How To Be WellnStrong

86: How to Create a Non-Toxic Home | Courtney Schrank

• Jacqueline Genova • Episode 86

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What hidden dangers in your home could be affecting your health? Mold, formaldehyde, and possibly more! Many conventional building materials and design features contain harmful chemicals. That’s why I’m excited to sit down and speak with Courtney Schrank, as we discuss how to create a healthier, non-toxic living space, in an affordable and easy way. 

Courtney is the owner of Courtney Schrank Design Studio, an interior design firm and lifestyle brand that helps working women who prioritize wellness and cleaner living design the homes of their dreams. She's a wealth of information, let's get into it! 

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*Unedited Transcript*
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Jacqueline: [00:00:00] I love this space, Courtney, and I actually had an episode dedicated to this topic and for listeners, we're basically going to be talking about all things non toxic living today, right?

Or as much as we can cover within the hour, but it's certainly an area that, you know, I have learned a lot in, um, in the past few years, still learning. , there's certainly a lot of, I think, overwhelm in this space. So I'm really excited just to learn more about what you do. Um, and with that, I always like to ask my interviewees how they found themselves in this space doing what you're doing.

And I think what you're doing is very niche and it is very cool.

Courtney: Thank you. Yeah, so I'm what I like to call a low tax interior designer Which there's not many people out there doing that or if they are they're doing it, you know quietly and not really talking about it Um, but I've been an interior designer for about 12 years and I for my own health Had just kind of a variety of unexplained you know, symptoms like, [00:01:00] you know, it was mostly headaches and like this head pressure that I was having.

Um, and so I started, you know, getting into like, you know, I went and saw a functional medicine doctor, tried all these different things. Um, and that kind of led me down the path of, you know, cleaning up all of my products and all that kind of stuff. And once I got into that, I, you know, kind of was like, well, why would I not share this with?

my audience and with customers. And so that's kind of how I got into the, you know, the low tax design world. Um, you know, and kind of took what I learned on my own and shared it with people I was working with. 

Jacqueline: That's one thing I love about people in the wellness space in particular is that it's either, you know, they themselves have experienced some type of health issue or a family member, um, and that's kind of what prompts them into this space. But just curious to Courtney, what was your background just prior to, to dipping your toes into the space?

Like, did you have any type of interior design

Courtney: well, yeah, I have my bachelor's in interior design. 

Jacqueline: So you just like paired it with non talk.

Courtney: exactly. Yeah. So I kind of paired my [00:02:00] two passions into one. Um, I was an interior, just a regular interior designer for like, you know, probably about. you know, 10 years or so, um, working for other companies. And then I've had my own business for the last five or six years.

Um, so yeah,

Jacqueline: That's awesome. I'll have to come have you over my apartment or actually my house, Lord willing, one day. But I'm always, yeah, I'm, I'm super into my style right now. Courtney's very like minimalist. Um, I work from home, so my space has to be very clutter free and clear. And I'm all about You know, maximizing space, especially since I'm in an apartment right now,

but, um, interior design is definitely fun.

Well, Courtney, so on the topic of non talks, I think a lot of people, um, are also overwhelmed because it's often an expensive process too. So for the listener out there who's like, what does that even mean to detox my home?

A, like, what do you, what do we mean by that? And B, how do we avoid the overwhelm that comes with that?

Courtney: [00:03:00] Yeah. So I actually, it's funny. I just did an Instagram post today about like how when you detoxify your living space, it like eliminates or helps alleviate like stress in your life. But on the flip side, it can also cause a lot of stress too. Um, I feel like in general when we switch to like less toxic products and you know all those types of things it is usually like an expensive process too, um, especially because we really want to be able to just, you know, start with a clean slate and get everything new, um, but I like to say unless you're a millionaire or win the lottery that, isn't, you know, very practical.

Um, so detoxifying your living space looks like just kind of purchasing, um, products and looking at materials and brands, you know, that kind of prioritize lesser toxic, um, you know, materials, like for instance, you know, anything that's made of wood, if it's held together with glue, that probably has formaldehyde in it, or your paints are going to, you know, the buzzword like VOCs, volatile [00:04:00] organic compounds, I feel like, You know, people have heard that and paint is, um, the paint industry is one that has worked to, you know, kind of release products that are, that at least sound like they're healthier.

Um, if something's labeled as low VOC or no VOC, um, that's usually good, but. You have to be careful because if you use any colorants, um, like if a paint can says low VOC or no VOC and it's just the white paint, um, if you add in colorant and the brand does not prioritize low VOC colorants, um, any color you tint your paint is going to add VOC.

So it like defeats the purpose. 

Um, I know, and a lot of them too will add, you know, if it says it's made for like, um, a wet environment, like bathrooms or kitchens or whatever, um, they're going to put in, not always, but they'll put in like, um, mildew, you know, um, chemical to make it mildew resistant or, uh, fungicides and things like that.

And that sounds good. Um, but [00:05:00] that's just like more chemicals that are being added to it. Um, so there are paint companies that naturally, you know, um, inhibit mold growth and, and fungus and things like that. Um, you know, and that tint their paints with, um. lower no VOC colorants. So, you know, those are things we're gonna want to look for.

Um, you know, getting bedding that's organic or made from, you know, at the very least natural materials like cotton and, you know, linen. 

Jacqueline: I was thinking too, in terms of like figuring out how to break it down into like. Category by category. Maybe we could go by rooms. Um, and then based on that, maybe dive into like what to look for 

so with that, I guess, like, I'd love to start and maybe discussing what rooms people should prioritize. In their homes. And then perhaps like from that we can go into categories because you mentioned paint and VOC and furniture and all 

these things, which obviously there's going to be multiple items and there's gonna be a lot of crossover.

But just from a room perspective, like someone saying, okay, I need to detoxify my [00:06:00] home. What room do I start with?

Courtney: Yeah. So I always tell people to start with the bedroom. Um, you know, it's usually easy to convince people to, you know, do a low tax nursery just because, you know, people are like, Oh, babies, you know, they're, you know, their immune system, all that other kind of stuff. So like, yeah, nurseries, obviously, um, but bedroom is the place I always tell people to start their bedrooms, their kids bedrooms.

