5 Ways to Detox Your Kitchen: A Healthier Cooking Space With Air Filters, No Stick Pans and More

Detoxing your kitchen isn’t at the top of most people’s minds, but it’s one of those tasks that can usher in plenty of positive health benefits. A few simple changes can make a big difference!

Breathe Easy

Per Dr. Frank Lipman, founder of NYC’s Eleven Eleven Wellness Center, a good way to start detoxing is simply to “keep the air clean. Keep your windows and doors open as much as possible to ventilate. Use green plants as natural air detoxifiers. Remove odors with baking soda. [And] have your air ducts and vents cleaned with nontoxic cleaners.”

Find a Filter

“The water that comes out of your tap might contain impurities like chlorine, heavy metals and contaminants,” says lifestyle expert Jennifer Adams. “Invest in a water filter for your kitchen faucet or use a filter pitcher to ensure you’re drinking clean, purified water. There are many affordable water filters on the market that can remove toxins from your drinking water.”

Utilize Utensils

“Plastic spatulas, tongs and other utensils are common but can contain thousands of chemicals that could migrate into food, especially when subjected to heat or acidity,” says U.K. lifestyle journalist Tom Perkins. “Most of my utensils are now stainless steel or wood, which are generally safer.”

No Stick

Per Joe Fassler, a New York Times food and environmental writer, “Avoid nonstick cooking tools that contain PFAS (called “forever chemicals” that are resistant to heat, water and oil). Most nonstick cookware today contains some form of PFAS. If you’d like to lower your exposure, cast-iron, stainless steel and ceramic pots and pans are a better option.”

Go Glass

Another way to avoid PFAS, according to the organization Toxic-Free Future, is to swap out plastic containers.

“The safest container materials include glass, stainless steel and lead-free ceramic. These are better choices than even the safer plastics, which contain chemical additives that may not have been well evaluated for safety.”