Not everyone will have the incentive to make all these changes - however, every change you make WILL make a difference! This way of living is not only much better and safer for YOU - it's also much better for the environment! Switching to non-toxic living can be a very pleasant experience if we think of it as a return to the purity and safety of the way our ancestors lived. Many of the suggestions here were actually used by our ancestors before all the toxic chemicals were marketed to make life "easier". We pay dearly for that "ease" with the loss of safe, clean air to breathe and, in many cases, the loss of our health. Some of the products may take a little more "elbow grease" - others actually work BETTER than their toxic alternatives - either way, you can take major steps to cleaning up your environment and protecting yourself and your family from toxic chemicals by following these suggestions.

1. Avoid ALL scented products ("fragrance" as an ingredient) - including all perfumes, colognes, after-shaves, personal-care products, air fresheners, pot-pourri, etc. Be careful about certain "unscented" products that use "masking fragrance" to cover up the original fragrance - these are doubly toxic!

2. Avoid ALL fabric softeners, dryer sheets, Clorox, scented detergents, etc. These products are VERY toxic and very harmful to the environment as well.

3. Avoid ALL pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Pesticides are neuro-toxins (affect the central nervous system), and they don't know the difference between the BUGS and YOU! For fleas, roaches, ants, etc., use diatomacious earth, boric acid, and nematodes. You can get these from health food stores and pet supply stores - or from some of the "Resources" listed on the MCS Resources page.

4. Use only non-toxic cleaning products and personal-care products (see below).

5. Drink and bathe in filtered water. Taking a shower in chlorinated water causes the chlorine to go right into your blood stream. You can purchase shower filters that easily attach to your shower nozzle from water-supply stores (check your Yellow Pages) or from many of the mail-order companies listed on the MCS Resources page. Also avoid swimming in chlorinated pools.

6. Eat organic food (food grown without pesticides or fertilizers) as often as possible. Avoid processed foods, foods with colors and dyes, preservatives, etc. NEVER consume products containing "NutraSweet" (aspartame). It breaks down into formic acid ("ant-sting poison") and methanol (wood alcohol) in your body! (See "Links to Related Sites" for more information about aspartame.)

7. Wear only natural-fiber clothing (100% cotton, linen, wool, or silk). Make sure the clothes are NOT "permanent press" or "wrinkle resistant" - these clothes have been treated with formaldehyde that does NOT wash out!

8. Use only 100% cotton, wool, or pure silk bed linens and blankets. Avoid "no-iron" or "wrinkle-resistant". A good brand is "Simply Cotton", marketed by "Martex" and available at department stores like Dillards. Wal-mart also now carries 100% cotton "T-shirt" sheets!

9. As much as possible, avoid plastics (store food in glass jars), particle-board, plywood, glues, inks, paints (use Glidden 2000 - least toxic), foam rubber, vinyl, carpet, synthetic rugs, varnishes, solvents, etc.

10. Open your windows as often as possible! Even in the most polluted cities, the outdoor air has been found to be less toxic than the indoor air! Amazing, isn't it?!

11. Certain houseplants are beneficial to remove toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde, benzene etc.  The best plants for removing these and other toxins are philodendrons, spider plants, aloe vera, English ivy, golden pothos, and boston fern. To learn more about this, there is a really good book available called: "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office"by B. C. Wolverton. (NOTE: Many thanks to Karen Snyder for this information!)

1. GENERAL CLEANING:

• White Vinegar (cleans windows, counter tops, chrome, grease, floors, etc.)
  
  
• Bon Ami (sinks, etc.) - near the "Comet"
  
  
• Borax (toilets, tubs, floors) - disinfects, deodorizes, kills mold and mildew, and great for laundry - in the detergent aisle
  
  
• Baking Soda - sit around in small bowls to absorb odors; also cleans sinks, great for laundry, etc.
  
  
• Lemons (clean windows, sinks, grease, etc.). You can also use lemons as an air freshener. Cut 4 lemons into 4ths. Put in a pot and cover with water. Simmer for about an hour and turn heat off. Will fill room with wonderful aroma! (Note: Some people react to the odors of lemons and oranges, even though they're considered "natural". Please be careful!) My personal opinion is that pure fresh air with no added scent is BEST - however, for those of you who simply must have some kind of "scent" in the air to feel like your air is fresh, this is probably the next-best thing, and is MUCH better than the toxic "air fresheners" (poisoners, actually)!
  
  
• Furniture polish: any vegetable oil, lemon oil, etc. (2 parts oil, 1 part lemon juice works great!), Earthrite furniture polish (HFS), or any other brand that is all natural and fragrance-free
  
  
• Nature Clean, Lifetree, Seventh Generation, or Ecover dishwashing liquids (HFS)
  
  
• Nature Clean or Ecover automatic dishwashing detergent (or any that do not contain chlorine or fragrance)
  
  
• Tip: To get stuck-on food off a pot/pan, just sprinkle salt and cool water in it and let it sit a while, then wipe clean!

2. FOR LAUNDRY:

• Baking soda (NOT "Arm & Hammer Detergent"!) - 1 cup per load
  
  
• Sodium Perborate - a chlorine-free, natural bleaching mineral
  (sold as "Country Save non-chlorine bleach" - HFS)
  
  
• White Vinegar - 1 cup in rinse cycle to soften clothes and remove odors and residual detergent
  
  
• Use one of the suggested dishwashing liquids for spot removal - great for grease, ketchup, and other stains!
  
