Low Tox Life...

[SherlockIsHome]

Inspired by The Plastic Detox on Netflix, I've recently become a lot more aware of the plastic and chemicals surrounding my kids and I.

It feels like a drop in the ocean and I've no idea if anything I am doing matters, but I'm making a conscious effort to limit toxin / plastic exposure.

I'd love to start a thread to share ideas and to hear what other people prioritise.

My current changes include:

• Using a stainless steel coffee cup instead of takeaway ones
• Eco egg for washing machine and OceanSaver tablets for dishwasher
• Sticking to cotton / linen when buying new clothes (although it's tough for e.g. my son's football kit and costumes)
• Water filter at home
• Organic food when affordable
• Never heating food in plastic. I used to heat packet rice directly in the microwave, now I transfer it to a bowl
• Trying to avoid plastic in the kitchen, but one concession is plates for my toddler, to make life easier
• Shampoo and soap bars
• Spraying perfume on clothes not skin (I know I can avoid it, but I like it! I've not found a good natural one yet)
• Silk dental floss
• Avoiding deodorant. Very weirdly, my sweat doesn't smell strong since pregnancy. I use the gym every day but shower right after. Still, I appreciate this is a No for most :/
• No diffusers/ air fresheners at home
• Slowly switching bedding and duvets to cotton / duck feather (expensive!)

I would LOVE to hear from anyone else on a similar journey...

I was thinking of starting a similar thread!

We’ve started doing some of these but not enough! We have a 9mo baby so we have stainless steel plates but silicone open cups. It’s so hard to avoid! My breast pump is plastic but have glass storage bottles for milk, and then glass jars for batch cooking storage.

Trying to buy more cotton clothes but read it’s the most chemical fabric due to all the pesticides used in producing? And that they are carcinogens. Gah

I know glass is recyclable but many perfume bottles are not unless you disassemble them.
Perfume bars or balms are a good alternative, you simply rub them on your skin and they have the added bonus of being moisturising.
Here is a good one
https://tenthmuselondon.com/products/solid-perfume-date-night

Bamboo toothbrushes and hair brushes are a great alternative to plastic ones, they’re also easily found in many drugstores.
Example below.
https://www.boots.com/eco-tools-shine-activating-hairbrush-10362597

I have never used any perfumed products as I’m allergic to them so I use nothing on your list of perfumed stuff there. You could ditch fabric softener as well.

I am a big flask taker from home due to the price of drinks.

A few things - easy changes. I buy Waitrose dishwasher powder that comes in a cardboard box. It's better to use powder anyway because you can use the soak cycle more effectively. I buy milk in glass bottles. I buy chocolate that comes in foil packaging. I use wool balls in the dryer. I don't wear plastic clothes.

TBH I never did wear plastic clothes because I don't like the texture so this is not a big change really.

But the actual changes I've made are basically I'm just replacing plastic things with the glass metal and wood when it comes up. So I've replaced plastic chopping boards with wooden ones. I've replaced my tupperware with those glass ones from IKEA. And I've replaced my toothbrush with a bamboo one.

It feels like those things are the biggest vectors: brushing my mouth with plastic 2-3 times a day is probably, cutting into plastic around my food, and heating plastic in the microwave. These are all major distressors of plastic and therefore likely to shed microplastics into our bodies.

I'm not going to get worried about it otherwise. I don't mind making swaps like this as it's easy but honestly, there's no point in getting freaked out by stuff like this. The stress is likely worse for you than the plastic!

Interesting replies!

@JumpystarThat's opened a whole new can of worms for me Re pesticides. Organic seems good, but very expensive.

@OneDreamyGreenMentorLove these perfume soaps, will ask for one for my upcoming birthday.

With regards bamboo toothbrushes, am I right in saying the bristles are generally nylon, so still plastic? I know you can get horse fur, but the reviews aren't great. Also, I use an electric toothbrush as I find I don't get a good clean with a manual one :/

There's basically two options: castor bean derived nylon (still plastic just "bioplastic") or boar bristle. You can get sonicare heads on Amazon.

Thanks @Melomwill look at these.

I also saw toothpaste tablets , but this seems like perhaps a step too far, especially for the kids. May try them to see

Anyone else have any tips?!

Suri are a good electric toothbrush brand. You send back the tops and they recycle them. Plus the base is designed to be repairable.

Toothpaste tabs are ok, I used parla, they don't foam as much as normal toothpaste and take a minute to get used to texturally. My DH and DD couldn't stand them.