If you’re looking for ways to detox your home and body the kitchen is a great place to start. From the food we eat to what we cook and clean with, a shocking amount of chemicals may exist right in your very favorite room. These chemicals can effect our mood, reproductive processes, growth and development, sexual function and metabolism which can ultimately lead to productive problems, metabolic issues, cancer, birth defects, and other devastating disorders.

I personally thought that I was doing a good job with our kitchen detox until I read this GOOP article and was SHOCKED to see the bad EWG scores on products we use that we thought weren’t bad (ehhh hmmmm Method and Mrs. Meyer). After reading the article, I detoxed our kitchen, again, and will continue to as we learn more about the dangers of what we’re using.

Here are seven ways to detox your own kitchen:

1. FOOD: Shop local/organic as much as possible (I realize it costs a little bit more but this is your health – you are what you eat!) and avoid all the processed foods.

2-5. SOAPS & CLEANERS: Most antibacterial soaps and hand-sanitizers contain nasty triclosan, a petrochemical that’s devastating to the environment, along with sodium laureth sulfate (likely contaminated with 1,4- dioxane, a known carcinogen), the preservative methylisothiazolinone (this can cause allergies), and fragrances and dyes. Swap out products that contain these chemicals for ones that don’t. Here are the highest rated brands by the EWG for the specific types of soaps/cleaners you use in your kitchen:

Dish soap: Planet Ultra and Better Life

Hand soap: Dr. Bronner’s Organic Fair Trade Shikakai Hand Soap

Dishwasher detergent: Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwashing Powder

All purpose cleaner: Planet All Purpose Spray Cleaner and Bon Ami Powder Cleaner

6. COOKWARE: Non-stick cookware may be coated with Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical that may cause cancer. Replace your pans as they scratch, peel, and wear out—and avoid cooking in them over high heat. As you slowly swap out your non-stick cookware, look for stainless steel, cast-iron, and enamel pots instead.

7. PLASTIC: Components of plastic, like BPA (bisphenol A), the building block of polycarbonate plastics, can leach out of containers and into the food, water or product inside. Always check the resin code on the bottom of the plastic storage containers and bowls in your kitchen. Avoid plastic numbers 3, 6 and 7 (when 7 is polycarbonate). In general, try to store food and beverages in glass and 100% stainless steel containers. Also, skip the canned food when you can, as many cans are lined in a resin that contains BPA.

Source: GOOP