The kitchen is my home. I spend tons of time in the kitchen — to the point where it feels like 50% of my life is doing dishes lol.

A few years ago I did an entire audit of my kitchen because I learned that, unfortunately, a lot of conventional kitchenware contains toxins that leech into our food. Now — don’t freak out. I don’t want this to be one of those posts that makes you go, “WHY CAN’T I JUST LIVE — EVERYTHING IS TOXIC.” Remember that fear and stress is more toxic than anything else. I used “toxic” kitchenware for years, and I am ok. We can’t change the past but we can make better choices for our future!

Taking inventory and slowly filtering my old items out for new ones that were better for me was a process I invested in — and it took time. It is unrealistic to throw all of our things away at once and start completely new, especially because it is expensive and can feel wasteful.

If you feel like this is something you want to do — start small! Swap one thing, or add one new thing in, and slowly filter out the old over time. Also, in honor of Earth Day yesterday, most of these swaps are much more sustainable!

Here are 10 swaps I’ve made for a cleaner kitchen —

PS: I’ve linked all the products mentioned throughout the article, and also all together here.

1. Cups & Straws

Glass Jars — Jars are my favorite thing to sip out of. I love a weck jar or a mason jar. All of the cups in my pantry are made of glass! I also love re-using old jars, like old pickle jars or tomato sauce jars.

Tip: To reuse an old jar, dish wash it clean. Then fill it with hot water and dunk it in hot water to remove any extra sticker. For more stubborn stick, create a mixture of equal parts oil and baking soda and rub on the affected area with a paper towel. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, up to overnight depending on how stubborn, then gently scrub off. Dish wash once more and voila! New jar!

Glass Straws — These are my favorite because they are easy to clean and they last forever as long as you are careful with them!

2. Cutting Boards & Cooking Utensils

Wooden Cutting Board — I love my wooden cutting boards! I used to have a plastic one and didn’t realize that every time I was cutting something the microplastics from the board were slowly getting into everything I was eating. Wood is my favorite option, but I have also seen people using glass & stainless steel boards as well!

Tip: It is important to take care of wooden utensils & cutting boards. Sanitize every so often. For utensils — I like to bring a pot of water to boil with some baking soda, soak the utensils for about 10 minutes, then remove and hand wash, completely dry, then restore with food safe wood oil. For cutting board — I cover in baking soda and salt half a lemon, then scrub the board clean. Pour over boiling hot water, and then hand wash, completely dry, and restore with food safe wood oil.

Wooden Utensils — These are my favorite, I have a large set & a smaller set. I also have wooden spatulas.

3. Pots & Pans

There are a few options for better-for-you pots and pans and these are my favorites:

Cast-Iron — I love my cast-iron pan, and if you take good care of your cast iron, you can have it forever and even pass it down to your grandchildren.

Tip: To restore your cast iron, I love this kit to make it easier. Gently scrub it down with some salt, completely wash it (you can use soap as long as it is not a toxic stripping soap), completely wash it off and then immediately completely dry it. Re-oil it using a paper towel, then set it in the oven at 400 degrees F. Bake it for at least an hour, then turn off the oven and allow it to completely cool, should look good as new! Also whenever you cook something, make sure to wash it right after, completely dry it and re-oil it and set it over the stovetop for a few minutes each time to keep it nice! You only need to completely re-season it every few months or if you see it needing some extra love.

Stainless Steel — These have more of a learning curve to them, so they can be frustrating to use at first but once you get it down, they are the best!!

Hexclad — These are the most expensive, but have the least learning-curve to them and you’ll have them for life. They are non-stick without the toxic ingredients and super easy to use.

4. Water Filtration

Switching from tap to filtered water is one of the easiest and best investments you can make for your health. Unfortunately, tap water is not safe anymore. You can check out the EWG Tap Water Database and type in your zip code to see what is in your tap water!

Reverse-Osmosis — In my last apartment before getting spring water I had a reverse osmosis filtration system under my sink which I loved, the same company also has a tabletop one. Just make sure to be re-mineralizing your water if you choose this route!

Lifestraw — This is my tried-and-true tabletop filtration. It is not as efficient as reverse osmosis, but it is inexpensive and works well (just make sure to change the filters!).

Spring Water — For drinking water, I sip on spring water. I recently upgraded to the mountain valley delivery service which has been an investment but so worth it!

5. Cleaning Supplies

Branch Basics — This is my favorite all-purpose cleaning concentrate that works for everything from bathroom to kitchen to dish soap to hand-wash and even cleaning veggies. It is clean & completely fragrance free.

Dishwasher Pods — I love these dishwasher pods. They do not leave extra residue, they absorb easily, and they don’t contain harmful ingredients for our health.

Bamboo Sponges — I’ve tried to ditch the plastic sponges for bamboo scrubbers, and I find they work much better anyways! I also love these walnut sponges if you are looking for something more similar to the typical sponges.

6. Wrapping Materials

Beeswax Wraps — I LOVE these for wrapping up half used fruits and veggies and keeping them stored nicely. It is basically an alternative to plastic wrap, and I find it works better!

Compostable Parchment — I try to use this over aluminum or bleached parchment! They also make compostable sandwich bags too.

7. Tupperware and Food Storage

Ceramic Tupperware — I swear these store my food SO much better than plastic tupperware, they keep it fresher and it is just better for us!

Glass Storage — I also use all of the glass jars I sip on as storage as well. Weck jars and mason jars both come with lids!

8. Plates & Bowls

Ceramic Dishware — This is the set I have (the full stacking set) in white!

Enamel Bowls — I am just obsessed with these. I get a ton of questions about them so I thought I would include them here :)

9. Mugs

Mugs are so special to meeee. I love getting mugs from local artists or creators, and supporting small businesses. Handmade ceramic mugs are my favorite because they are all so unique, I get a lot of questions about my mugs and my favorite ones are from etsy + these creators:

• The Turmeric Times

• Curated Casita

• Josie Ceramics

I also want to get into pottery & start making some of my own!

10. Baking Materials

Ceramic — I use this ceramic baking set, but there are multiple options of sets — I have some porcelain, and there is also stainless steel!

Other Shoutouts:

• Stainless Steel Air-Fryer

• An investment I have YET to make but is on my list is a stainless steel blender! Right now I use a blender made of plastic materials which is not ideal, so this will be my next swap in the future!

The best part about each and every one of these items is that when they are well-taken care of, they last forever. I think a lot of the “non-stick” pans and plastic cutting boards out there (in my opinion) wear and tear sooo much faster. So although some of these are an investment up front, they end up costing less long-term.

I hope this was helpful — and let me know if you have any questions!! XO - Ella

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