Um, because we spend at least 26 years of our lives in bed, um, which is a crazy statistic to me. But, um, you know, and if you're thinking, you know, how many hours a night, you know, you literally are laying in your bed for, you know, six to eight hours. Um, and so that's why having sheets that are low tox is so important.

Um, you know, your pillows and your mattresses, and there's a lot of brands out there. Um, and there, I mean, there's so many. So many things to look for that would take, you know, hours and hours to discuss. So what we can do is like, I can send you, I have links to like blog posts that talk about all the certifications to look [00:07:00] for, for like mattresses and pillows and bedding.

Um, so your listeners can kind of dive deeper. Um, but. You know, so you want to prioritize, obviously, your mattress and your pillows and your bedding, um, looking for organic materials, people who are worried about EMFs or, um, you know, that kind of thing, um, will sometimes avoid, like, metal coils in their mattresses, too, 

Jacqueline: heard that. Yep.

Courtney: It's not. I mean, I've seen there's enough research out there obviously to support it. Um, now I don't think that if someone has metal coils in their mattress that that's like the end of the world. But like, you know, if you have metal coils in your mattress, you're sleeping on a metal, you know, bed with a metal head frame and you got your phone sitting right next to you.

Well then, you know that, yeah, that might cause, you know, a problem. 

Jacqueline: I'm sure you've, heard of Defender Shield. before. So I had Daniel, I had Daniel Dubon, um, the founder on several weeks ago and we did a great episode on EMFs, but for listeners who perhaps maybe like have not heard that episode and still don't know what EMFs are, can you just touch briefly [00:08:00] on what, what EMFs are, right?

And why that is something we want to mitigate at night, especially when we're

Courtney: Yeah. So electromagnetic frequencies are basically any, you know, like the radiation or the electricity that's going to come out of like, you know, anything that's plugged in to a wall, basically. Um, and so the concern is like when you're sleeping, not only is it, You know, is it detrimental to your health in that like, I mean, years and years ago when cell phones first came out, they were talking about, don't put it too close to your head.

It'll give you, you know, give you brain cancer or something. Um, and so it's the same sort of concept that like, you know, the electricity that's coming out of your phone or any device or anything that's plugged in is, you know, getting into your body, you know, the 5G towers, all that kind of stuff. Um, So that's why it's really good when you go to bed to, um, at the very least, if your phone has to be by you for whatever reason, um, put it on airplane mode.

Um, if you can charge your phone in another room and have like a separate alarm clock, that's always going to be best, but like. I mean, nobody's [00:09:00] perfect. I'd be lying if I said I never had my phone, you know, in in my room. Um, but I just try to keep it as far away from me as possible. Um, and that's the other thing too, is like anything that's plugged in at night is going to cause like what they call like, like dirty electricity.

So, um, just because something's turned off, if it's plugged in, it's still giving off these, you know, EMF. So, um, aside from the fact that it can be detrimental to your health. your health in terms of causing, like, diseases and stuff. It also just makes for, like, an unsettling environment. You know, if, if all the electricity is off and, you know, nothing's plugged in, um, the whole room is just going to be kind of, like, calmer.

You know, because there's nothing communicating with each other and, you know, no electricity, that kind of thing. 

Jacqueline: absolutely. 

Courtney: That's the big thing with the design industry in years past has been like smart homes and everyone was like, automate everything you can turn your light switch on on your phone and all these other kinds of things.

And, um, that basically just means if everything's connected by Bluetooth, you know, it has to zoom through [00:10:00] the room every two seconds to connect with each other. And then that's hitting you on the, you know, in the process. Um, so yeah, so, I mean, Mattresses, sheets, bedding, um, sleeping with your phone as far away from you as possible, um, keeping your room temperature cool, um, is better for sleeping, um, having an air purifier, that's another thing, like, and there's mixed, you know, they can give off EMFs too, um, But if they're further away from you, um, you know, it's obviously good to help purify your air.

Um, having plants in the room that help purify air is really good and plants that are soothing and calming. But of course, on the flip side, every person, well, they could have mold. Well, you know, everything can Anymore there, I mean, there's nothing That's perfect. Um, so obviously if you were, you know, sensitive to things like that, you'd have to keep an eye on that sort of thing.

But yeah, there's certain plants that like promote relaxation and, um, you know, purify the air. Um, and [00:11:00] just blocking out lights so, you know, curtains or drapes that have, um, that are like blackout or using like an eye mask or something is really good. Um, because that's just gonna help your circadian rhythm.

Um. And just not using, and this is true for like the whole house, but like not using any Glade plugins or any of that kind of stuff, all those endocrine disruptors and all that kind of 

Jacqueline: Courtney, on that topic, can you just share for listeners out there who, again, are not aware of why certain scented candles and certain plugins or things like Febreze are really not great. And you mentioned endocrine disruptors, and I'd love if you could just give a brief, we could do, I don't know, an endocrine disruptor one on one foundational session right

Courtney: yeah. So many of these, you know, products out there, um, You know, the term fragrance is unregulated, so any company can have, um, a proprietary blend of what they say is, you know, makes up their scent, which you would think would just be, oh, it's just a variety of scents, okay, whatever, well, they could hide a lot [00:12:00] of nasty things under that, um, and even if they come right out and tell you, a lot of people don't know what to look for, you know, so there's things like benzene, formaldehyde, like all of these really toxic scents.

chemicals in there. Um, you know, and this is going to be like candles. This is going to be, um, you know, plugins, Febreze, anything that's, you know, kind of sprayed or, you know, releases scent. Um, you know, all of these really toxic things are in there and they, yeah, they disrupt your hormones. They can cause all of, you know, some of them are even known carcinogens.

Um, you know, like I said, let alone they disrupt your hormones, but they can give you all of these, you know, sicknesses, um, which is terrible. And the worst part about it is like, They're really not needed. You know, like there's so many brands out there that are better for you that do very similar things.

Um, and now, I mean, if I go, I cut out all of that stuff, I don't know, about five years ago or so. If I walk down like the cleaning aisle or even like the, you know, scent aisle at the store, I get like a headache from it. It's 

Jacqueline: headache. Same, [00:13:00] I know, I, I refuse to walk down the, the aisle, um, that contains all the cleaning products and the Publix across the street, because I'm just like, my headache, I can't,

Courtney: I know. It's crazy. And I have a couple of candle brands that I've, um, worked with in the past, um, that are really great and they prioritize.

