Living a healthy lifestyle involves being intentional with both your inner and outer environment. For example, the quality of your indoor air, the water you bathe in, and the kind of household products you use all impact your health–I’ll go into more detail about why they are important in each section.
My suggestion is to live a mindfully clean lifestyle–don’t drive yourself crazy. I’m a big believer in doing what you can, when you can. For many, the first step on their health journey may not be investing in an air purifier, but when it is time, it can make a big difference.
Over the years, I have done a lot of research and tested many different products on the market. I am excited to share some of the best tools I have found for clean, healthy living. One of the best parts is that many of these won’t require you to break the bank.
Filtering your water is the best option for your health and the environment. Simply put, tap water is not safe to drink without filtration. Tap water is contaminated with chemicals that have been linked to many health concerns, including hormone disruption, infertility, and even cancer. Bottled water is not a much better choice either and creates unnecessary waste.
The good news is that you don’t have to invest in an expensive water filtration system to start drinking cleaner, good-tasting water.
I chose ZeroWater because it uses both a carbon and an ion exchange filter to remove these contaminants in its 5-stage water filtration system. In addition, I found it to be a great choice because it has been third-party tested by NSF and can conveniently be found at stores like Target or ordered on Amazon.
The price point is under $40 for a pitcher and around $14 for filter replacements. It also comes with a water testing meter that can help you easily tell when it’s time to change your filter, although if you’re like me, you’ll be able to tell the difference right away!
If you want to be a little bit more specific, you can look up the water contaminants in your area on EWG’s Clean Water Database. And when the time is right, maybe even invest in a reverse osmosis water filtration system for the cleanest water.
I had to follow this one up with a water bottle to drink your clean water from and bring it with you on the go! As I already mentioned, drinking bottled water regularly is wasteful, but it also means extra contaminants from plastic in your water.
Two of the best options are stainless steel and glass. My personal go-to’s are my stainless steel Hydro Flask, especially if on the go, or a 36 oz mason jar.
Fun fact: switching to a reusable water bottle saves around 1,500 plastic bottles per year.
Getting a shower filter can be a game-changer for your skin, hair, and overall health. The water running through most homes in the US is the same, whether it’s your sink, shower, or toilet. Unfortunately, the government standard and what is best for our health based on the latest research aren’t the same. That water is contaminated with higher than safe levels of heavy metals, nitrates, chlorine disinfection by-products, and more.
You may be wondering, does it even matter if you’re not actually drinking the water? Aside from drying your skin and hair, you are inhaling water vapor (which is invisible) through your lungs during a hot shower. Contaminants included.
There are a few different shower filters on the market, but the Pelican Water shower filter has been one of the best I’ve found. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing one out there but beats its competitors based on its filtration technology.
PS. I do not recommend using their spa inserts which contain synthetic fragrances.
Not to be a bearer of bad news throughout this whole article, but for the sake of your health, I’m also going to tell you that the air inside your home is more polluted than outdoor air, and by a lot. It depends on a few factors like the household products you use, materials and paints involved in building your home and furniture, whether your home has suffered water damage, and more.
Unfortunately, air filters do not do the type of work we are looking for here, and the way to go is with an air purifier. After comparing several air purifier brands on the market based on how they work, I chose the Air Doctor over other great brands like Dyson.
The Air Doctor purifier did not disappoint! It’s quiet, doesn’t require assembly, looks sleek, and purifies our whole condo every 2 hours. If you have environmental allergies, wake up daily feeling congested, then an air purifier can make a huge difference for you.
Tip: Air purifiers are an investment. You can get the Air Doctor purifier at nearly 50% off by doing a quick search for an affiliate link online.
I’m both for comfort and health when it comes to these pillows. I have been using Coop Home Goods pillows for 5+ years. You can adjust the foam contents, plus they are made of hypoallergenic materials. The best part? The whole pillow is machine washable. I honestly don’t know of any better pillow on the market that checks all of my boxes like this one does!
Cleaning products are one of the worst offenders. Unfortunately, many of the cleaning products on the market are harmful via inhalation and skin/eye exposure. Even if you use personal protective equipment during cleaning, the aftereffect of the fumes can still be very irritating.
I clean most things in my house like glass, counters, kitchen grease, etc., with a simple solution I make myself. It consists of half white vinegar and half distilled water in an amber glass spray bottle I got off Amazon. This is how my mom and grandma cleaned growing up, and it’s crazy how simple, effective and inexpensive this method is. I also use things like baking soda and peroxide as needed.
I recently gave Branch Basics a try. It is a clean, baking soda based cleaning solution. It’s great for some of those tougher cleaning jobs like mold and mildew in the shower or removing stains.
I want to conclude by mentioning that some people are more sensitive to their environment than others. This has to do with several things, but genetics can make some people more susceptible to these sensitivities.
I hope this guide takes some of the guesswork out of clean living for you. And maybe it has even brought some awareness as to why certain things are essential for your health. Happy clean living!
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