10 Simple & Affordable Ways to Detox Your Home
Simple Ways to Detox Your Home
It’s officially March 1st – and with Spring officially just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for a fresh look on our health in and out of the home. The focus seems to be constantly on what we are eating, are we exercising, how’s sleep, etc.? But let’s dive in for a few minutes about simple ways to detox in and around the home, beyond just on the dinner plate.
So to kick off this new month and season, I have compiled a simple list of 10 ways you can lower the toxic burden for you and your loved ones. I especially love this list, because most of it is free and/or affordable to implement, and something you can do for your family without having the full “buy-in” (like convincing your husband to swap his deo to a cleaner brand or encouraging your kids to eat their broccoli!).
Free & Affordable Ways to Detox the Home
Have a “no shoes on in the house” policy.
This is an insanely easy clean practice to start doing in your home. No money spent, just shoes off as soon as you get home! We walk all over this green earth, picking up things on our shoes like bacteria, viruses, pesticides, fertilizers, sewage (sorry, someone had to say it!), dirt, and goodness knows what else. These are not things we want to be shuffling into our home, multiple times a day.
Make the clean switch in your laundry from dryer sheets to wool balls.
This one will actually save you money if you are in the habit of purchasing dryer sheets, because wool dryer balls are reusable many times over! Dryer sheets are known for having harmful chemicals like fragrances, methosulfates, and dyes. At the minimum, these are common skin allergens, and at their worst are endocrine disrupting.
Add household plants throughout the home.
Plants are wonderful natural detoxifiers. They help to filter our air, and by keeping live plants in the home – you’re providing another source of air filtration. And they are happy to look at, and an added bonus will brighten your mood.
Ditch the fragrances.
These come in the form of scented candles, plug-ins, potpourri, scented detergents, scented hand soaps… fragrances are sneaky and quite often all throughout our home if we aren’t looking out for them. The red flag with fragrance is that this is a loophole term for companies to create scents for their products, without having to disclose the chemical/ingredient makeup of those scents. So when using products with fragrance, we really have no way of knowing what we are ultimately using. And when tested, fragrances often contain ingredients linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, hormone dysregulation, allergens, and neurotoxins. For these reasons, it’s an easy ‘no’ from me!
Open windows and doors daily for ventilation.
Our home gets little fresh air flow because it is an enclosed space. The decreased fresh air flow can easily allow for the buildup of toxins in the air in the home. Open your windows and doors frequently throughout the week, to allow the movement of fresh air.
Vacuum regularly.
Just like tracking in things on our shoes, our carpets and soft surfaces catch and hold on to what we bring in. This can come from our clothes, feet, bags left on the floor – you name it! By vacuuming regularly, this prevents the buildup of unwanted materials in an area that easily traps all sorts of compounds!
Dust regularly – and it is does best with a damp rag (damp with water is just fine!).
By dusting, you are also removing particles from surfaces that otherwise might get kicked up in the air and ingested, causing pesky allergen reactions at the very least.
Replace your air filters every 3-6 months.
By replacing your filters on a regular basis, this allows for the cleanest and most efficient filtration you can provide for your home. And when the filters are newer, they are better at catching and filtering particles, big and small.
Go plastic-free.
Hopefully we are past the age of microwaving plastic at the very least! Plastics have tiny particles that leech into our food, and then are consumed by us that eat the food. These forever chemicals can buildup in our bodies, causing issues and are near impossible to naturally detox from. Beyond microwaving, storing food in glass, stainless or silicone are much safer options as well. This does not mean spend a fortune on name brand glass storage – check your local Goodwill, thrift stores or TJ Maxx for great deals on glass storage!
Transition your household products to cleaner alternatives.
This includes everything from laundry detergent, to makeup, skincare, shampoo, and everything in between. While you don’t need to throw everything away this instant, as you run out of your products, try to make a conscious effort to replace them with cleaner brand alternatives. The Environmental Working Group is a great resource to use as you are beginning your journey into clean products.
Wrapping it Up
If this list looks overwhelming, I recommend the best place is to start with is choosing 1 new resolution you can master. You can always build from there. But the important low-tox steps to take are ones that you will actually do! Find an easy win and then build on that.