Want to make your home and environment healthier and safer for you and your children? Follow these green tips from Healthy Child Healthy World and you’re on the right path.

	Keys make lousy pacifiers. Most brass keys contain lead in their alloys (lead in brass makes it more pliable). Traces of lead can pass from hand to mouth. And make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling keys or digging in your purse if your keys are buried at the bottom, especially if you are pregnant.
	The importance of choosing a natural fiber mattress, like cotton or wool, over a conventional mattress treated with flam-retardants, is incredibly important for your health and your children’s health. Most crib mattresses are composed of many petroleum-based chemicals like vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC), phthalates, polyurethane foam, harsh chemical fire retardants, and other additives.
	Conventional furniture polishes may contain petroleum distillates. Instead of using them, try cleaning and polishing varnished wood with a mild vegetable or Castile oil soap. Dr. Bronner’s has an outstanding product you can find at your local markets. For painted wood, mix 1 teaspoon of washing soda in a gallon of hot water and rinse with clear water. For unvarnished wood, try almond, walnut or olive oil. Work in and wipe off any excess.
	Prevention is the best solution to pest infestations. Approximately 90% of all insect infestations migrate into the home from the outside. Block pest entrances by caulking holes, using door sweeps, and keeping window screens in good repair. Pests love moisture and your food, so keep things dry and store food safely. These are all integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.
	Easily clean your microwave. Place lemon slices in microwave safe cup with at least 8 ounces of water. Heat on high for 3 minutes. Let sit for 3 minutes without opening the microwave door. After 3 minutes, safely remove the cup and wipe down the inside of the microwave. The steam and lemon should allow you to remove any baked-on food particles and leave your microwave smelling great.
	If you are just starting to switch to organic foods, try these 10 first: Baby food, strawberries, rice, oats and other grains, milk, corn, bananas, green beans, peaches, and apples. The most consistently contaminated fruits and vegetables with pesticide residues are: Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, carrots, and strawberries. These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest levels of pesticides: Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn (sweet), kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, peas (sweet).
	Make non-toxic play dough at home. You’ll need: 1 cup flour 1-cup water 1⁄2 cup salt 1-tablespoon vegetable oil 2 teaspoons cream of tartar Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the dough with your hands until you reach proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of the vegetable or fruit juices to make green, pink, and orange. Let it cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
	Unless your favorite cleaner is eco-friendly, you're sending VOCs into the air, and that isn't good. VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are airborne pollutants used in a number of conventional cleaning agents to help speed the drying process. They can irritate mucus membranes and cause other short- and long-term physical damage. But VOCs are only one type of toxin found in mainstream cleaning products. Petrochemicals, pesticides, and chlorides join a host of other pollutants that dirty the air you breathe and the water you drink. But it's easy enough to strip your closet (or that area under the sink) of their ill effects. Action Steps: Use gentle Castile soap and water - these have been shown to keep surfaces as free of bacteria as antibacterial soaps do. Look for safer ingredients - products labeled nontoxic, bio-based, chlorine free, organic, phosphate-free, natural fragrance, and/or biodegradable. Avoid using products that say POISON, DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION. Reduce the need for anti-bacterial soaps by frequently requiring hand washing. The folks from Seventh Generation make the nation's leading brand of non-toxic and environmentally safe household products. They make it wonderfully easy to find stores that sell their nontoxic products at your local store and online. Arm & Hammer baking soda has a web site that gives you pages of how to clean and deodorize practically everything from kitchens to nurseries, and it is all non-toxic.
	You would certainly think that all baby toys would be made out of non-toxic materials... but that is not always the case. Many flexible plastic toys are made of a hard plastic called vinyl that is turned into a soft, squishy plastic by combining it with softening agents called "plasticizers" (they may contain up to 50% plasticizer). Unfortunately many plasticizers, also known as "phthalates," can easily be sucked and chewed out of the plastic toy, the way you can chew flavor out of a piece of gum. (The sweet smell from a new soft plastic toy comes from the phthalates simply evaporating out of the plastic.) Studies have shown that some phthalates have been linked to hormone disruption, kidney and liver damage, cancer, and respiratory ailments such as asthma. Since 1998, toy manufacturers have been asked to voluntarily phase out the use of phthalates in teething toys. But, they are still in use in toys that are not strictly for teething (like some rubber duckies) and even teething toys that are made in some foreign countries. Toy manufacturers have absolutely refused to label their toys to help parents choose the best toy for their baby. So, we must all be a little bit careful when purchasing or using toys given to you by others as gifts: Take these steps to provide the safest play toys for your child. Natural (unpainted, unvarnished) wooden toys, cloth toys, and even hard plastic toys are safer choices. Check out a list of resources for nontoxic toys. Take our “Shopping for Toys” Check List with you to the store. Learn more about ways to make smart choices and avoid PVC. Editor’s Note: Check out some of our favorite eco-friendly toys in Window Shopping.
	If you can believe it, indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air, and cleaning products, aerosols, air fresheners, paints, and disinfectants are some of the main problems. Children and adults in the U.S. spend 90% of their time indoors, which means improving indoor air quality should be a priority. A great way to combat this problem is to cleanse your air with indoor plants. All plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, but some actually remove chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air. The following is a list of plants that are known to function as efficient air detoxifiers and remove toxins from air (as well as producing essential oxygen, of course). We chose these because of their high efficiency and low maintenance, although points were also awarded to plants with low light requirements or were esthetically pleasing. Good choices include: Peace Lily Chinese Evergreen Golden Pothos (Devil’s Ivy) Snake Plant Daisies Chrysanthemums Spider Plants Australian Umbrella Tree Dracaena Ficus Philodendrons Aloe Vera English Ivy Boston fern Remember that plants need to breathe, too - dust them gently with a damp cloth and moisten the cloth with milk to add some extra shine. Keep their soil or root area clear - some of the air-cleaning action occurs there.
	To eliminate ant infestations, try sprinkling red chili powder, paprika, dried peppermint, peppermint essential oil, powdered soap, or Borax where the ants are entering. NOTE: Borax can be harmful if ingested so only use if children can’t get to the Borax. Learn why pesticides are an unhealthy answer to pest problems. Schools across the nation are now implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs to manage school sites.
	Did you know that 21% of all the carbon dioxide pollution in the U.S. comes from energy used in homes? So you’ll be glad to know there are simple things you can do to make a difference. Unplug your cell phone and iPod chargers – They draw current even when they aren’t in use. Recycle your second fridge - A rarely used fridge in the garage is an energy monster. If you need two, make sure they are both Energy Star fridges. Use CFLs – Replace 5 regular light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs. And best of all you can make a difference in fighting climate change by supporting HCHW. Visit TerraPass and visit our “Home” tab to calculate your house’s carbon impact and balance it out with a Home TerraPass. 10% of your purchase will go to Healthy Child Healthy World. Editor’s Note: The Cradle works with TerraPass to balance our company’s carbon emissions.
	Note: DO NOT USE IF USING BLEACH because the resulting fumes are hazardous. Household bleach is a weak sodium hypochlorite solution. Household bleach is the most common cleaner accidentally swallowed by children.
	Replace toxic mothballs with cedar chips and herbs when storing clothing. Mothballs contain a chemical known to cause cancer so natural substitutes like cedar chips and herbs are a better choice for a toxic-free home.