Jacqueline: I was just going to ask you, Courtney, on the topic of candles, because I'm sure a lot of listeners just heard candles and are like, oh no, but I love candles, like, do I have to cut them out? The answer is no, right? But there are certain things you want to look for with candles, like wooden wicks, for example.

Um, these wax candles I've read are also really great at purifying the air. So yeah, I mean, with that, like what should listeners be looking for when shopping for non tox candles?

Courtney: Yeah. So you want to look for ones that are scented with, um, you know, essentially, essentially essential oils, um, essential oils. Um, but you know, the essential oils too, I mean, obviously you want, you know, someone to use organic or things like that over, you know, non, um, but. You know, anything that's third party tested is good, because that means it's not [00:14:00] just them saying it's good, it's an, you know, other, another company coming in and looking through things, but yeah, like you said, a wooden wick or like a cotton, um, you know, wick, some companies will do, um, and beeswax, I've also seen, um, like, like a coconut wax, like a coconut oil type of, um, you know, some, some companies will, um, like do like a hybrid.

Um, so yeah, anything that's, I hate to say it, but anything you're going to find at Bath and Body Works, Yankee Candle, Target, I mean anywhere, anywhere you typically buy candles, you probably shouldn't be. Um, you know, if we're being honest, um, a couple of brands I like, um, like Wellness by Ari is a 

Jacqueline: Yes. That's one of my favorite. I love Ardor 

Courtney: Bee. Yes, 

Jacqueline: you heard of Ardor Bin?

Yeah. 

Courtney: have. Yeah, yeah. And um, Basic B, I think is another one that I've used. Um, but they've got, you know, great scents. They'll release ones for like holidays and stuff. But um, the big thing is transparency. I mean, if a brand is not telling you what's in their stuff, or [00:15:00] um, you know, they're trying to hide stuff in there, then you probably don't want to be using them.

You know, and a lot of these cleaner brands will outline in, in utmost detail what is in their stuff. Um, because they know people like us are concerned about it. So, 

Jacqueline: Yeah, absolutely. 

Courtney: Yeah. So in terms of bedrooms, that's kind of, um, you know, that's kind of if someone's going to redo one or detoxify one room in their house, I always say to start with their bedroom.

Um, and the big thing across the board is, you know, with like your pillows, your mattress or whatever, you don't necessarily, like I said, have to go out today and like throw away everything. But like once your pillow starts to get worn, okay, great. Then get a lower tax one. Or when your mattress is kind of, you know, reaching its end, okay, go ahead and get a new one.

Um, You know, you don't need to get like crazy with it, you know, um, and so you still want to make sure that you're, you know, being mindful of your budget. And, you know, you don't want to, um, you know, you don't want to put yourself in a difficult situation just so you can, you know, replace your mattress. Um, because the other thing too, is if you can't [00:16:00] replace your mattress right now, you can get an organic, um, mattress cover.

Yeah, and so that's a good kind of, um, middle ground for people. Mm hmm.

Jacqueline: Yeah, absolutely. No, I couldn't agree more. I currently have, um, a SavvyRest mattress. I'm sure you've heard of them and I love it so much, Courtney. It's so great. Um, but yeah, I mean, again, like there are there are workarounds that folks could start to do now. Um, I wish I knew a lot of this in college too, right?

Because like, we sleep on those mattresses, God knows what was in them, but I didn't, we didn't know any better, you know, but just like 

when you 

Courtney: that's, yeah, when you know better, you do better. And that's the thing, like, you can't beat yourself up about all of this stuff because there's so much stuff that I would have done differently, you know, in the past had I, I mean, I was, I, I used all the Bath and Body Works products and all the Victoria's Secret lip glosses.

I mean, all the, and now I like cringe when

I see, you know, someone using a lip gloss that's from like Amazon or something. I'm like, no, don't do it. Um,

Jacqueline: life. But the, you know, it too, Courtney, the funny thing I've realized too, and like, I mean, I'm sure [00:17:00] you kind of get a sense of this, but like the more, like the more I find myself, or how do I say it? Like since I've been in the wellness space for the past four or five years, like really, really in it with well and strong, I've come to realize that it really is about balance.

And I think there are certainly folks who can go overboard where, you know, living healthy becomes like, it's an anxiety inducing way of life, right? To the point where like people have orthorexia and they're scared to go out to eat at restaurants because of seed oils and, and it just like makes people scared to live.

And I always say like the fear is actually worse than the thing itself. Right? So like drinking out of a can, for example, like. Um, once every, you know, blue moon, like it's not really going to do anything. I mean, every single day, sure, that might not be the best thing for your health. Um, but I really try to instill a sense of be a steward of your body.

Right. And we, you and I spoke about this over the phone when we first, uh, connected, but you know, be stewards of your bodies, um, you know, recognize that God is in control and God is [00:18:00] sovereign. I know you're Christian as well. Um, but it really does kind of just take like the pressure off of our own shoulders that we have to do all these things.

Right. Um, when in reality, like. We have to do what we can, but also recognize that like, we aren't really in control at the end of the day.

Courtney: Right. I feel like that's super important and something that like we all get, you know, 

caught in the trap of, you know, and I've been there too. I'm like, I have to get rid of everything. I can't use this. 

I can't use that, you know, but like You don't want to suck all the joy out of your life either, you know, and there are some people who are extra sensitive to things like, you know, I've worked with people who like either they had mold exposure or they have, um, you know, different chemical sensitivities, and so yes, for some people they may have to be a little bit more stringent, but for like the majority of people, um, you know, they can kind of live that lady, lady, 80 20 lifestyle, um.

You know, and kind of, you know, like you said, if you are doing well most of the time, if you eat at a restaurant that has seed oil or, you know, you use [00:19:00] something that has something in it that you, you know, shouldn't necessarily be, you know, using, um, it's not going to be the end of the world. Um, now, yes, over time, little by little, all this stuff adds up.