  
• Dr. Bronner's Unscented Baby Castile Liquid Soap (HFS or NEEDS)
  
  
• Country Save, Earthrite, Ecover, or Seventh Generation laundry detergent (HFS)
  
  
• Granny's Old-Fashioned Concentrate (HFS or NEEDS)
  
  
• All-Free, Cheer-Free, or Tide-Free if you feel you must use a "regular" detergent. These products at least do not contain fragrances, but they do contain other petrochemicals and are not the "best" choice if you are trying to reduce your toxic exposures.

NOTE: Use nothing on your skin that you'd be afraid to eat! Products are absorbed through the skin into the blood stream just as if you'd eaten them!

1. SHAMPOO:

• Pure Essentials Fragrance-Free Shampoo (HFS) - also make a conditioner
  
  
• Giovanni's Tea Tree Shampoo (contains no sodium laurel sulfate or propylene glycol!)
  
  
• Granny's Old-Fashioned Shampoo (HFS) - also make a conditioner
  
  
• Dr. Bronner's Unscented Baby Castile Liquid Soap

2. SOAP:

• Sirena Pure Coconut Oil Soap
  
  
• Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap
  
  
• Dr. Bronner's Baby Supermild Soap
  
  
• Dr. Bronner's Unscented Baby Castile Liquid Soap

3. DEODORANT:

• Mineral crystal stones (or spray) - least toxic choice (HFS)
  
  
• Queen Helene, Unscented Deodorant (HFS) - does contain propylene glycol, a petrochemical, but at least it's unscented!
  
  
• le Stick French Green Clay Deodorant (Unscented)
  
  
• Baking soda
  
  
• French clay powder (HFS)
  
  
• Corn Starch (great for powder!) - in the baking section of your grocery store (do not use if you have a problem with yeast infections since corn can "feed" the yeast!)

4. TOOTHPASTE: (Avoid fluoride - it's toxic and doesn't help cavities anyway!)

• Tom's of Maine (HFS)
  
  
• Weleda (HFS)
  
  
• Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste - various brands (HFS)
  
  
• Jason's (contains no sodium laurel sulfate or propylene glycol!)
  
  
• Baking Soda

5. FACE CREAMS AND BODY LOTIONS:
(Avoid "Quaternium-15", which releases formaldehyde!)

• Plain almond oil or olive oil
  
  
• Kiss My Face Fragrance-free Olive and Aloe moisture lotion
  
  
• Granny's Old Fashioned Moisture Guard
  
  
• Nature's Plus Vitamin E Cream
  
  
• Cocoa butter, plain or with almond oil only
  
  
• Any fragrance-free moisturizer from regular stores would be better than scented moisturizers.

6. SUNSCREENS:

• Aubrey Organics Ultra 15 Natural Herbal Sunblock
  (NOTE: Be sure to check the label carefully. There is another sunblock made by Aubrey Organics that contains apple essential oils and it does have a scent that can bother people with MCS!)
  
  
• Mountain Ocean Sun Screen
  
  
• Kiss My Face Sun Screen
  
  
• Physician's Formula

7. HAIRSPRAY:

• For the most part - AVOID!! Most hair sprays contain nerve gas and propane or butane (yes, the stuff that goes into your gas heater and lighters!) and are VERY toxic. Cut hair in style that does not require sprays. You can also make a home-made gel by dissolving 1 package of unflavored gelatin (not "Jello"!) in 2 cups of hot water. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
  
  
• Plain Aloe Vera gel!
  
  
• There is a hairspray made by Naturade (HFS) called "Aloe Vera 80" that is tolerable to some MCS patients - be sure to get the kind without alcohol!

8. FEMININE HYGIENE:

• Glad Rags - organic cotton menstrual pads, tampons, and other non-toxic products.
  
  (NOTE: FDA studies have shown commercially-bought pads and tampons to contain harmful substances. The traditional cotton used in these products has been grown using as many as 35 different pesticides and chemicals and is then chlorine bleached creating dioxin in the process.)
  
  
• Natural and re-useable tampons: Use a couple of fine-holed sea-sponges (about as big as a palm - you can always cut them if too big). Clean and boil very carefully (they shrink a bit when boiled) and then thread a string through. Once wet, they turn very soft and are effective absorbers. (Many thanks to Inger for this tip!)

9. SHAVING CREAM:

• Kiss My Face
  
  
• Plain aloe vera gel can be used for after-shave - works great!
  
  
• Homemade Recipe: 1/4 Cup Pure Aloe Vera Gel, 1/4 Cup Pure Coconut Oil, 1/4 Cup Vegetable Glycerin, 1/8 Cup Pure Castille Soap, Liquid. Stir gently together and either put in a spray bottle or apply by hand. Apply a nice coating and then shave away!

MISCELLANEOUS TIP: Plant mint around the house to keep mosquitos away. Rub some mint leaves on you to keep them from biting you.

For more information, MCS book listing, and mail-order companies, for non-toxic products, please see the "MCS Resources"page. The following are books specifically related to non-toxic living and alternative products to use: