You’ve read all about fertility diets, and you know you are supposed to do acupuncture to beat infertility. But, are you making sure that you are keeping your home safe from fertility harming toxins? See my full post on non-toxic cleaning products here!
There are many common household items that could be making you or your partner infertile. Here are three simple ways to make sure you are cleaning up the toxins and making your home fertility-friendly!
Click here to see all the non-toxic products we use in our house!
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Read all my non-toxic posts here!
Table of Contents
Five Tips for Non-Toxic House Cleaning for Fertility
- Frequently eliminate dust by damp dusting and using a HEPA vacuum weekly. Here’s the deal: it turns out that fertility-harming toxins like phthalates live in the dust in our homes. Phthaltes are endocrine disruptors that are used in all sorts of household items, from plastics, to vinyl, to household cleaners that use “fragrance” or “parfum” in the ingredients. Phthalates are linked to decreased fertility in men and women, miscarriage, and pregnancy complications. When eliminating dust, you need to make sure you aren’t just pushing it around, or breathing it in. That’s why a HEPA filter vacuum is so important. When buying a HEPA filter vacuum, make sure the details specify that filtration efficiency is at least 99.97% and that particles retained are as small as 0.3 micrometers (formerly microns). Vacuums with HEPA filters do the best job of removing dust particles from your house. We splurged on a Dyson a number of years ago and we still love it. I can’t find the same model on Amazon now, but here is their Dyson HEPA filter bestseller. Here is Dyson’s statement about dust-removal. For removing dust from wooden furniture, damp dust with old rags or with reuseable cloths, like microfiber dust cloths.
- Use household cleaners that are free of fertility harming toxins. Regular household cleaners have many fertility harming toxins- bleaches, ammonia, phthalates (found in “fragrance” or “parfum”), parabens (anything ending in “-paraben”), glycol ethers, and triclosan (in anything “antibacterial”). Stop using them and replace them now with fertility-safe cleaning products. Luckily the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a fantastic Guide to Healthy Cleaning that provides safety ratings for most major products. Be sure to check your products there! We love Branch Basics for All-Purpose, Bathroom, Glass, and Laundry (use code TOMAKEAMOMMY15 for 15% off!). Our Force of Nature is perfect for disinfecting. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see the non-toxic cleaning supplies we love, and check out this link with all of my non-toxic favorites!
- Change your air filters regularly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on timing and frequency for changing the air filters in your heating and cooling system. Don’t forget to clean your vents also- but clean them yourselves, and don’t hire anyone who will use toxic chemicals when cleaning your vents!
- Washing your bedding weekly. Dust and other tracked in fertility-harming toxins can build up in your bed- where you spend at least (I hope) 7-8 hours of every day. Make sure your wash your sheets in hot water and a safe non-toxic detergent, like this one or this one, every week. Do NOT use phthalate-laden dryer sheets, consider wool balls instead to reduce static and increase fluff!
- And of course, the best thing you can do is set your house up to eliminate places that collect fertility harming toxins!
- Choose hardwood floors over carpet to reduce dust collection.
- Choose blinds over cloth drapes/window dressings to minimize dust collection.
- Take your shoes off when you come into the house to minimize tracking in fertility-harming pesticides.
Non-Toxic Cleaning Products Safe for Fertility & Pregnancy
Force of Nature Disinfectant System
In case you missed my enthusiasm before, the Force of Nature Disinfectant System is hands down this is the coolest non-toxic cleaning solution we have found!
This is an EPA approved sanitizer, and it is even on the EPA list for disinfectants approved to clean surfaces for the novel coronavirus! It is a small home appliance that makes hospital-grade sanitizing and disinfecting spray that kills SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, and also Staph, MRSA, Norovirus, Influenza A, Salmonella, and Listeria.
It is JUST AS EFFECTIVE AS BLEACH, but non-toxic and safe. Safe for fertility, in pregnancy, for kids, pets, for everything. Literally the only one on the EPA list that I would use. Remember to spray and let it sit for 10 minutes to get things disinfected!
Also, a friend of mine realized that it is an amazing stain remover from white cotton fabrics! If you’ve found other uses for it, email me and let me know!
Also- you’ll never buy another plastic spray bottle again!
Buy now–>> Force of Nature Disinfectant System and use the coupon code SAFESUMMER for free shipping + $15 off Starter Kits and Value Bundles!
Branch Basics– Non-Toxic Multipurpose Cleaning Concentrate and System
This is the newest in our non-toxic cleaning arsenal and we are LOVING the way you use a single concentrate to make almost everything- surface cleaner, laundry detergent, glass cleaner, foaming hand soap, and more.
You can also use it for dishwashing soap AND dishwasher soaps, but we haven’t tried that yet. Branch Basics is one of the most non-toxic options out there and it is NOT castille soap based- so for those of you who can’t handle Dr. Bronner’s, this is a great option.
You can order a Starter Kit with an Oxygen Boost that helps with heavy stains or scrubbing. You only re-order the concentrate, so you never have to replace the various jugs and bottles again- great for the planet!
Use code ANNA15 at checkout for 15% off!