Um, but I think that that's, um. One of the toxic things about the low tax, um, or the, the crunchy, um, world I feel like is they like to guilt people and tell you everything you touch is poison and if you take a Tylenol, you're gonna die and all these things, you know, but I think there's a time and a place for, you know,

some of that 

stuff if necessary, but,

Jacqueline: we were going by room, but not, not to digress, but you did mention, you know, I, I like the concept of, of workarounds and kind of hacks, uh, for folks who are on a lower budget. Um, and one thing that came to mind, Courtney, was even with furniture, right? Because solid wood furniture.

can be thousands and thousands of dollars, right? Not everyone can afford that. So with that, let's say, you know, someone can't afford a 5, 000 Allwood zero VOC coffee table. What can they [00:20:00] do to help, I guess, the furniture off gas ahead of time, right? Like what hacks or tricks and things that like, can they do to help?

assist in that process, um, if they were to buy, you know, a piece of furniture from Ikea or, 

Courtney: hmm. Ikea, surprisingly, I mean, some of the stuff from Ikea is actually unfinished, um, like I've

bought desks from them where they just have, again, just like everywhere you have to look, you know, but, um. I actually worked with someone where we were designing a bedroom for a child who had cancer, and we were like super, you know, particular about what we chose, and we found a desk at Ikea that was unfinished.

It was just like solid pine or something, but it was just totally unfinished, and we painted it with our own non toxic paint. So there are companies like, you know, and I know this is I guess in comparison, I guess, you know, depending on what someone's, um, you know, budget was in general, but like places [00:21:00] like West Elm and Crate and Barrel and those kinds of places, um, are, you know, they do have some pieces that are better for you, um, if you look for, like, things that are Green Guard certified, and again, that's still not perfect.

But, um, you know, it's better. Um, but yeah, if you see something made with like solid wood, I was just looking at, um, for a client who's pregnant, um, the other night and we found, um, I found some chairs that were, I want to say they were like 300 for the pair and they were made of just solid wood. Um, so I feel like

just kind of doing some research, um, is key.

I mean, I feel like we want the quick, um, like, I'm gonna buy it from Amazon and it'll arrive in five minutes, you know? I feel like, you know, you may need to, um, do a little bit of extra research and that's where because that's very daunting for people. Um, that's where I come in. Um, you know, and I can help because I know a lot of these different vendors.

Um, so, you know, if people are looking for help, I have a variety of, you know, I even have just a one hour [00:22:00] phone call where we can just kind of talk through questions they have and I can answer, you know, answer some of their questions and help them with things. 

Um, But yeah, it kind of comes down to, um, just doing research and finding brands and just going to the page where it talks about the materials that are used and, and emailing them and asking questions like, you know, not being afraid to ask.

Jacqueline: right on the topic of materials, Courtney, um, when shopping for wood, you mentioned pine before, like, what are your top? Preferences.

Courtney: I mean, in general, what is gonna, I mean, as long as it's a wood that is, um, you know, some woods are not made to be, um, exposed to like moisture and things like that. Like some of them are more likely to mold, but, um, companies are typically going to be making, you know, if it is salad wood, if it's like a walnut or an oak or a maple, um, most of those woods are going to be, you know, pretty sturdy.

You run into issues when you get like particle board or, um. You know, kind of the [00:23:00] cheapie type of things. Um, so, you know, and I know we talked about off gassing as well. Um, well, I guess real quick. So back to the wood. Um, you want to just find out what, um, sealants or, um, things they're putting on there. If they're putting any like stain or any, um, you know, like top coats and things like that, that may be where they are able to sneak in some, you know, some of the nasty chemicals.

So most companies will tell you, like, what is in or what the product that they use is to, you know, like coat things or whatever, and then you can kind of research what's in there. Um, but in general, like for off gassing, I mean, you know, let it sit outside for as long as you can in like the fresh air. Um, if you have air purifiers, once you bring it into the house, you know, run your, I personally have an air doctor, but I know there's tons out there.

Um, you know, run your air purifier. Um, if you're bringing your furniture in, open the windows, you know, to kind of let. more of the natural [00:24:00] air, you know, come in to kind of purify things. 

Jacqueline: What's the length of time that furniture like typically takes to off gas?

Courtney: everything's sort of different because it depends on what was actually used in there. Um, you know, typically for like a rug or something, I'd leave it outside or in a garage or something for like a day or two. Um, you know, just to kind of, um, you know, get as much, you know, expended as possible. But I mean, things even like paint, um, you know, if you paint your walls and there's VOCs in there, they can continue to release for like years.

Um, it really just, that's why it's like, so, but again, every, every company is a little different and every product's a little different because it really just depends on what's in there. Um, so again, trying to find products that don't use, um, glues and things like that with formaldehyde in them. Um, you know, if they tend to have certain certifications like a green guard, like I said, um, you know, then they'll tend to use less of that stuff.[00:25:00] 

Um, anything fabric wise that is like, um, is either labeled as, um, organic or, um, Oeko Tex, I always pronounce it wrong, but it's O E K O Tex is the certification for non natural fibers, so anything that's like polyester or nylon or something. But the big thing to look for, too, in upholstered furniture is, um, if something's labeled as stain resistant, wrinkle resistant, um, if it's scotch guarded, like those kinds of things. a chemical had to be applied to it to make it wrinkle resistant. You know, nothing's really naturally wrinkle resistant. Um, certain materials might be, but, um, you know, and people want, like, really smooth, clean, like, you know, like something like, that's why linen gets a, gets a bad rap because it's a natural material and it's really great to use.

But like, It looks like a giant wrinkle, you know, when you, when you use it. So, um, just be on the lookout for those labels. Cause that usually means it was treated with [00:26:00] something. Um, but then things like wool, for instance, wool is naturally flame retardant. Um, so that's a great material to 

use for it's also naturally stain resistant too.

it is well, yeah.

about like, it's, you know. on a sheep. I mean, you know, like you'd be a clean it and things like that. Um, but yeah, so wool is a great material to use for, um, and it, it naturally, um, helps with like warmth too. So, um, you know, wool rugs are really great. Um, you know, in terms of upholstery, like, I mean, a cotton or linen is going to be the like cleanest, you know, wool is really great for upholstery too, but cotton and linen.

you know, usually are not the best in terms of like being stain resistant. Now, there are also companies that treat their products with like natural, um, stain resistant, you know, chemicals and things like that. Um, So again, it is like I [00:27:00] worked with a company, um, a while back that had like a plant based, um, uh, chemical or solution that was used to make it like stain resistant.

