Since then, it’s become really important to me to rid our household of toxins.
I’ve spent many years slowly going through everything in the house and determining what toxins may exist in them. It’s been a very long — and sometimes frustrating — process to identify non-toxic household items. I also realize that a commitment to non-toxic living can come with a high price tag; natural or organic items can cost a LOT more than traditional items. I found this frustrating, and the Type A in me wouldn’t stop researching until I found the least toxic and cheapest options.
What did I find?
In many cases, I found something free of toxins that was cheaper (or parity priced, at least)! But, it took a loooong time to find those items!
To save you grief, I list the non-toxic household items I tend to purchase in this post. It’s hard to nail down specific prices as they can change over time, and quantity / size may differ. To give you a sense of cost, I’ll note things that my experience leads me to believe tend to be more expensive with plus (“+”) signs and items that tend to be less expensive with minus (“-“) signs. If the cost is the same for non-toxic items, I’ll note that with an equal (“=”) sign.
Non-toxic household items that can save you money:
(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, which helps me run this blog!)
Bedding
- Mattress (= / -) Flame retardants and synthetic latex are the main concerns here. My Green Mattress is a great option for non-toxic mattresses. It is not the only option out there, but My Green Mattresses are orders of magnitude cheaper than most other organic options out there. The mattresses are delivered to your doorstep in a matter of days. The only downside may be the fact that you’d have to unpack and carry the mattress to the bed vs. having it delivered by a store. My kids each have one of the Pure Echos, and I will be replacing other mattresses with My Green Mattresses very soon.
[No, buying non-toxic doesn’t mean your children suddenly stop ruining all the nice things you bought]
I didn’t know about My Green Mattress when we purchased the crib, but I know many non-toxic moms choose My Green Mattress’ Emily mattress.
- Mattress Protector (+ / =): This one is really, really tough. There are non-toxic options, but none seemed to offer the protection that a synthetic material does. That makes it really, really stressful during nighttime potty training. I ended up going with Naturepedic.
It isn’t 100% waterproof, so I put extra towels under to absorb any moisture from accidents. I never had a wet mattress, but it is extra work over synthetic AND the non-toxic items were definitely more expensive than the synthetic as well.
My Green Mattress seems to have added a mattress protector as a new product at a price point similar to synthetic, but I haven’t purchased it.
- Sheets (=): There are actually a lot of great options for sheets that are free of dyes and other toxins. Target has organic cotton sheets, which are about the same price as their non-organic. I have no complaints about them, except there are not really cute patterns. Pottery Barn Kids also has a great selection, with cute designs. I believe both are GOTS-certified.
Kitchenware (aka the hardest non-toxic household items to figure out!)
- Cookware (=/-): The main thing to avoid here is non-stick due to PFOA coating (see here for more info, if you want to be scared about PFOA ad disappointed in corporate America watch the movie Dark Waters). I opt for stainless steel. Many people also choose cast iron, which is great if you can figure out the whole seasoning thing (doesn’t work for me).
We chose a very reasonably priced Caphalon set that we use every day and hasn’t let us down. In general, the stainless sets seem to be the same price as non-stick options, or even lower:
Lodge is a very good brand for cast iron. They come pre-seasoned, which is very helpful but you need to maintain the seasoning and clean accordingly. I highly recommend the handle holder if you get a cast iron skilled; the handle gets very, very hot. Lodge is also relatively inexpensive compared to non-stick and even stainless options. I wouldn’t say cast iron is for me, but a lot of people like it.
- Dishes (-): You’ll want to be sure that your dishes do not contain lead or plastic. I choose glass, specifically Duralex, since it’s a brand I trust to be lead free. And, I find that they are cheaper than bigger brand name alternatives. These are great for small kids who do not need a very large plate. We have had these for years and haven’t broken one (fingers crossed!)
Ikea glass plates are very cheap and considered by many to be non-toxic (see Improvement #39), but I haven’t tried them (I’d be interested in durability). Anyway, given the availability and range of prices, I rated the non-toxic options as being less expensive than traditional items.
- Glasses (-): Again, Duralex. Cost benchmarks are the same as the plates, which tend to trend lower than traditional glasses.
Kids’ Lunch Containers
- Food Container (++): You likely want to avoid plastics for food containers. PlanetBox is a great option, but this is an area where non-toxic will likely cost more. That said, these stainless steel lunch boxes will likely last for years and years. They have bags to carry the steel containers, as well as utensils, ice packs etc. They also come with magnets you can use to decorate the food container….anything to get the kids excited to eat lunch!
Besides cost, the only other downside to Planet Box is weight; the whole thing a bit heavy young kids to carry. To that end, I have found Lunch Bots to be a great alternative (we have both Planet Boxes and Lunch Bots).
Lunch Bots also has thermoses to carry hot items and keep warm all day!
