Scratch to Scripture

Once you start learning about non-toxic living, you can’t unsee it.

Switching to Non-Toxic Living

When I first started learning about non-toxic living, I thought I had to throw everything away and completely start over. But I quickly realized that slow, intentional swaps work much better for our family and our budget.

Why I Started Looking Into Non-Toxic Kitchen Products

It all started when my husband and I watched Limitless with Chris Hemsworth. If you haven’t heard of it, it follows Chris Hemsworth on a mission to live a longer, healthier life.

Honestly… go watch it.

That documentary became the foundation of my health journey. I started paying closer attention to the ingredients in our food, the products we used on our bodies, and the things we brought into our home. The more I researched, the more uncomfortable I became with what I was reading.

That’s when I decided we needed to make a change.

My Biggest Mindset Shift

If you’re anything like me, once you start researching ingredients and products, it suddenly feels like everything in your house is bad — food, shampoo, laundry detergent, makeup… all of it. I immediately went into panic mode thinking we needed to replace everything ASAP.

But realistically, that just isn’t possible for most families.

Start small. Use what you already have, and slowly replace items as you run out. Non-toxic and organic products can be expensive, so for us, I started with the easiest and cheapest swaps first: our seasonings.

Whenever we ran out of a spice, I’d replace it with an organic version from Natural Grocers.

Instead of focusing on perfection, I started focusing on progress. I also tried to avoid fear-based living while we used up the products we already had.

Once we replaced our seasonings, I moved on to pantry staples like flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Then came bread, tortillas, fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese, and eventually the more expensive items like organic meat, ground beef, chicken, and bacon.

After food, I started looking into household products:

• Laundry detergent
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Body wash
• Toothpaste
• Cleaning supplies
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper

You’d honestly be surprised by some of the ingredients hiding in everyday products.

Currently, we’re working toward investing in an organic mattress and cleaner cookware. Both are expensive, so we’re taking our time and saving up for them.

In the meantime, I started smaller by switching to organic sheets and trying to choose more natural fabrics like cotton, wool, and linen whenever possible. And honestly… that’s harder than I expected. Even things labeled as “cotton” sometimes aren’t fully cotton, which shocked me.

The more research I did, the more I realized how many products today are made with synthetic materials like polyester and nylon.

Non-Toxic Swaps That Were Actually Worth It

The biggest difference we noticed first was definitely our food.

We stopped eating heavily processed foods filled with ingredients we couldn’t pronounce or ingredient lists that seemed endless. Instead, we started focusing on simpler, cleaner ingredients.

One moment that really stood out to us was during a trip to Colorado. We stayed with family for a week and ate whatever was served, which meant we weren’t eating the same organic and cleaner foods we normally eat at home.

On the drive home, my husband looked at me and said,

“I actually think eating organic really does make a difference because I don’t feel as good after this week.”

That moment really stuck with me.

For us, these changes have felt worth it because it’s about our health and how we feel day to day.

Things I Still Haven’t Switched (And Why That’s Okay)

Living a cleaner and more organic lifestyle can absolutely get expensive, and there are still things we haven’t switched yet — like our mattress, couch, and some kitchen cookware.

And honestly? That’s okay.

We fully plan to replace those things eventually, but right now it just isn’t realistic financially. We’d rather slowly work toward better options over time than put ourselves under unnecessary stress.

I actually think changing things one at a time helps make the process feel much more manageable.

My Advice for Anyone Wanting to Start

Start small.

Not everything needs to change overnight. In fact, trying to change everything at once can become overwhelming very quickly.

Take your time, do your research, and focus on building healthier habits instead of chasing instant perfection. Find products that work for your family and fit within your budget.

Slowly but surely, those small changes really do add up.

And if you guys would like,  I can also make a post sharing some of the brands and products we’ve switched to in our home so far.

---