Um, so, you know, like I said, it all comes down to, you know, kind of researching and finding, you know, what's right for you, what's in your price point. Um, But I would definitely start in the bedroom, you know, in your kids rooms and stuff. Um, then I would probably, you know, look at your kitchen, you know, and see what's in your pots and pans.

Um, you know, don't be using aluminum. Um, make sure all of your food is stored in glass. Don't ever heat anything in plastic. Um, you know, if you have to have plastic, which isn't great because, you know, all the microplastics can, like, release and stuff into, you know. But, um. It's not as bad just to like store something cold in plastic.

Um, as it is to like, you know, you would never want to heat anything in plastic.

Jacqueline: Speaking of heating too, Courtney, um, I [00:28:00] haven't really had an episode, um, not that you need a whole episode dedicated to this, but a lot of people still use microwaves. Um,

Courtney: I just did a post on instagram. I just 

did a post. 

I was like, is this home appliance poisoning you? And it was me in front of a microwave. 

Jacqueline: can you, okay, let's, let's hear it. Let's hear what it was about. Cause I'd love if you could touch on that

Courtney: Yeah. So, um, you know, anyone who's used back to like the E. M. F. S. That we talked about, you know, if anybody were to use an E. M. F. Meter, um, You know, when your microwaves on, it'll like essentially the EMF meter will just about like explode and like fly across. I mean, that's how many EMFs are like flying out of your microwave.

Um, and so, you know, it's essentially, I mean, it's Not good. As you know, as we discussed, and I'm just like you, I mean, I within the last four or five years got rid of mine. Um, and I feel people use it for convenience. Um, you know, because they think, oh, I can just put it in real quick, heat it up. Um, but I usually recommend for people, um And even if you put it in there and you walk away, the E.

M. F. [00:29:00] S. Can extend like three feet out from the microwave. Um, I remember growing up, my mom always told me don't stand in front of the microwave when it's on. Um, and so you'd think that that would have like being a clue that like, all right, maybe if I'm outside of the microwave and it's unsafe for me, what is, what is it doing to my food that's inside of the microwave, you know?

Um, and so, yeah. Yeah, so I mean, even if you're using glass, um, to heat something up in in the microwave and again, like we said, if it's here or there every so often, you know, I don't know that I would worry about it, but I wouldn't be heating up my food every day in the microwave. Yeah. Um, so if I heat up my food, I'll use, um, I have a, uh, an air fryer.

Um, and again, that's another thing you have to make sure it doesn't have any like toxic coatings inside of it. Um, And if I'm heating something up that needs to sit directly on a tray, um, I'll use unbleached parchment, um, and then put, you know, my food on there. Or you can heat it up in the pan, obviously.

You can use, like, a steam method or something, um, or stick it in the oven [00:30:00] to heat it up. But, um, yeah, it's the EMFs and the radiation that's just coming right off of, um, you know, right off of the microwave and inside the microwave. So that is, um, definitely something I would work to get rid of. Um, you know, which, like you said, I'm sure there, I mean, there's still, there were people that were kind of surprised when I put my post out.

Um, so I'm sure there's still people out there that don't, you know, don't really know the 

dangers of it. So. 

Jacqueline: my mom never was never a fan of microwaves. I mean, when we were little, we would, I think we probably used to microwave like once every few years, like on the, you know, to make popcorn for a movie night, but it's just really not great. I haven't used one in well over 15 years or so. And 

Courtney: yeah, 

Jacqueline: my apartment, but I 

Courtney: yeah. Even when I had it I still wasn't really 

using it. Like, I, you know, it took me a while to actually, like, get rid of it. But, 

Jacqueline: Right. 

Courtney: yeah, so. I wouldn't 

Jacqueline: And again, it's. it's. people who also, like, use it on a daily basis, right? 

Courtney: Right. [00:31:00] 

Jacqueline: the chronic, like,

Courtney: Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So, you know, not cooking on aluminum like aluminum baking sheets or pans. Um, if you do have them, it is better if you use, like I said, unbleached parchment over the top of it because that acts as like a barrier.

Um, And then, um, you know, your pots and your pans. Again, you don't want to use anything that has the non toxic, you know, coating, like Teflon stuff they always talked about. And usually the way I've, you know, kind of looked at things is if something seems to be like it's easier for you, it's probably worse for your health because I feel like when you think about like the wrinkle resistant or electrifying your light switches or are like, you know, automating them or, you know, a Teflon where your food will just slide right off, like it seems like it's so convenient.

Um, but really it's, you know, not good for you. Um, so pans, you know, that are like ceramic coated, um, you know, is better. [00:32:00] Um, like stainless steel. I know a lot of people don't like cooking with stainless steel because it sticks, but if you do it the right way it'll

Jacqueline: Right. Yeah, I mostly cook with stainless steel, um, cast iron occasionally, and I like Caraway's nonstick pan. I'll use that if I'm making, like, pancakes or Something 

Courtney: right. Something you really don't want to have stick. 

Jacqueline: Yeah, exactly.

Courtney: Yeah, no, I'm with you. I'm the same way. Yeah, I have some cast iron, I have some stainless steel, um, and then I like caraway as well. Um, you know, and then obviously in terms of food, I know you've probably talked a lot about this, but like, you know, organic when you can, grass fed, you know, beef and pasta raised eggs and all that kind of stuff.

Um, in terms of dishware, You know, looking for things that are again like glass, um, anything that you, you know, your cutting boards are a big one, um, don't use plastic cutting boards, throw them away, 

um, you know, things like wood are going to be good, um, wood is sort of porous though, so I wouldn't be cutting like raw meat on it, I'd use like glass for that, um.[00:33:00] 

And you got to be careful too with some of these like, like bamboo cutting boards that are like all the rage. If they're held together with any kind of glue, you 

need to make sure that it's not, 

Jacqueline: Yeah. Courtney, we could spend hours talking 

Courtney: I know, 

Jacqueline: saying, I'm like, yes. 

yes. 

Courtney: I know, I know. It's crazy. It's just, like I said, you just have to be, you just have to be careful.

And if you're investing in something, you have to be 

Jacqueline: Right. 

