11 April 2018
SPOILER ALERT: Possible Outcomes Below - only read after you have completed the quiz
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Starting college is so exciting for so many reasons! A new school, new friends, and new adventures are just a few weeks away. If you're going to be living in a dorm room, you've probably already started thinking about decor and living essentials. That's why we picked out some of our favorite non-toxic dorm room essentials from Target! Our picks are made from safe materials like glass, stainless steel, and organic cotton. Each cotton item is also made with OEKO-TEX guidelines, which means it's been independently tested and certified against a list of over 350 harmful chemicals.
Getting a good night's sleep is a crucial part of any school routine. These 400 thread count cotton sheets will have you catching ZZZs in no time! We love that they're pill and shrink resistant, and made to strict Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX guidelines.
This soft, organic cotton bath towel is Made in Green by OEKO-TEX and will help any dorm shower feel a little more like home.
This chunky knit blanket will add some serious cozy vibes to any dorm room! It's Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified and comes in a ton of cute colors.
Seventh Generation Easy Dose Laundry Detergent
This ultra-concentrated laundry detergent will keep your clothes fresh and clean without harmful chemicals found in traditional laundry detergents.
Biokleen Stain and Odor Remover
If you're a workout aficionado with lots of athletic clothes, or if you just have a neglected pile of dirty clothes in the corner of your room, this stain and odor remover is perfect for you. It gets rid of those tough, lingering odors safely and naturally without the use of harsh chemicals.
Dryer sheets can be full of harsh chemicals, which is why we love wool dryer balls instead! These dryer balls will keep your clothes static free!
Grove Co. Multi-Purpose Cleaner Concentrates
Even a dorm room needs some TLC every now and then! Clean hard surfaces with this multi-surface cleaner from Grove Co. This streak-free cleaner will effectively remove dirt, grime, and residue leftover from that late night study session or post-finals party.
Lysol Power and Free Multi-Purpose Citrus Sparkle Cleaner Spray
Sometimes you needed a heavy-duty cleaner. We get it. That's why this Lysol hydrogen peroxide all-purpose cleaner is perfect for life's bigger messes. This product has an EPS design for environmental certified disinfectant, which means it was reviewed for both human health and environmental health, so you don't have to compromise on safety.
Ello Meal Prep Food Storage Container Set
That dorm room mini fridge was basically invented for leftovers. Keep your food fresh in these Ello food storage containers. Since they're made from glass instead of plastic, you can use them in the microwave without having to worry about harmful chemicals leeching into your food. Bonus: they're dishwasher safe!
Brita 20oz Premium Double-Wall Stainless Steel Insulated Filtered Water Bottle
Students do a lot of walking while on campus, so make sure to stay hydrated with a reusable water bottle! This insulated Brita stainless steel bottle will keep your water cool even on the hottest days. Bonus: It has a built in filter to keep your water pure and delicious.
Bodum Goose Neck 27oz Electric Water Kettle
You don't need a kitchen to enjoy a kettle! This compact glass kettle is perfect for dorm snacks like hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.
Klean Kanteen 12oz TKWide Insulated Stainless Steel with Café Cap
This stainless steel travel mug by Klean Kanteen is the perfect mug to toss in your backpack while you're on the go! It's spill and leak proof lid means you can enjoy your beverage on the go in any situation!
Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap
Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is a multi-use concentrate. Great as a body wash or even a shampoo or detergent. Its highly concentrated and made with great ingredients to ensure you get a bang for your buck and peace of mind.
Schmidt's Charcoal + Magnesium Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant Stick
Aluminium-free deodorant is where its at! Stay fresh and free of unnecessary harmful chemicals.
Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream
Keep that skin moisturized and toxic-free with this rich cream. Perfect for dry weather.
Stasher Reusable Silicone Food Storage Snack Bag
Great for taking a snack to lecture or for a weekend adventure, these Stasher snack bags are the answer to a useful plastic bags without all the waste and plastic made from harmful materials.
Seventh Generation Dish Liquid Soap
This dish soap will cut through grease and leave your dishes shiny and spotless without all the unnecessary harmful chemicals.
