Cheap, Simple Switches to a Non Toxic Lifestyle

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Confession: I would never call myself a crunchy mama. There are certain things I could just never give up (like black licorice jelly beans) and other things you could never get me to use (like homemade, wash it later, cloth toilet paper). My husband is a crop duster, for goodness sake. If I turned completely to a non toxic lifestyle, we would need marriage counseling.

At the same time, I am more conscious about the foods we eat and the chemicals we come into contact with every day. There are some adjustments I’ve made because of that. Honestly, I am so happy that I made the switch for them now. If you’re like me, trying to find that middle ground between crunchy and basic 21st century mom who doesn’t have time to keep up with all the crunchy stuff but at the same time feels like she needs to know some of it, this post is for you! Read along to find my favorite non-toxic switches that have improved my family ever so much.

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Make Your Own Popcorn

By far, making my own popcorn is my absolute favorite switch to date. This is one of those “once you switch, you’ll never go back” type moments. I actually have my mother in law to thank for this one. They visited us after our oldest was born (to meet the new grandbaby, of course). She bought a stovetop popcorn maker, Whirley Pop, while she was with us.

It’s taken me some time to perfect my favorite recipe. It involves melting the butter in the popcorn pan on the stove. I then add 1/2 cup of my purple popcorn kernels I get from the Simple Truth Organic line at Kroger. I keep the seasonings simple with a generous amount of salt, and my favorite go-to spice, garlic.

Read Ingredients Labels

When you first get started down the nontoxic rabbit hole, the area where you can easily become overwhelmed is with ingredient labels. I’ll be honest, I still get overwhelmed with them. Mostly I struggle with ingredient labels on cleaning chemicals and hair or skincare bottles. I developed a simple rule of thumb–some from listening to what other influencers had to say, and some by doing my own research.

First and foremost, if I can’t pronounce an ingredient on the list, I try not to buy it. Secondly, I worry less about organic and non GMO labels. I’m not here to say that those are bad, just that I would still buy something that wasn’t organic or non GMO.

Here’s what I look out for: food dyes of any kind (think red40, yellow10, etc), high fructose corn syrup and any artificial sweeteners. You can read more about that here (3rd list item). Usually if you find something that’s got a lot of toxic ingredients in it, you can find a better alternative nearby. Sometimes, the switch is relatively inexpensive.

Invest in Some Dryer Balls

I struggle with the laundry scene. I don’t feel like my clothes are clean if they don’t smell good. I’ve tried unscented laundry detergent, and I’ve tried making my own. I’ve even tried purchasing homemade laundry detergent at a flea market. After all of that, I’m back to buying my favorite brand (Arm and Hammer) at the store. Call it a guilty pleasure, or the Oreos I just can’t live without.

One thing I’m happy I switched, though, was the dryer balls. I bought these (linked below) about a year ago and I’m so thankful for them. Not only do they keep the static electricity down (like a typical dryer sheet would), but they help dry your clothes faster, they help soften your clothes and can replace a fabric softener too, and cut back on your environmental impact (you’re no longer throwing away a dryer sheet with each load). These will last you a long time, as well–think well over two years.

Give These Brands a Try

There’s certain switches I’ve made among brands, and I can’t stop telling my friends and family about. For the record, I’m not getting paid by any of these companies right now to write this. Consider it free information to encourage you to try out non-mainstream brands you aren’t going to find on Amazon or at Walmart. Almost all of these are better alternatives that haven’t costed me a fortune to try. I’m truly happy with the results.

I’ve ended up replacing almost all of my cleaning products with Branch Basics. I use them for bathrooms and showers, windows, countertops, floors, and other random cleans (like my couch, for instance). They are expensive to start out, but they do last quite some time.

Hello Bello is a great, affordable option for me for diapers, wipes, baby sunscreen, baby bug spray, and baby soaps. I gave Calm Your Pits (you can find her on Instagram) a try when I was trying to find a clean deodorant that actually worked. This brand even keeps pregnancy hormone induced body odor at bay! I started using Touch of Tallow (also on Instagram) for skincare needs. Her brand is something I’ll never not have on hand.

Non Toxic Lifestyle Baby Steps

Trying to find the balance between nontoxic, clean living and using perfume to smell good can be difficult at times. I find it the hardest when I start to dive into a new switch and begin to feel overwhelmed. Don’t let that discourage you, though! There’s so many non toxic resources on the market. There’s also so much information from a ton of different sources. If you’re not careful, you can become overwhelmed incredibly fast. Remember to take it slow and find the switches that work best for you and your family.

Never be afraid to try something new. At the same time, don’t be discouraged if you feel like it’s just not a good fit for you or your family right now. The key is to take it one step at a time. You might be surprised with how happy a switch may make you feel!