MyGreenFills– Non-Toxic Laundry & Home Cleaning Refill Products
This unique company is constantly coming out with new non-toxic cleaning solutions. We’ve used their laundry wash and rinse for over a year and love it. This is another great company where you only order little refills, and you mix them up at home. This way you aren’t buying new plastic jugs! The best part is that their plastic jugs come with little motivating affirmations hidden on them :-). If you don’t like scents, be sure to get the unscented laundry wash- the essential oils in their scented version are quite strong! This company also does extensive work supporting women across the world and lifting them out of poverty through sustainable businesses.
Get 50 free laundry loads with this link!
I’ve pulled together a list of all our favorite non-toxic products that we use after years of research. Check out the products here!
Are you making a switch to safe cleaning products to protect your fertility? Are you already cleaning with vinegar and baking soda? Leave a comment telling us how!
Want to get pregnant fast?
Love lists? Me too. Grab my 79 Things I did to transform my life and get pregnant in less than 3 months after 2 years of infertility and miscarriages! Totally free!
Anna Rapp is a fertility journalist and non-toxic living expert. When Anna Rapp was struggling with infertility and recurrent early miscarriage, she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, High FSH, low AMH, low follicle count, endometriosis, and an MTHFR mutation. Despite being told donor eggs were her only solution, Anna used her graduate training in research methods and analysis to read everything she could find on fertility and egg health. Ultimately, she lowered her FSH and got pregnant naturally (twice). She blogs about how she did it and encourages her readers to take charge of their fertility journey and get happy, healthy, and pregnant!
What products do you use for household cleaning supplies?
Ginny! I finally got my act together and pulled together all the non-toxic supplies we use in our house! Look up on the top menu for Non-Toxic Favorites! -Anna
Hi Anna, is there such thing as a dishwasher tablet that isn’t harmful to fertility? I didn’t see in your list, and perhaps missed it. Thanks in advance!
Anna, thank you for empowering couples to conceive. Your blog is life giving in so many ways! We should chat some time; at LightenUpSimply.com I help people find pure, non toxic cleaning and beauty products that fit their preferences. There are so many reasons people don’t make these changes, I help people cut through all that, simply… Because children and families are worth it!
Anna,
I LOVE your blog SO much! Being honest, I am on here everyday and reading the same posts 😛 I am 100% completely committed to the fertility diet, cleaning and everything you have mentioned to try to get pregnant! I bought all the Saint medals and am SO excited for this journey. I have cut most meats, dairy, sugar, BPA and all that and haven’t had any problems with it! Thank you so much for sharing and I am super happy I found your blog! The hardest part for me is the snacks. I don’t know what snacks to get because everything comes in plastic! Thank you!
Kelsey,
I am so glad you are loving the blog!!! Good job being 100% committed, it feels good doesn’t it? You’ll never have any regrets because you know you did absolutely everything!! Snacks are tough, I need to write a whole blog post about them! In general though, make your own snacks and take them with you in a reusable bag or buy the little paper snack bags (http://amzn.to/2Df4Mlv). Or pack in pyrex. I do a lot of hummus, guac, black bean dip, and eat with celery. Also nut butters on brown rice cakes. Or I premake turkey muffins and have those. Bags or containers of trail mix you made yourself with nuts and seeds. Air-popped organic popcorn. Berries! Best wishes hon!!!!
Anna
Hi there. I am new to your blog and really loving the content! I gathered a lot of good info from your post on NON-TOXIC PRODUCTS SAFE FOR FERTILITY, PREGNANCY, AND BABIES, however, I am wondering if you could please recommend a dishwashing liquid soap for washing dishes by hand. Thanks!
Kristen,
This is a really good question!! I think the reason I didn’t include it in the post is because my hubby and I totally fight about this! He likes Seventh Generation and he does most of the dishes. BUT Seventh Generation has SLS, although they claim its a safer SLS. I prefer other options, like Attitude, but hubby doesn’t like it. The best bet would be a dilution of Dr. Bronner’s, which is what we use when hubby forgets to buy his Seventh Generation! Another good brands is Earth Friendly ECOS.
Be well!
Anna
Thanks so much! 🙂
How does SLS affect feritlity? I’m freaking out a little because I just bought two bottles of Seventh Generation dish soap (they were on sale) and a bag of their dishwasher tabs because I thought they were some of the good non-toxic options out there. :/
You’re fine! The truth is, there is no evidence SLS affects fertility, or maybe even anything. SLES, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, is problematic, but not necessarily for fertility. I just updated the post. I had updated that in other parts of the blog, but not here. Use your Seventh Generation and don’t worry 🙂
I totally agree. Definitely Castile Soap for dishes! Dr Bronner’s baby mild is great.
I have shampoo that says fragrance (essential oil blend)… is that still considered harmful?
Lauren,
Ah, it is so frustrating when they don’t disclose everything! Do they specifically say “no phthalates” on the label? Or on their website? If they specifically say that, then I would feel comfortable using it. However, some green/non-toxic advocates are suspicious of any product that doesn’t specifically detail what oils/compounds are in their ingredients.
Hope that makes sense!
Anna
It does say “no phthalates” on the label. This clears things up for me. Thank you so much for all that your doing!
How can I find the same water filter you recommend in the UK?
Unfortunately they may not ship to the UK! Check out the Royal Doulton filter, I think it is a nice all stainless option for UK.