Our babies—who love to eat crumbs from under the couch—have made us very aware of all the dirt, dust, materials, and ingredients in our homes. So what does science say we can do to feel a little better about it?

1. Go fragrance-free whenever possible

Babies’ skin is up to 30% thinner than ours as adults. Fragrances we might not think twice about can commonly cause irritant + allergic contact dermatitis for them.

So prioritize going fragrance-free for things that they regularly come in close contact with: diapers, wipes, baby skincare.

Fragranced laundry products have also shown to emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) like acetaldehyde, acetone, ethanol, linalool, + d-limonene.

In a study of emissionsOpens in a new tab. from dryer vents in households using fragranced detergent, switching to fragrance-free laundry products reduced room air concentrations of common VOCs by up to 99.7%.

• We’re swapping fragranced laundry detergent + dryer sheets → for Blueland’sOpens in a new tab. fragrance-free laundry detergent tablets + reusable wool dryer ballsOpens in a new tab.

• Saving perfume for nights out away from baby

• Opening windows when burning candles, or using fragrance-free candles

• Swapping scented air fresheners for HEPA air filters

2. Look for products with trusted certifications

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100: Textiles are tested for 1000+ potentially harmful substances. The more intensive the skin contact, the stricter the lab tests. Our diapers, pants, + wipes have this certification.

EWG Verified®: Products don’t contain ingredients with health or ecotoxicity concerns + meet standards for ingredient transparency. Our skincare + wipes, and Blueland’sOpens in a new tab. fragrance-free dish + laundry tablets, are all EWG Verified®.

The National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance™: Products meet standards established by dermatologists and allergists + are sensitivity tested. You’ll find this seal on our skincare + wipes, as well as Blueland’s fragrance-free laundry tabletsOpens in a new tab..

Cradle to Cradle: A global standard for products that are safe, circular, + equitable. Blueland’s productsOpens in a new tab. are Cradle to Cradle certified.

The EPA’s Safer Choice label: Products’ chemical ingredients are EPA reviewed, meeting criteria for human + environmental health. Blueland’s products also have this label.

3. Leave your shoes at the door

Shoes track in dust and soil that affects indoor air quality.

Concentrations of heavy metals + Particulate Matter 10 (airborne particles of carbon pollution, vehicle emissions, pollen + mold spores) have been shown to be higherOpens in a new tab. when shoes are worn indoors.

Babies spend much of their days on our floors, inadvertently consuming ~2x Opens in a new tab.more dust than adults, so taking shoes off can help decrease their exposure to these pollutants

4. Don’t go overboard with disinfectants

When you see your baby lick the floor, your first instinct may be to deep clean and wipe out every germ in the house, but a more pared back approach may often be preferable.

Traditional household disinfectants create fumes + leave residue, increasing baby’s exposure to harsh chemicals.

One study even showed an associationOpens in a new tab. between weekly to daily use of antibacterial cleaning products and a negative alterationOpens in a new tab. of infant gut microbiota. So we are:

• Disinfecting toys and surfaces sparingly, like after a bout of flu or norovirus

• Wiping down of toys + playmats with water-based baby wipes as needed to remove dirt

• Drying toys thoroughly + choose bath toys without holes to avoid mold

• Swapping harsh household cleaners for ammonia-free formulas, like Blueland’s multi-surface + glass cleanersOpens in a new tab.

5.Swap out plastic in food prep

Getting rid of plastic everywhere in your home isn’t exactly practical, and that’s ok.

Science says the kitchen is the place to prioritize swapping it out, as ingestion is the primary sourceOpens in a new tab. of microplastic exposure.