Staying healthy by eating healthy organic food and avoiding toxic chemicals at home has become the main priority for parents. Exposure to harmful pollutants and chemicals can lead to cancer and mess up your child’s development as well, which is why so many parents try to create a green and eco-friendly home. And, it seems that there’s no better place to start doing that than with the child’s room. This is the place where your child spends most of his/her time, so it’s more than obvious why you should start there first.

Ditch Plastic and Invest in Safe-to-use Wood Toys

Plastic is one of the most harmful materials that you can introduce and give to your child. Aside from being easily breakable, it can also leach chemicals and toxins contained in its core and the used dyes thus pose serious health dangers for your little one. This is one of the main and biggest reasons why so many parents have turned to the use of good old wooden toys for kids that have been popular for centuries and continue to gain popularity to this day.

Why Are Wooden Toys Better?

Generally, wood is a natural material that basically makes these toys safe for kids. They are much stronger than plastic, impossible to break, and way safer to use even by babies. It’s the kind of material that has natural antibacterial properties meaning that wooden toys don’t harbour bacteria as much as plastic even if they babies them in their mouth.

In order to go completely green, you should find toys made of sustainable wood and natural dye. By doing that, you can be sure that even if your child puts the toys in his mouth, the paint itself won’t leach chemicals and toxins. On the other hand, wooden toys are sturdier than plastic and, with proper care, they can last a lifetime which means that they can be passed down to generations. Speaking of care, all it takes is to wipe them down with a clean wet cloth to keep them as good as new. And in case of stains, spot cleaning is recommended instead of soaking the toys in a water solution.

To remove the stain, you can use mild dish soap, white vinegar, or apple cider that you could spray on the toys or on the cloth itself. Cleaning with vinegar is great since that way you’ll be also disinfecting the toys naturally. Once you clean them, make sure they’re completely dry before giving them to your child.

Purify the Air

While plants might be a great natural air purifier, they aren’t recommended to be placed near children since they’re unpredictable. Plus, with the air being so polluted these days, it may be impossible for one plant to entirely purify the air. For that reason, it would be better if you purchase an air purifier. Technology has evolved a lot, so now you can opt for a silent-working and portable air purifier that has the power to clean the air.

Usually, these purifiers have several levels of air purification to ensure a fresh and odour-free ambience. They’re available in numerous stylish designs and sizes, which allows you to choose just the right one for your needs. When in the search for the right model, make sure to buy one with a HEPA filter which is great for capturing dust, smoke, pollen, and other allergens.

It would be great if you opt for a purifier that has a pre-filter designed to capture initial dust and allergen particles. Even though there are lots of purifier models available on the market, almost all of the new versions have a night light which is great for children who are afraid to sleep in the dark. You can also look for one that has adjustable fan speed settings, timer function and sleep function to make the most of useful features.

As far as design and colour go, you have the option to pick out a model that can meet your child’s room décor and style. Despite this versatility, one thing is true for them all: today’s purifiers are compact, easy to use and move around which allows you to use them in each room of your home. All it takes is for you to choose the right size in order to clean the room in the designated period of time.

Clean and Dust Regularly

Frequent vacuuming, mopping, and dusting are some of the most basic things you can do to reduce the child’s exposure to dust, germs, bacteria and toxins. When it comes to cleaning, it would be best if you go green and choose eco-friendly cleaning products. You can either turn to the use of ready-made cleaning products or you can make your own natural cleaner that won’t disappoint you in removing stains and killing bacteria.

When it comes to vacuuming, make sure to replace the filter with a HEPA filter. Thanks to the many vacuum attachments, you can easily clean every furniture piece and corner of your home. All of these things will help you get contaminants out of your house without the use of harmful cleaning products.

Take Off Your Shoes at Home

This is something so basic, yet so many people make the mistake of wearing shoes in their homes. Bacteria, viruses, dust, germs and even poop are some of the many things that can be found on shoes, and wearing them at home is simply unacceptable. Not to mention wearing them in a house with children.

Whether small or not, children have the habit of touching their faces, and smaller children can even lick floors and put their fingers in their mouths, so just imagine the things they’ll put in their mouths! Keeping shoes in their place once you enter your home will minimise the chances of your child being exposed to some harmful and sometimes deadly bacteria.