Packing lunches for school is a lot of work! We know from firsthand experience how hard it can be to pack something nutritious that your kids will actually eat. Plus if you're trying to reduce the amount of food packaging or plastic waste in your kid's lunch, it can just seem overwhelming. To make things easier, we rounded up our favorite non-toxic school lunch packing essentials. We included stainless steel lunchboxes, a hot food container, snack containers and bags, reusable food wrap, and a couple of cute and functional lunch bags. All of these items are free of lead, phthalates (commonly found in vinyl), BPA, and PFAS (Teflon-like chemicals). Check out these lunch packing essentials and get inspired to pack the best lunches ever.
a) Lunchbots Large Stainless Steel Lunch Container
Lunchbots is a great stainless steel bento container that will last for years. This one has 5 compartments for every type of lunch and snack combo you can come up with. You can get dip condiment containers that are leak proof that neatly fit inside. Lunchbots also has smaller containers for snacks that you should check out as well.
This stainless steel lunch box is easy for kids to open with a simple latch. The lunchbox comes with containers for wet foods and dips and you can buy extra dividers. The different compartments make it easy to pack a variety of foods. We love how it comes with magnets on the cover so that kids can customize the look. Planetbox also has an insulated carry bag, just make sure to pick one of the patterns that is made without a PFAS durable water repellent. Planetbox also has a smaller sized box for snacks or for little ones.
c) Bentgo Kids Stainless Steel
Bentgo is a favorite bento container that now comes in stainless steel! The silicone lining on the lid makes it leak resistant as and the latches make the container easy to open. It comes with 3 compartments and an extra silicone container.
d) Thermos Stainless Steel Insulated Food Jar
This container keeps food hot for 5 hours and is perfect for days when soup or mac n cheese are on the menu. The handle make it convenient to carry and helps kids open the top.
e) Stasher bags
Stasher bags are so popular for a reason! Say goodbye to single use plastic bags and say hello to a reusable food packing essential that comes in lots of fun colors. We particularly love the sandwich and snack sizes and use them daily.
These Zip Top container are as convenient to use as they are cute! We love how they sit flat and are easy to open for small hands. They are perfect for some sliced fruit or any loose snack.
g) Ukonserve Round Nesting Trio Stainless Steel Containers
These snack containers come with see through lids so that kids know what's inside. The are great for snacks, or use all three to pack a bento style lunch. They also nest for easy storage.
Sometimes you need a disposable sandwich or snack bag. No judgement! These If You Care unbleached sandwich bags are made of greaseproof, nonstick paper which is biodegradable, compostable, and microwave safe. Perfect for a cookie, sandwich, or other dry snack.
i) Bee's Wrap Reusable Food Wrap
Replace plastic wrap with this sustainable alternative. Bee's Wrap is made from GOTS Certified organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. We love wrapping up snacks, sandwiches, and cut up fruits and veggies in these.
This organic cotton canvas lunch bag is fully machine washable! The interior is lined with a food safe water resistant lining (free of PFAS, phthalates, and other harmful chemicals) and has a pocket for a ice pack. The bag comes in so many cute prints and has a very durable canvas handle.
k) Fjallraven Kanken Mini Cooler
This well insulated lunch bag is made of durable, waxed fabric that is PFAS free! Bonus that the the fabric is made from recycled plastic. It comes in lots of cute colors and is sure to be a favorite for kids of all ages.
A roomy insulated lunch box that is easy to wipe clean thanks to a biodegradable laminate made from sugar cane. It comes in several cute patterns and comes with a handle or a strap.
m) Ukonserve insulated lunch bag
This lunch bag is made from recycled plastic bottles and is free of PFAS, phthalates, and other toxic chemicals. It holds ups well to daily use and is roomy enough to pack a lunch plus snacks.
1) Vacuum More Often, Whatever That Means for You
Vacuum often, hopefully with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter. What do we mean by often? Well if you vacuum once a month, make it twice a month. And if you do it every other week, do it once a week! Vacuuming is an easy way to get dust out of your home. Besides just looking messy, dust is one of the places we often don't realize that toxic chemical residues collect. As toxic chemicals that can affect hormone levels, like flame retardants, phthalates, and lead, drift out of normal household things and stuff that gets tracked into the house, they often settle into dust all around the house. This can be not so great for health because people often touch the dust and eat and breathe it without realizing it. Anytime you fluff a pillow, you inadvertently breath in some dust. When you pick up that magazine from the coffee table to flip through it with a bowl of popcorn, you get some on our fingers and accidentally eat it. It happens. But if you vacuum, and dust with a wet microfiber cloth more often (think a couple times a week) you can dramatically reduce the amount of dust just hanging out in your home. That makes a huge difference.