Courtney: you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on something that you 

Jacqueline: Yeah. Absolutely. My, my dinnerware set is from, um, I'm sure you've heard of Fiesta. Fiesta dinnerware is like my favorite when it comes to plates and yeah, I, I love them and they're all, it's not, and I try to avoid things made. In China as well for just transparency reasons, but it's so hard to find and even going back to pots and pans, all of my most of my stainless steel pans are from 360 cookware, who I'm sure you've also heard of again, awesome company made in the U.

S. Um, really solid stainless steel. So it's

Courtney: yeah, which is hard. I 

mean, 

Jacqueline: Yeah, it's nearly impossible.

Courtney: the thing with furniture too. I mean, if you find a company that's made in America, [00:34:00] you know, with like their solid wood and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, they're probably going to be, um, you know, they're probably going to be better. Um, you know, just because of, like you said, the transparency and, you know, not having, um, You know, and there's usually going to be more information to on, you know, like on their website.

Um, you know, a lot of these companies that are made in America just have, um, you know, the issue with that would is usually if you're getting something that's a little bit takes a little more time to make, um, you know. The low tox world is not the fast furniture world, you know, so if you want a piece of furniture you can get, you know, in, you know, two days, it's probably not going to be low tox, so it's probably going to be made by someone in a workroom somewhere, you know, who's making it by hand and that kind of thing.

Um, I mean, the other thing people can do is if, like, they have a piece of furniture that is older, or if you like to thrift and things like that, you can usually find good solid wood furniture, you just have to be careful that it wasn't, Like exposed to mold or anything. [00:35:00] Um, because I have done, I mean, I've gotten, you know, vintage furniture, which is great and it's solid wood for less money.

Um, you know, you just need to inspect it for mold and everything, but like, if you have a great chair and it's quite old, um, I'd recommend working with a local workroom and having them reupholster it in a low tox fabric for you, you know, or getting it refinished with like a low tox stain. So like, those are some, you know, kind of workarounds and in general, like to spend less money.

I mean,

Jacqueline: Yeah.

Courtney: things that are free, you know, I would bring in plants because those are just going to like going to set, like I said, going to help purify your air. Um, you know, things like, you know, your sheets and your, you know, those things that are not very expensive, like you can get organic sheets at Target today, you know, 

um, purifying your water is huge, um, and purifying your

Jacqueline: What water purifier do you have, Courtney? I'm curious.

Or filtration. I do

too. 

I have a Clearly Filtered Pitcher. I have um, a Berkey, well it's now Breaux, um, they rebranded [00:36:00] Filter as well, so I'll go back and forth between them, but I love Clearly Filters under the sink system, but because I live in an apartment, I can't install it, so I just, I use their Pitcher for now, which is fine.

Um, but yeah, they're

great. 

Yeah. 

Courtney: Filter. They filter out so much stuff. Um, so yeah, so I love that. I have an air doctor as well for the air. Um, and then, you know, when it's nice out, I love to open my windows because that helps, you know, bring the clean, you know, fresh air in, 

um, and just kind of air things out. It's, I'm in Chicago.

And so it's just

Jacqueline: was going to ask where you're 

Courtney: We're in 

the 60s this week, which is really warm for March. Um, and 

so all my windows are open. All my windows are open and I'm, you know, I'm definitely loving it. Um, but yeah, I mean, the low hanging fruit, like I said, is like, you know, purifying your air and your water, adding plants in, you know, replacing your sheets, um, and your paint is, you know, something that doesn't cost that much that you can get lower tax.

Jacqueline: Yeah. Can we touch [00:37:00] on household cleaning products too, Courtney? Because this is also a really huge area that not a lot of people are aware about. Right. And I mean, it's funny. My mom was talking to my mom last night and she was like, yeah, she's like, not my grandma who we always tell her like, Nana, like, don't use bleach.

She's like, she came upstairs and she smelled like she reeked of bleach 

and we're like, Nana. Like. It's just throw out the bleach, like don't use it.

But 

Courtney: we've been using it for 

Jacqueline: yeah, exactly. She's like 84. That's what I'm saying. Like, it's just funny. But I mean, yeah, like we're so sensitive now. But for me, like when it comes to cleaning products, I'm a huge fan.

And I'm sure you've heard of Branch Basics. Um, that's pretty much like the only, uh, cleaning, you know, supplies I use. Truly Free is also great. Um. I'm also a huge fan of just making my own cleaner. So, like, I'll do, like, an all purpose cleaner with, like, a cup of vinegar, two cups of water, and then, like, twenty drops of, like, essential oil.

Um, or, 

you know, just one part vinegar, two parts water. And, like, sure, it smells of vinegar a little bit, but, like, it's so much better than bleach and it disinfects, so 

Courtney: [00:38:00] I know. I mean, I was cleaning my toilet the other day and I just used, um, I used vinegar, water and baking soda and

it got off like, you know, and then like there was rust around my sink drain and I just scrubbed it with some baking soda. And I 

mean, yeah, 

it took a little bit of elbow grease, but it came 

right off.

Um, 

Jacqueline: thing of Arm Hammer baking 

Courtney: yes. 

Jacqueline: bathroom. That's literally all I clean with.

Courtney: I know, same. And, um, yeah, I mean, I like Branch Basics. Um, I also, um, I use them for a while. I don't use them anymore, personally. I, um, currently use, um, a brand called Mama Suds. Um, so it's different than the Molly Suds

laundry people. So Mama Suds is actually like a smaller brand. Um,

Jacqueline: I have to look them up. I haven't heard of them.

Courtney: yeah, I, um, So I switched to them because Branch Basics, um, actually cancelled one of their Christian influencers, who, um, [00:39:00] supposedly was not, she, they wanted her to say or do certain things, or she didn't, she wanted to be more outspoken about some things, and I believe it was Christianity based, and they sort of told her that she couldn't.

So I didn't love that fact. I know a lot of people use them and I love, I mean, I'm not a big fan of cancelling brands either just because, you know, I don't agree with everything they say either. Um, I happened to switch to Mama Suds because I came across an Instagram post and they have a very similar structure where they have like an all purpose cleaner that you dilute for different things.

She has like toilet bowl, uh, like pods and like, 

you know, different things like that. She's not quite as, you know, large as, as Branch Basics. 

