Healthy Home Tips for Parents. Can't Get Any Easier than That...

Can it? Here we go:

1. Choose better body care products for kids: read the ingredients and avoid triclosan, BHA, fragrance and oxybenzone.

2. Eat fresh organic foods: choose organic when possible, and limit canned food and infant formula, as can linings contain BPA.

3. Pick plastics carefully: some plastics contain BPA, which is linked to cancer. Avoid clear, hard plastic bottles market with a "7" or "PC". Don't microwave plastic containers. Stay away from toys marked with a "3" or "PVC."

4. Filter your tap water: this will reduce your family's exposure to impurities in water, like chlorine and lead. Mix infant formula with fluoride-free water.

5. Wash your hands often: do we need to elaborate on that?

6. Skip non-stick cookware: when overheated, they can emit toxic fumes. Use cast iron or stainless steel instead.

7. Use a HEPA-filter vacuum: it captures the widest range of particles and get rid of allergens.

8. Get iodine: it buffers against chemicals like perchlorate, which can disrupt the thyroid system and affect brain development during pregnancy and infancy.

9. Use greener cleaners and avoid pesticides: household cleaners, bug killers, pet treatments, and air fresheners can irritate kids' lungs, especially if your kids have asthma. Investigate less toxic alternatives. Use vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains.

10. Eat good fats: omega-3 fatty acids can offset toxic effects of lead and mercury. They're in fish, eggs, nuts, oils, and produce. Choose low-mercury fish, especially if you're pregnant. Breast milk is the best source of good fats (and other benefits) for babies, and protects them from toxic chemicals.

For detailed information, logon to ewg.org