Sources

Reheat food in glass, not plastic

• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Food Additives and Child Health" (2018). Advises against microwaving food or drinks in plastic.
• Hussain and colleagues, 2023, Environmental Science & Technology. The study behind "billions of tiny plastic particles" after three minutes in the microwave.

Plastic cooking utensils: wood or stainless steel

We make no health claim about utensils themselves. The one fact here is the general point about heat and plastic.

• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Food Additives and Child Health" (2018). Heat can cause plastics to release chemicals into food. It does not mention utensils.

Plastic food containers: glass

• Rudel and colleagues, 2011, Environmental Health Perspectives. Five families ate fresh food kept out of plastic and cans for three days, and their BPA levels fell by 66%. The study changed their whole diet, not only their containers.
• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Food Additives and Child Health" (2018). Suggests glass or stainless steel in place of plastic when possible.

Plastic water bottles: stainless steel or glass

• University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 2014. Sixteen brands of bottled water stored in heat for four weeks, and the researcher's advice about hot garages and cars.
• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Food Additives and Child Health" (2018). Suggests glass or stainless steel in place of plastic when possible.

Keep plastic out of the dishwasher

• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Food Additives and Child Health" (2018). Advises keeping plastics out of the dishwasher when you can.

Plastic kettle: stainless steel or glass

• "Release of nanoplastics from polypropylene kettles," 2025 (a Nature Portfolio journal). About 12 million particles per liter on a new kettle's first boil, and 96% less plastic released by the 150th boil. The study did not test health effects.

Plastic wrap: a lid, a plate or beeswax wrap

We make no health claim about plastic wrap. The tip about keeping it off food while it heats rests on the general point about heat and plastic.

• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Food Additives and Child Health" (2018). Heat can cause plastics to release chemicals into food. It does not mention plastic wrap.

Nonstick pans: cast iron or stainless steel

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications" (updated January 2025). An intact coating passes only negligible amounts of PFAS into food.
• Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, "PFAS and cookware" (updated April 2025). Replace scratched or damaged nonstick pans, and cook below 400°F.
• Consumer Reports (2022 testing) and America's Test Kitchen. Ceramic-coated pans and how their coating wears.

Coffee pods: a reusable pod

• University of Birmingham study, 2025, Science of the Total Environment. Tested 31 hot and cold drinks, including coffee brewed from pods.
• Time, "Coffee pods and plastic" (2025), interview with the lead researcher. Tiny plastic particles in pod-made coffee were traced to the pods' own plastic. What that means for health is not yet known.

Nonstick bakeware: glass or stainless steel

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications" (updated January 2025). An intact nonstick coating passes only negligible amounts of PFAS into food. The FDA page covers nonstick cookware in general and does not name bakeware.
• Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, "PFAS and cookware" (updated April 2025). Replace scratched or damaged nonstick pieces.

Plastic cutting board: wood

• Yadav and colleagues, 2023, Environmental Science & Technology. Summary at Technology Networks. Tens of millions of tiny plastic particles a year from chopping on plastic boards, and no harm to cells in the same study. It was a small study.

Coffee maker: one with less plastic

We found no study that tested a home coffee maker's plastic parts, and the app says so. We use the kettle study as a comparison.

• "Release of nanoplastics from polypropylene kettles," 2025 (a Nature Portfolio journal). Boiling water released millions of tiny particles per liter from a new plastic kettle, and far fewer as it aged.

Air fryer: no nonstick coating

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications" (updated January 2025). An intact nonstick coating passes only negligible amounts of PFAS into food. The FDA page covers nonstick cookware in general and does not name air fryers.
• Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, "PFAS and cookware" (updated April 2025). Replace scratched or damaged nonstick pieces.
• America's Poison Centers, as reported by ABC7. Fumes from overheated nonstick coatings: ventilate, and do not preheat empty on high. The report is about pans, and we apply it to air fryers.

Tea bags: loose leaf tea

• Hernandez and colleagues, 2019, Environmental Science & Technology (McGill University). One plastic mesh tea bag released billions of tiny plastic particles at brewing temperature. Health effects are unknown.
• Banaei and colleagues, 2024, Chemosphere (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Tested nylon, polypropylene and paper-style (cellulose) bags, and all three shed particles.

Skip fabric softener

• American Cleaning Institute, "Fabric Softeners and Enhancers: A Comprehensive Guide." How fabric softener works, and its effect on flame-resistant sleepwear.

Skip scent booster beads

We make no health claim here. Scent beads add fragrance and do not clean, so skipping them is common sense.

Dish soap: fragrance-free

We make no health claim here. Fragrance and dye do not help soap clean.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Safer Choice fragrance-free fact sheet. What the "fragrance-free" label means.

Dishwasher detergent: fragrance-free and dye-free

The point about fragrance and dye is common sense. The source below is for the rinse aid note.

• Ogulur and colleagues, 2023, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Summary from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Rinse aid residue from commercial dishwashers harmed gut cells in the lab. Cells, not people, and not home machines.