2) Get Healthier Food Storage Containers
There is such a big focus on what women should and shouldn't eat or drink when they are pregnant, but there's not very much talk about how the ways we prepare or store food can be just as important. This is a pretty easy swap, and we did a whole roundup on glass and stainless steel food storage containers, plastic free lunch packing essentials, another on glass and stainless steel water bottles, and another on reusable coffee and tea mugs. You can pick up or order things today and you'll benefit from the changes in as few as two to three days. That's how quickly BPA and chemicals like it that are often found in food storage containers can leave your system. BPA and other endocrine disrupting chemicals like them are often found in plastics to make them hard and clear, and can cause problems for your baby later in life, like early onset of puberty in girls, decreased semen quality in men, and uro-genital abnormalities, which is why you want to limit your exposure as much as possible during pregnancy. Choosing glass (or stainless steel) storage containers is any easy way to do that. Also, just a note here that even if you're using a plastic container that says BPA-free on it, if it's a hard and clear plastic, they've probably just switched out the BPA for another chemical just like it, so it's better to steer clear.
3) Go Fragrance Free, But Still Smell Lovely
Not only because you start to develop super smelling powers during pregnancy and you might want to give your nose a break, but also because fragrance, when you see it on an ingredient label, has become a term that can cover up to 300 different ingredients. Not all of these ingredients are bad, but some of them are. Studies have linked the chemicals in the term "fragrance" to cancer and other negative health effects. Phthalates are also often added to products that have fragrance to help the fragrance last longer. But, phthalates have been linked to various forms of hormone disruption and even preterm birth. So, look for fragrance free (not unscented, they are different) options for things like lotion, shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, and even cleaning supplies. Products with natural essential oils are an alternative and a natural way to smell good, if you do still want a scent. There are also plenty of non-toxic ways to make your home or yourself smell pretty without the ingredient "fragrance."
Painting and decorating a nursery is one of the best parts of waiting for a little one. Or adding a splash of color when making the transition from nursery to little kid room is also super fun. Whether you're painting just one accent wall, the entire room, or an unfinished pieces of furniture in just the perfect shade, it's important to pick a paint that not only looks good, but is baby and kid safe. Paint fumes and chemical additives can linger and baby's systems are especially vulnerable and sensitive. Luckily, there are safer paints on the market so that you can feel good about using them so close to where your little ones will sleep.
Best Practices While Painting
First things first- how to paint. Who paints a room and how the room is painted is super important in protecting your health. If you're currently pregnant, ask your partner or a friend to do the painting for you. You definitely don't need to be exposed to paint fumes while you're still growing a little person. You're doing enough as is! Also make sure there are no toddlers around while painting. Although having a little helper would be really cute, toddlers are in a critical developmental period and are especially susceptible to the negative effects of paint fumes. Plus you probably don't want anything with wet paint on it to become a messy toy!
It's also critical to ventilate as much as you can while painting. Have all windows and doors open and a fan running if possible. Even a box fan in the corner will help! When you're not using the paint (whether it's a small break or overnight), keep the lid sealed securely on the container. This will prevent emissions from escaping while the paint isn't in use.
What to Look for in a Safe Paint
Now that you know how to paint, which paint should you use? There are a ton of paints on the market right now that all boast different features. Who knew there were so many different paint finishes?! But here's what you really need to be on the lookout for:
- Zero VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are toxic gasses that are released from solids or liquids. Basically they are released when paint dries. You know, the weird new paint smell? Well VOCs can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat but repeated and long term exposure can cause cancer and damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system (1). Also, the pigments added to paints can have VOCs, particularly darker pigments, so be on the lookout for paint with zero VOC colorants.
- Look for APE- free paints. Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are a group of chemicals that are suspected endocrine disruptors (a.k.a these little guys mess up how hormones should normally work in the body) (2). You don't want those around babies or children or when you're breastfeeding. APE-free paint can be found easily, so just ask or look on the label.
- Avoid paints that are advertised as antimicrobial. Many paints contain a preservative to keep the paint fresh during storage, but paints that are advertised as antimicrobial may have other additives that are really just not necessary and there are no standards for efficacy (like does it actually kill harmful germs? And for how long?) It might sound good, but in reality they are also harmful to humans and don't do much (3).