Um, 

Jacqueline: I'll have to check her out. That's 

Courtney: Yeah, Yeah, no, I really love that. Um, yeah. And then for laundry, I will use, um, Molly suds or, you know, I know truly free is a great

Jacqueline: Shirley Free is great. Yeah.

Here we are. though, Courtney, like going on and on [00:40:00] about what we use, but for people listening who are 

Courtney: Yes. 

Jacqueline: are they not using regular cleaners? 

Courtney: Yeah. Yeah. So these are, I mean, your skin is your largest organ, you know. So if you, anything that comes in contact with your skin is being absorbed. So a lot of these chemicals, you know, they reek and they have all of these, you know, just terrible things in them that are, I mean, a lot of them are known carcinogens, you know, or at the very least they disrupt your endocrine system and your hormones and things like that.

Um, yeah. And then when you're breathing them in, I mean, there's a reason there's like a warning on them, you know, that says that you're not supposed to breathe them in very much. So, and if you think about it, usually you're cleaning in more confined spaces like your bathroom or, you know, whatever. Um, so basically it just comes down to like looking at the ingredient list of these companies.

And you can easily, like you said, disinfect with like vinegar and baking soda. So why would you not do that? You know, and. You know, have it be better for you and for the environment, you know, and for your family and your pets. And I mean, I remember my, my dog passed away a couple years ago, but I mean, I [00:41:00] remember anytime I would use something, I'm like, well, if it's, I'm using it on the floor and she can lick it.

I don't, you know, I wouldn't use anything that could harm her or a child or something. So, that really narrows down a lot of stuff that, you know, I'd feel comfortable having my dog lick. Um, so, um, yeah, and that's another thing where if I smell anything, any of those products, I can tell when people have used them, you know?

Um, So yeah, switching your cleaning products and just eliminating. I know it's hard for some people, but like just don't use great plugins. Don't use 

Febreze. Don't use any of those things.

Jacqueline: scented trash bags, too. 

Courtney: Oh, That's the worst. I mean, just get yourself like, you know, some candles from these, you know, less toxic companies. If you really like, you know, um, A lot of aromatics.

You can, um, do simmer pots where you can, like, 

Jacqueline: Mm hmm. 

Courtney: on the stove with, like, some cinnamon sticks

and, like, orange peel for things, um, or just essential oils. Exactly. Exactly. That was, that was my next one. Um, I'm not a huge essential oil person. I just never [00:42:00] really got into it that much, but, um, I have used them in the past.

Like, I love, you know, lavender and peppermint and things

like that. Um, So yeah, just like, you know, doing what you can, swapping things out when you can swap them out. Um, like I said, I have what I have a, I call it a power hour call. And so we can talk through basically any swaps people are looking to make, if there's any area of their home that they want, you know, to kind of work on.

Um, and then I have two virtual design services in terms of like, we can finish off a room. Um, you know, one smaller scale and one is a little bit larger scale. Um, and I think we had talked about it, but, um, you know, I'd love to offer your listeners, um, like a, a 10 percent discount or a discount on, um, any of my services if they were to find me through your podcast.

Jacqueline: That's awesome. Yeah, I'll definitely include the link and information for that. One other thing too, Courtney, and I'm sure you do this, but I always ask people to take their shoes off before entering my apartment, just because our shoes harbor so much bacteria. So it's like another, like, low, [00:43:00] like, no cost,

Courtney: Even like your purse. I mean, they've, they've, done studies and they've swabbed the bottom of women's purses and they have more bacteria than a toilet seat, which is like disgusting. I mean, I'm not surprised either. I mean, I've sent my person the ground before. I mean, I don't do it that often, but like, even if you think you set it on a table 

Jacqueline: Right? 

Courtney: it, you know, like wherever, who knows what was, you 

know, cleaned. 

Jacqueline: it's so funny, Courtney, because like, I feel like I'll share these things with my friends, like, things I do and don't do. And they're like, you're such a germaphobe. And I'm like, I mean, I guess, but then when you look at the stats like that and you're like, but actually like if you only knew like 

Courtney: I know 

Jacqueline: the bottom of your purse or even just like, you know, what's on the bottom of your shoes when you walk inside your home, like it's, it's pretty gross.

Yeah.

Courtney: isn't. It's crazy when you like, because yes, I've been accused of like, do you really need to be that, you know, particular about things? And, you know, I know who I can talk to about certain 

things too, you know, like I have my, yeah, right. I have my crunchier [00:44:00] friends, you know, that I can, that I can talk to.

Um, but yeah, it's still, you know, it's really hard. Um, yeah. You know, it's hard to na so many different things you know, and then you're I'm not an expert on this 

then how do I replace it especially if you're maki That's the reason I love Furniture and mattresses and bedding, all these kinds of things that really adds up and you're making an investment.

Um, so I would hate for people to choose something like, for instance, I don't know if you use red light. I'm sure you do, but, um, I have a loom box and I was talking to a friend about it who was looking to, you know, get one. Um, and she's like, whoa, it's, you know, it's like really expensive. And I said, yeah, I know.

And she goes, can't I just get one from Amazon? And I said, well, no, I would never do that. For a couple of reasons, because, um, you know, third party testing, you know, the, a lot of these bigger companies will like actually test things. Um, the, I would not [00:45:00] even want to know what the EMFs were coming off of a Amazon red light device, you know?

And so, um, you know, you have to like research this stuff so in depth. And like I said, that's why I like to help people with all of this and 

why I got into what I do because it is a very overwhelming and daunting, um, 

Jacqueline: Yeah. 

Courtney: you know, when you're looking to get all of this stuff.

Jacqueline: Yeah. No, it is. I know, and I think, yeah, I, I have a red light bulb from Sauna Space, and I mean, I mean, that's like, sadly the thing. It's like things that are high quality that will last lifetime, like a lifetime, are often And sometimes it's just a matter of biting the bullet now to kind of reap the benefits rather than settling for something that's less expensive, but also 

like not really going to do 

Courtney: I've slowly, you know, like I, you know, got my water filter and I, I chose clearly filtered initially at the beginning because it was the most cost effective, you know, um, but when I've done more research, like it actually is, you know, pretty high, you know, in terms of what it filters. Um, and, you know, then I moved on to, you know, my air.

air, you know, [00:46:00] filter. And then I moved on to my red light and I've, you know, kind of just slowly made these swaps, um, which is all I recommend people do. I mean, like I said, unless you've won the lottery, you can't get everything at once, you know, and you have to prioritize things. And that's why, like, you know, I'll go out and I'll do grounding.

