15 Ways to Detox Your Home

Many of us know it is important to detoxify our bodies, but have not thought about detoxifying the place most of us spend the most time in, our home.

The crazy part is, indoor air is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air, and the average home contains 500-1,000 chemicals, many of which we are unable to see, smell or taste. There are many parts of our home that are burdening our liver and body systems causing sleep problems, headaches, hormone imbalances, and diseases like cancer.

The problem is, we are exposed to these chemicals at low doses each and every day- which has been found to be worse than one big exposure because these toxins are slowly building up and causing imbalances in the body.

SIDE NOTE: As always- if you still have a toxic mind and toxic thinking patterns, you can detox your house and detox your body all you want, and still not get healthy. Learn how to detox your thought life here, and the effect thoughts have on our body here.

Main Areas to Detox in Home

1. Water: drinking + Shower
2. Personal Care and Cleaning Products
3. Cooking and Storing pans and containers
4. Air

Water:

More than 700 chemicals have been identified in drinking water- including fluoride and chlorine which have both been shown to cause toxicity and imbalance in the body. Filtering your water is extremely important- but so is filtering your shower water. Your skin absorbs the water you are showing. A one hour bath is equivalent to drinking 1 gallon of water More studies on the dangers of tap water here.

Tip:

• Get a quality water and shower filter that filters out bacteria, viruses, and chemicals, similar to reverse osmosis. Most cheaper water filters unfortunately do not do much.

Personal Care and Cleaning Products

In past blog posts, I talked about the toxic effects of our personal and cleaning products, so I wont go into details here. Anything we put on our skin gets absorbed into our blood stream in 30 seconds. Switching to natural products will dramatically improve hormone and brain function, energy, and sleep!

Tip:

• Check your ingredients of personal care products and make sure they do not contain these most common toxic chemicals
• Switch to natural cleaning products

Cooking and Storing pans and containers

Avoid non stick pans, pots, bakeware and utensils (as Teflon contains perfluorinated chemicals (PFC’s) which have been linked to cancer and developmental problems. When cooking, these chemicals get released into your food.  Use plastics wisely (as some contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which is linked to cancer and Phtalates, which are linked to endocrine and developmental problems).

Tip:

• Cook with stainless steal or cast iron
• Buy glass storage containers
• Drink out of glass bottles as much as you can
• Avoid plastic food packaging (when you can). Don’t wrap food in plastic. Don’t microwave food in plastic containers. Choose baby bottles made from glass or BPA-free plastic.

Air

Indoor air is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Home insulation is wonderful for keeping our homes warm in winter and cool in summer, but doesn’t allow fresh air in, so we’re constantly breathing in the same air- which could be filled with mold and cleaning chemicals.

Tip:

• Keep your windows and doors open as much as possible to ventilate.
• Use green plants as natural air detoxifiers.
• Have your air ducts and vents cleaned with nontoxic cleaners.
• Get a portable air cleaner/purifier, especially for the bedrooms.

Home Products

When searching, look for natural paint, mattresses, carpets, and furniture when possible.

Bonus Tips

• No shoes in the house (as most household dirt, pesticides and lead come in on your shoes). Go barefoot or wear slippers.
• Avoid excess moisture (as it encourages the growth of mold and mildew). Check areas for moisture accumulation or leaks (particularly basements). Regularly clean surfaces where mold usually grows – around showers and tubs and beneath sinks.