Amongst all non-toxic household items, this is probably where it’s harder to find any cheaper options (it’s hard to compete with the price of plastic!!), hence the multiple plus (“++”) signs. However, these stainless steel sets are indestructible so they should outlast cheaper options.
Cleaning Products
NOTE: A good resource for non-toxic household items, specifically cleaning and personal care, is the Environmental Working Group website (https://www.ewg.org/). You enter in a product name and it gives an assessment of the toxicity of the product.
- Laundry Detergent (+): This one is tough. When my oldest was born, I had used Dreft because that was what everyone else did. Once I started researching more, I realized it wasn’t a great option (due to many concerns, including fragrances). Gimme the Good Stuff is a great resource on cleaning agents, specifically laundry detergents. Anyway, I tried a lot of organic options listed on that site, but many resulted in clothes that just didn’t seem clean…until I tried GreenShield. It’s a bit tough to find and will likely be slightly more expensive than non-organic alternatives.
- Dryer sheets (- -): These are generally a no-no in the non-toxic living world for many reasons (see here). Instead, I use wool balls. They end up being cheaper considering how much they can be used (~1000 cycles). Only down side is that the kids can get hold of them and then they become toys :). But, a small price to pay to reduce exposure to toxins! Here are the wool balls I use:
- Dishwasher Detergent (=): Another one of non-toxic household items to get right. I used a few brands and either the pods never dissolved or the powder ended up chunked up on dishes at the end of the cycle. Ugh, this was a long journey but I couldn’t be happier with Grab Green. In general, my experience is that this is similarly priced to non-toxic brand pods.
- Dish Soap (+): Better Life is a great dish soap that isn’t overly expensive and is comparable to non-toxic options. I use the non-fragranced version. The bottles will leak; you cannot store these containers sideways or the shelf will be covered in the dish soap. That said, I don’t think that’s unique to this brand. I find that non-toxic dish soap is generally more expensive than traditional. BUT, it doesn’t dry my hands out as much, so I save money on lotion! Nevertheless, I still gave this a plus (+) sign.
- Counter/Surface Spray (—): I used to be an avid Mrs. Meyer user, thinking that it was actually a safe option. Once I started researching, I realized that it contained many toxins (see here). What do use instead? You can make your own counter spray! I use a recipe that uses Castile soap, see here. I use these amber containers:
I use Dr. Bonner Castile Soap. A 32 oz bottle will last a long, long, long time…
For window/mirror spray, I use a mix of 50% vinegar and 50% water, and store in an amber container. These are definitely cheaper than any store bought alternative!
Kids Clothing (+) (aka the most important of the non-toxic household items!)
When it comes to clothing, you will want to avoid artificial fibers and dyes. Look for organic cotton or wool, clothing with certifications such Oeko-tex or GOTS. I do think that non-toxic options are more expensive than traditional, but not overly so especially if you buy things on sale.
Of all non-toxic household items, clothes are becoming the easiest to find options (specifically kids’ clothing). I talk a bit about one of my favorite kids brands, Hanna Andersson, here. I do love their pants with the double padded knees!
Burt Bees is also a great option for organic kids clothes. The pants don’t tend to last as long as Hanna Andersson dual padded pants but their PJs are great! They also have great underwear too!
PACT is another great option that has clothes for the entire family (not just kids) but I have only purchased their kids items.
Kids’ Hygiene
See Note above about using the EWG website as a reference.
- Shampoo / Body Wash (+): I limit my selections to the ones that are EWG verified. Baby Mantra’s 3-in-1 soap, shampoo, bubble bath works well for us. Non-toxic is generally more expensive in my experience, unfortunately.
- Toothpaste (=): Jack N Jill receives a relatively good assessment from EWG and we have been using this for “training” toothpaste. It’s about the same cost as Colgate Training toothpaste but with many less concerns flagged by EWG (see here).
- Sunscreen (=): This is another tough one. I was using an Aveeno baby sunscreen and then I realized it has some pretty bad stuff in it when I looked it up on the EWG site (it was rated a 7, and I actually started crying). I think they have since discontinued that formulation, but it raised my alarm bells about how easy it is to let toxic items in your home! I’ve tried a lot of different sunscreens and I have to say that Badger works really well and is priced similarly to traditional options.
There are still dozens more non-toxic household items to discuss (Furniture!!), but this is a good list to start with. Overall, some non-toxic household items are more expensive, some are less. Many are about the same cost. If you’re willing to put in the time to research both the toxicity and cost, you can likely end up with non-toxic household items AND save money!
I’d love to hear your experiences and suggestions below!
If you like this post, be sure to check these out:
- 7 Devices You Need to Survive During Shelter in Place
- Non-Toxic Beauty Items That Can Actually Save You Money
- 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Having a Baby
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