Happy new year! How are your new years resolutions going? Last week, we talked about a few ideas for non-toxic New Years resolutions. If you're trying one of these resolutions, testing a non-toxic resolution of your own, or just recommitting yourself to detoxing your life in the new year, these simple (and inexpensive!) tools will make your new non-toxic life a little easier. Here are our top 5 tools for a non-toxic year:

1) A water filter: The Environmental Working Group’s  water filter guide will help you choose the filter that’s right for you and your budget needs. If you’re not in the market for a filter, the Green Guide recommends placing an open container of water in the fridge for a few hours, which helps filter out chlorine, and let water run for a full minute before you use it for cooking or drinking. Make sure you filter your water if you’re boiling water for tea or soup. Use your freshly filtered water to whip up a nontoxic acne treatment by steaming your face over a pot of hot water with chamomile, lavender, or thyme. Flush the drains in your kitchen and bathroom with boiling water. Create a home air freshener by adding cinnamon, herbs, or citrus peels to a small pot of boiling water.

2) White vinegar: White distilled vinegar is more than a kitchen staple: It’s a cleaning life saver. Combine white distilled vinegar with water for an all purpose rinse, or freeze vinegar and water into ice cubes and use them as a garbage disposal cleaner. Check out our guide to DIY non-toxic cleaning supplies for more ideas.

3) Soap: Invest in safer soap! A good liquid castile soap can be used in homemade cleaning supplies, as a face wash, body wash, and as a simple hand soap. Check the label when you’re buying liquid castile soap; Women’s Voices for the Earth recommends avoiding sodium lauryl (laureth) sulfate (SLS) and Diethanolamine (DEA).

4) Baking soda: Mix this common baking supply with water to create an acne-fighting mask. Combine baking soda with vinegar to make a simple toilet bowl cleaner, or add a ½ cup of baking soda to your laundry as a fabric softener replacement.

5) On the go tools: Download free apps to help you make safer, non-toxic choices when it comes to everything from toys to food to sunscreen. Visit Healthy Stuff, the Good Guide, and the Environmental Working Group to find handy on-the-go-tools. If you don't have a smart phone, there are great printable tools you can slip in your wallet. Download portable versions of EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, the Toxic Trio guide to non-toxic nail polish from the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, or the Breast Cancer Fund's series of non-toxic tip cards.

More Non-toxic Tips Tuesdays:

• ECOnomical: Top 5 Thrifty, Non-toxic Tips
• Five Tips for the Non-toxic Chef
• Tips Tuesday: How to Create a Green Wedding Registry

Do you have any tips on non-toxic tools for the new year? Leave them in the comments, or visit our Facebook page and share them with the MomsRising community.