Our Baby Safe and Kid Safe Paint Recommendations
Our recommendations will take the guesswork out of choosing a non-toxic paint brand, although you'll still have to pick the color! These paints are all zero VOCs and are free of APEs. In addition to the standard latex paints, we also included 2 options for milk paint, which are made from milk proteins and pigments. Milk paints are a bit more work to use, but are easy to use once you get the hang of it and you can create antique or smooth finishes. They are also great for painting furniture and decorations. No matter which paint brand you pick, you can feel safe about using them.
a) AFM Safecoat Zero VOC- This paint was designed specifically for those with allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitive. It comes in flat, pearl, eggshell, and semi-gloss finishes. Zero VOC, zero VOC colorants, APE free, and contains no mildewcides and fungicides. All ingredients are disclosed and the paint is SCS certified for indoor advantage gold.
b) Benjamin Moore Eco Spec- Benjamin Moore recently stopped making their Natura paint, but their Eco Spec paint is very similar and available nationally. Zero VOC, zero VOC colorants, and APE free. It is Green Seal 11 certified. It does contain isothiazolinone compounds to inhibit the growth of mold or mildew on the surface of the paint film.
c) Clare Paint- This paint come in specific designer curated colors, which can really help if you can't pick a color! Zero VOC, zero VOC colorants, and the eggshell and semi-gloss paints are APE free. It is also Greenguard Gold certified. It does contain a mildewcide to inhibit the growth of mildew.
d) Lullaby paints or ECOS paints- ECOS paint, which also makes their Lullaby paint line is a great zero VOC paint, with zero VOC colorants, APE free, and contains no algicides, mildewcides, and rust inhibitors. They have a color catalogue or you they can color match any national brand. They have both a Declare label and a Health Product Declaration in which they disclose all ingredients. Declare labels are issued to products disclosing ingredient inventory, sourcing and end of life options. Health Product Declarations are third party verified and include the health impact of all product ingredients.
e) Sherwin Williams Harmony- A zero VOC paint, zero VOC colorant paint that is available nationally. The primer and flat finishes are APE free. The paints are also Greenguard Gold certified. It does contain anti-microbial agents that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the paint surface.
f) Real Milk Paint- A natural paint option where the main ingredient is casein (milk protein). It comes as a powder that you mix it with water. The ingredients are casein (milk protein), calcium lime, natural pigment colors, and an edible plant based filler
g) Old Fashioned Milk Paint Farmhouse Finishes Safe Paint- This line of milk paint is formulated especially for painting walls. It comes as a powder that you mix with water. The ingredients are casein(milk protein), calcium hydroxide, chalk, clay, natural pigments, natural salts, and crystalline silica.
a) Ikea Sniglar Crib b) DaVinci Kalani 4 in 1 Convertible Crib c) DaVinci Jenny Lind 3 in 1 Convertible Crib d) Babyletto Hudson Crib e) Million Dollar Baby Classic Liberty 3 in 1 Convertible Crib f) Dadada Soho 3 in 1 Convertible Crib g) Pottery Barn Kendall Convertible Crib h) West Elm Mid-Century Convertible Crib i) Oeuf Sparrow Crib
At Because Health, we believe that having safe and non-toxic baby gear shouldn't come at the expense of convenience or great customer reviews. For cribs, we pulled together all of the top rated and recommended ones from Lucie's List, Babylist, Consumer Reports, The Bump, and Wirecutter. Then, we selected cribs that were GREENGUARD Gold certified, which limits the VOCs in the finishes and glues used (read more about what GREENGUARD certification means). While we were at it, we focused on cribs made with solid wood, and ended up including a budget solid wood pick from Ikea. Although the budget pick is not GREENGUARD certified, Ikea has a transparent chemicals policy and we like having an affordable solid wood option. Then, like always, we made sure the products were easily available and had positive consumer reviews before they made it to our final roundup.
For more non-toxic baby gear, check out our roundups of travel cribs and playards, bassinets and cosleepers, and swings and bouncers.
*Because Health is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program so that when you click through our Amazon links, a percentage of the proceeds from your purchases will go to Because Health. We encourage you to shop locally, but if you do buy online buying through our links will help us continue the critical environmental health education work we do. Our participation does not influence our product recommendations. To read more about how we recommend products, go to our methodology page.
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