Like I'll stand, you know, in the, in the grass, you know, with my bare feet, get my fresh air every day, get my sunlight in the morning. I mean, even with like red light, a lot of people will say, Oh yeah, I use my red light in the morning. Cause it

mimics, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. Like that's a totally free thing.

It's like, yeah, go outside and watch the sunrise for even, I think they said as little as like 10 minutes of like morning sun is the same, you know, that just sets your circadian rhythm for the

day. Um, so yeah, there are a lot of things you can do that are free or very low cost. Um, You know, that don't, you know, you don't have to break the bank.

You don't have to be overwhelmed. And then just like slowly as you go, like, I think the first swap I made was like deodorant and then, and then toothpaste and then, you know, shampoo and then, um, my makeup, you know, and you just kind of like slowly [00:47:00] as you go, um, you know, kind of replace things.

Jacqueline: Yeah. No, deodorant, especially for women, uh, is. probably I think one of the most important, um, personal care product swaps,

Courtney: And it's remarkable to me to go into like a target and just see like rows and rows and 

rows of this 

stuff. And I 

mean. 

Jacqueline: Yeah.

Courtney: I know, and I went through a lot, you know, a number of brands before I, I currently use Primally Pure, um,

Jacqueline: I use Primely Pure. I also like Humble. Humble's a good one.

Courtney: so it's so funny. I was just going to say before I switched to Primally Pure, I use

Jacqueline: You use Humble? 

See, there you go. I use, I, I switch. I switch on and off.

Courtney: yeah, yeah. So, um, yeah, that was probably like the first thing I did, but yeah, 

it's when you, 

Jacqueline: are probably very similar, Courtney. Like if you open our cabinets, I feel like we have the same brands 

Courtney: Oh, yeah, I'm sure. Yeah, and I try not, I mean, I try not to use just what I feel is like the most popular thing because I feel like a lot of, you know, influencers and stuff like that will talk about like the same brands all the time and I try not to like fall into the trap of like [00:48:00] just buying what like the big huge, you know, low tax companies offering.

Um, but then it also too is hard because There's certain things I'm not, like, an expert on, you know, and so I look 

to some of these people who have researched some of this stuff, um, so sometimes I'll go for, I mean, like I said, I got an 

air doctor, I, yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm sure, you know, there are less expensive, you know, air filters, but, like, I researched air doctor on my own, a lot of people I, you know, knew and followed had them, they had a big sale, so I got one, you know,

um, so, 

Jacqueline: That's awesome. Well, Courtney, this has been so fun. Um, I know we're coming up on time. , but you are crushing it. Um, I'm so glad you reached out. You're a 

Courtney: Yeah, 

Jacqueline: I do hope to have you on again at some point soon. 

Courtney: yeah, maybe we could like have a dedicated, you know, we can even do something like I mean, because I have a seven ways to stylishly detox your home guide and I have certain like guides for like different rooms and stuff. I can 

give you the link to that. 

Um, but like 

maybe we could, you know, do an episode where it just talks about like, you know, Okay. [00:49:00] Let's, let's create a low tax bedroom, you know, we can even

talk about brands or we can talk about like products and, you know, practices and things like that, um, 

Jacqueline: That'd be awesome. 

Courtney: be overwhelming when someone thinks about like, oh my gosh, I have to detox my whole home, 

you know, 

at least if, 

Jacqueline: this is this is a good like foundational. Let's set the stage. Now we'll go into each room individually. 

Courtney: yeah. Definitely. 

Jacqueline: where, can listeners find you?

Courtney: Yeah, so my website is just CourtneyShrank. com. Um, just my first and last name. Um, my Instagram is super simple. It's just CourtneyShrank. Um, so, you know, if you find, you know, give me a follow on Instagram and I'm always posting, um, I try to switch, I switch between like low tax content and design content and then I have some like joint content that like relates to both.

Um, 

I have a blog on my website that they can get, you know, to, from CourtneyShrank. com. Um, I also have a shop the look, um, kind of series thing where people can download a

[00:50:00] complimentary, um, it's like a designed room and each room design, um, not everything's low tox, but each room has, um, their clean living bonuses where there's things in the room that are low tox or are better for you.

Um, So that's something that someone just enters their email and they can get access to that. I also have a mailing list. Um, I send out a newsletter every week, um, that again switches between like low tax living, design, um, clients I've worked with where, you know, they give testimonials about, you know, how we design their home low tax and that kind of stuff.

I can give you the links to like where they can get my newsletter and all that kind of stuff.

Um, you know, for like a show, the show notes or whatever. 

Jacqueline: Awesome.

Courtney: yeah.

Jacqueline: That sounds great, Courtney. I will include, yeah, I'll include the links to, um, all of that in the show notes. My last question for you, and this 

Courtney: Yeah. 

Jacqueline: favorite one to ask, and that is, what does being well and strong mean to you?

Courtney: Oh, that's a good question. Um, I mean, I feel like just feeling as though, you know, I'm kind of living my [00:51:00] best life, not in the trendy, you know, sort of way. Um, but I think, you know, focusing on just using what God gave me, you know, to kind of better the world. Um, and I feel like relying on, you know, when we look at what our, our bodies are meant to heal and God created them that way.

And so I feel like when we go to the foundations of eating the foods that God created, you know, and all this other kind of stuff, um, I feel like, you know, that's super important. And I feel like, yeah, when you, when you, when you, are doing what you love, you feel good. And I feel like that's, you know, that's super important.

Jacqueline: No, couldn't agree more. Well, Courtney, this has been so much fun. Um, such an information packed episode. Again, I'm going to have you on again at some point soon, but 

Courtney: Yeah, definitely. 

Jacqueline: um, for your time, for all 

you're doing, and 

Courtney: this. Thank

you. 

Jacqueline: excited to share with listeners. I'll let you know when it goes live.

Courtney: Yeah, me too. Definitely. Enjoy the rest of your day. And I loved being able to talk with you about this.


People on this episode

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Jacqueline Genova

Host