How to Detox Your Kitchen (An Easy, Step by Step Process)

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This post is part 4 of the Detox Your Home Series. So far we’ve discussed how to detox your bathroom, bedroom and living room.

Today, we’ll discuss how to detox your kitchen!

For most of us, the kitchen is the heart of our homes. It’s where we gather, fellowship, enjoy home-cooked meals and make memories that will last a lifetime.

If we’re not careful though, it can be a sneaky harbor for toxins found in our food, cooking utensils, pots and pans, storage solutions and more.

So let’s get right to it and learn how to create a healthy, toxin free kitchen in 6 easy steps!

1- Choose cookware that is safer for preparing foods

Not all kitchens will have the safest cookware in their arsenal of pots, pans and cooking utensils. Nonstick options such as Teflon can actually cause sickness if not used properly, it’s best not to use them at all but in this article you can find out when to get rid of your Teflon pan.

Over time, they’ll even leach chemicals into food through either overheating or scratching of the pan’s surface.

Aluminum cookware can also leach aluminum into your food when acidic foods are cooked or stored in them.

The safest options would be to use glass, stainless steel, or cast iron cookware for preparing and storing food items in your kitchen. We reviewed some of the safest non-stick frying pans here.

2- Use environmentally friendly cleaning materials

Taking steps to look out for the environment while keeping your kitchen neat and clean will also benefit your health.

Harsh chemicals should not be used to clean and disinfect your kitchen surfaces. Safe alternatives are easy to find and are usually readily available in average households. We also recommend some non-toxic dishwasher detergents that are commercially available.

Materials such as vinegar, alcohol and baking soda can go a long way in disinfecting and cleaning your kitchen without the use of toxic byproducts.

You can also use old rags or cut up t-shirts and towels instead of paper towels and disinfectant wipes to reduce the amount of waste and environmental impact of your household.

3 – Store food safely in toxin free containers

Containers made from plastics can have toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A that leach into your food.

Plastic-based food containers can also scratch over time, which can trap toxic mold that then spreads to food and causes spoilage.

There are several natural alternatives to storing food products that don’t involve harmful plastics. Glass containers such as mason jars are readily available at most supermarkets and even reusing glass jars from food products you purchase is easy and cost effective.

Stainless steel containers are another option as well as using beeswax wraps or cloth wraps and paper bags to store snacks and foods.

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If cost is an issue, look into purchasing some used materials at thrift shops or yard sales.

4 – Pest control using all natural repellents and eliminators

Having pests in the kitchen can be a common occurrence even in the cleanest of homes.

I want to get rid of roaches as fast as the next person, but using harmful chemical poisons poses a risk to all inhabitants of the home, especially children and pets.

An easy way to get rid of insects and other creepy crawlers naturally is to use Diatomaceous earth around the kitchen.

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This is a non-toxic powdery substance that is lethal to bugs by scratching up their hard exteriors, allowing their bodies to dry up relatively quickly.

Several common spices are also useful as natural repellents for cockroaches, pantry moths and ants. Using bay leaves, cayenne pepper and lavender can effectively repel these types of pests without the use of chemical toxins.  

Or try this homemade non toxic ant repellent (super easy!).

5 – Ensure a safer water source using water filtration

Water coming from a public water source may be riddled with chemicals and other toxic substances. That’s not conspiracy either. Just ask your local water treatment employee.

They are legally allowed to use proven toxins within a certain “safe” range. However, I’m not one to trust someone else to determine what’s safe for my family. If you do your own research, you’ll find plenty of safer ways to drink your water.  

Fortunately, removing excess toxins from your water can be as easy as adding a water filtration system to your tap. This gives you access to crystal clear, great tasting and chemical/toxin free water year round.

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If an attachable tap filter is not an option for your household, there are several options for gravity-fed filtration that can be done with simple water filter pitchers.

As for bottled water, it’s best to avoid it as it contributes to plastic waste and many of the problems associated with exposure to toxins that plastics contain

6 – Clean out the pantry and spice cabinet

One of the major issues in reducing the amount of toxins in the kitchen is getting rid of expired and harmful foods in your pantry and spice cabinet.

Expired foods can contain harmful buildup of bacteria and mold that can spread to other foods. Foods that are not stored properly may introduce insects to your food stores, which will lead to unwanted waste and insect infestation.

Spices can and will expire and are usually only stable for a short period of time. Choosing organic and untreated spices will help reduce your exposure to the chemicals and radiation that spices are usually be prepared with.

7 – Buy non-toxic furniture

You may not know but there are plenty of chemicals used when producing furniture. Think about things like paint, or wood stain and even glue. These materials contain dangerous chemicals such as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Look for furniture that are free from these! To find out more you can check our non-toxic furniture review.

Detox Your Kitchen and Protect Your Family

I could go on and on about how to create a toxin-free kitchen, such as where to find non-toxic bakeware, but I don’t want to overwhelm you by adding even more to your “to do” list.

If you just start with these 6 main areas, you’ll enjoy a safer kitchen in no time!

This post is part of the 7 Days to Detox Your Home Series. It can be overwhelming to realize how many toxins surround us everyday. It was for me, at least. But that doesn’t have to be the case for you!

Focusing on ONE area at a time is the key to creating a toxin free home you love and feel confident raising your family in. I created this series to help you do just that one simple change at a time.

PREVIOUS POST: Detox Your Living Room

NEXT POST IN THE SERIES: Detox Your Office

Want even more ideas for detoxing? I have a digital library full of ebooks, meal plans, checklists & more to help you detox your food, body and home. All for free – check it out below!

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