Ditch the Toxins: 6 Clean Living Swaps You Need to Make Now

Want to Live a Cleaner, Healthier Life? Start Here.

Living clean isn’t about perfection—it’s about making better choices where you can and letting go of what you can’t control. If you’re following the 80/20 rule (which I swear by), the goal is to use these clean living tips to reduce your toxic load in realistic ways without going down a rabbit hole of stress and paranoia.

So, where do you start? These six easy swaps will instantly clean up your daily life—without making you feel like you have to throw everything away and live off the grid.

1. Never Non-Stick—Seriously, Just Don’t

If you only make one swap, let it be this: ditch the non-stick pans.

Teflon (and similar non-stick coatings) release toxic chemicals when heated—so bad that if you cook with them in a small, unventilated space, it can literally kill birds. If that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is.

Plus, the moment your non-stick pan gets even the tiniest scratch, it starts leaching chemicals directly into your food. No, thank you.

Better alternatives:

• Cast iron (naturally non-stick if seasoned properly)
• Stainless steel (heats evenly, lasts forever)
• Enameled cast iron (Le Creuset vibes without the toxins)

2. Ditch Artificial Fragrances—Your Hormones Will Thank You.

If you’ve ever dealt with hormonal imbalance, mood swings, fatigue, or stubborn weight gain, your fragrance-filled home and beauty products might be making things worse.

Artificial fragrances are endocrine disruptors—fancy talk for “they mess with your hormones.” They’re in everything from candles to laundry detergent, perfume, body wash, and even “unscented” products (yep, companies sneak them in under names like “masking fragrance”). [More About Hormones]

I’ll admit, Victoria’s Secret scents had a chokehold on me in high school, and I loved candles before I learned how bad their smoke can be (a rant for another day). But once I ditched synthetic fragrances, I felt the difference.

Better alternatives:

• Essential oils (organic, affordable, and actually beneficial)
• Beeswax or coconut wax candles (no toxic soot)
• Fragrance-free, clean household products (or DIY your own!)

[My Clean Cleaners]

3. Cut Back on Plastics—Start with the Worst Offenders.

I won’t lie—avoiding plastic entirely is impossible. It’s in everything from food packaging to beauty products, kids’ toys, and even “eco-friendly” brands (ugh).

So, instead of stressing about every little thing, focus on the biggest culprits:

• Plastic food containers (especially if you heat food in them—hello, microplastics)
• Plastic water bottles (BPA-free doesn’t mean toxin-free)
• Food packaged in plastic (especially oils and acidic foods like tomatoes)

Which Plastics Are the Worst?

Check the recycling number on the bottom of plastic products. 

These are the ones to ditch ASAP:

• #3 (PVC) – Found in cling wrap and some food containers, leaches phthalates
• #6 (PS – Polystyrene) – AKA Styrofoam, found in takeout containers and cups, linked to potential carcinogens
• #7 (Other) – This is a catch-all category and may include BPA or other unknown toxins

Which Plastics Are “Safer” (if you must use them)?

• #1 (PETE/PET) – Common in bottled water and soda; okay for single use but not for reuse
•  #2 (HDPE) – Found in milk jugs and some food containers; considered one of the safer plastics
• #5 (PP – Polypropylene) – Used in yogurt cups and some reusable containers; more stable and less likely to leach

Think 80/20 mindset—control what you can and don’t stress the rest.

Better alternatives:

• Glass or stainless steel food containers
• Reusable water bottles (glass or stainless steel)
• Bulk buying or plastic-free packaged foods when possible

4. No Bio-Engineered Ingredients—Because Fake Food Isn’t Food.

I tell my kids all the time:

“If it’s not food, we don’t put it in our mouths.”

But then we walk into a grocery store and see aisles of fake, ultra-processed junk marketed as “healthy”. If you see “bio-engineered” on a label, it’s a no-go.

This includes genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), ultra-processed additives, and lab-made “foods” that our bodies aren’t designed to recognize. The long-term effects? We’re just now seeing them—but they’re not good.

Better alternatives:

• Whole, real foods (if it grew from the ground or had a mother, it’s real)
• Organic when possible (especially for high-risk crops like corn and soy)
• Read labels—if you can’t pronounce it, rethink it

5. Avoid Artificial Colors—They’re Worse Than You Think.

This one hits hard for parents. Artificial food dyes are linked to hyperactivity, sleep problems, and even cognitive issues in kids—yet they’re slapped all over products marketed directly to them.

Ever notice how the “kid section” at the grocery store is a sea of bright, cartoon-covered boxes at eye level? That’s not by accident.

Better alternatives:

• Products colored with real fruit and spices (beets, turmeric, spirulina)
• Check labels for Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, etc.—if it’s there, skip it
• Make homemade versions of kids’ favorites (bonus: they taste better!)

6. Skip Artificial Flavors—Your Taste Buds Deserve Better.

You know that fake grape flavor that tastes nothing like real grapes? Gross.

Artificial flavors are cheap chemical imitations of real food flavors—and once you start eating real, whole foods, you’ll notice how weirdly off they taste.

Better alternatives:

• Stick to real, whole foods—nature’s flavors are way better
• Choose products flavored with real fruit, herbs, and spices
• Make homemade versions of flavored drinks, snacks, and treats

It’s About Progress, Not Perfection.

Clean living isn’t about fear-mongering or doing a total lifestyle overhaul overnight. These clean living tips are all about making small, manageable swaps that add up over time.

Start with one or two changes that feel doable, and build from there. Before you know it, these choices will feel second nature—without stressing over every little thing.

Where will you start? Drop a comment and let’s talk clean living!