SPRING 2014 • FLOURISH 19
mites (gross, but true). Even clothes and
linens can produce toxic dust if they've
been sprayed with wrinkle free or bug
repellent coatings.
"It's important to invest in vacuums,
ventilation systems and air purifiers fitted
with HEPA filters, which screen out and
trap sub-micron particles," says Greer.
"Spring is a good time to replace the filter
in your HVAC system, and to stock up on
HEPA filters for your appliances."
Two other tips to improve indoor air
quality: Avoid tracking in dirt and pollut-
ants with a "Remove shoes before enter-
ing house" rule, and purify the air with
the addition of house plants like aloe vera,
philodendron and spider plant.
Toxic Kitchenware
The kitchen is the heart of every home.
So it's an especially important place to
adopt super natural health practices—not
just buying "clean" food, but also cooking
and storing it in chemical-free kitchen-
ware, and cleaning up with natural prod-
ucts like baking soda and non-toxic dish
soap.
"Nonstick coatings and plastic residues
can easily leach into food," says Greer. "If
you reorganize your kitchen this spring,
be sure to replace chemically-coated
pots and pans with cookware made from
ceramic stainless steel or well-seasoned
cast-iron. Plastic containers that are old
or scratched should be recycled, and re-
placed with storage ware made from glass
or BPA-free plastic."
Empower Your Cleaning Crew
Greer acknowledges that many of us
outsource our cleaning to individual
housekeepers or corporate cleaning
crews. By adopting non-toxic cleaning
practices and products, and sharing them
with this highly vulnerable population, we
help our entire community stay healthy.
"I collaborated with my housekeeper to
find non-toxic products that work to her
satisfaction," says Greer. "She's grateful to
know I care about her health as much as I
care about my own."
Resources
n Get recipes and recom-
mendations for non-toxic
cleaning at www.supernatu-
ralmom.com or in the book
Super Natural Home.
n Find household products
that are healthy and effective
in the Environmental Work-
ing Group's Guide to Healthy
Cleaning - www.ewg.org
n Learn more about how to
protect children from toxic
chemicals at Healthy Child
Healthy World –
www.healthychild.org.
n Toxic chemicals affect pets,
too. Learn more at
www.petcarenaturally.com.