Laundry detergent: fragrance-free

• Goodman and colleagues, 2018, Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. Six households switched to fragrance-free laundry products, and a key fragrance chemical in their dryer exhaust fell by 79% on average.
• Wang and colleagues, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Detergent left in clothes after a normal wash damaged airway cells in the lab. Cells, not people.
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 1,4-dioxane limits in consumer products (2024). New York limits 1,4-dioxane in household cleaning products to 1 part per million.

Dryer sheets: wool dryer balls

• Steinemann and colleagues, 2011, as reported by the University of Washington. More than 25 VOCs measured coming from dryer vents when scented laundry products were used. A small study of two homes.

Bleach: an oxygen-based cleaner

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Cleaning and Disinfecting with Bleach." Bleach fumes, and the danger of mixing bleach with other cleaners.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home." Regular cleaning is enough in most situations.
• Missouri Poison Center, "5 tips for cleaning and disinfecting safely." Why not to mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in one bottle.

Open a window while you clean

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality." Levels of many VOCs run up to ten times higher indoors than outdoors, and fresh air helps when you use products that release them.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home." Bring in fresh air when you clean.

All-purpose cleaner: fragrance-free

• Zock and colleagues, 2007, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. About 3,500 adults in 10 countries. Weekly use of cleaning sprays was linked to more asthma symptoms, and cleaners that were not sprayed showed no link. A link, not proof of cause.

Glass cleaner: a cloth and water

• Zock and colleagues, 2007, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Glass-cleaning sprays were among those most linked to asthma symptoms.

Disinfecting wipes: reusable cloths

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, guidance on disinfectant contact time. A disinfectant has to stay wet on the surface for the time on its label.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home." Regular cleaning is enough in most situations, unless someone is sick.
• Arnold and colleagues, 2023, research review. Concerns that common disinfecting chemicals may irritate skin and airways.

Oven cleaner: baking soda paste

• MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), "Oven cleaner poisoning." Oven cleaner fumes and burns.

Dry clean less often

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Non-Technical Summary of the Risk Evaluation for Perchloroethylene" (December 2022). The EPA found an unreasonable risk to health, including for consumers from "exposure to certain recently dry cleaned articles."

Open your windows when the weather allows

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Report on the Environment, "Indoor Air Quality." Levels of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Reduce Your Smoke Exposure." Keep windows closed on smoke days.

Run the range hood when you cook

• Kashtan and colleagues, 2024, Science Advances. Stanford University summary. Nitrogen dioxide from gas and propane stoves, measured in more than 100 homes, including bedrooms.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Sources of Combustion Products." A hood fan vented outdoors greatly reduces what you breathe while cooking.

Unplug the air fresheners

• Steinemann, 2017, "Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments," Building and Environment. Air fresheners release more than 100 different chemicals, and labels do not have to list fragrance ingredients.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home." Particle filters such as HEPA do not remove gases.

Check what's in your tap water

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "CCR Information for Consumers." Your water utility must send a report each year.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS drinking water rule monitoring fact sheet (April 2024). Utilities have until 2027 to finish their first PFAS tests.
• Environmental Working Group, Tap Water Database. An advocacy group's database. Its health guidelines are stricter than the legal limits.

Cut back on scented candles and wax melts

• Patra and colleagues, 2025, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (Purdue University). Scented wax melts form tiny airborne particles at levels comparable to candles and gas stoves. Health effects are not yet known.
• American Chemical Society, ACS Axial, "The Indoor Hazards of Wax Melts." Wax melts release more scent chemicals than candles.

Shoes off at the door

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead." Wiping and removing shoes at the door keeps lead-contaminated soil out.
• Nishioka and colleagues, 1999, Environmental Science & Technology, and 2001, Environmental Health Perspectives. Lawn weedkiller tracked indoors for up to a week after spraying. An active dog and the person who applied it were the main carriers.

Drinking water: a certified filter

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Identifying Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce PFAS." Look for NSF/ANSI 53 or 58, change the cartridge on schedule, and know that certifications do not yet guarantee a filter reaches the EPA's new PFAS limits.
• NSF, certified drinking water treatment listings. What each standard covers: 42 for taste and chlorine, 53 and 58 for lead.

HVAC filter: a higher-rated one

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home." Use a filter rated at least MERV 13, or as high as your system can handle.

Dust with a damp cloth

• Mitro and colleagues, 2016, Environmental Science & Technology. Fact sheet from Silent Spring Institute. A review of U.S. studies found 45 chemicals in house dust, ten of them in 90% or more of samples.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead." Clean up dust often with a wet cloth.

HEPA air purifier

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home." What a HEPA purifier does, the size of the health gains, and why to avoid units that make ozone.
• California Air Resources Board, "Air Cleaner Information for Consumers." Advises against ozone generators and uncertified air cleaners.

Paint: low- or zero-VOC

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Healthy Indoor Painting Practices" (2000). Water-based paints give off fewer VOCs than oil-based ones. Ventilate while painting and for 2 to 3 days after.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Technical Overview of Volatile Organic Compounds." VOC labels may not count everything a product gives off indoors.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality." Buy only what you will use.