Detoxifying Your Home and Your Life
In the world of wellness, it is common to hear about detoxifying our bodies, but what about detoxifying our living spaces? Just like our bodies, our homes can accumulate toxins from simple and seemingly harmless daily habits– and can even be more toxic than outside spaces. Over time, our bodies accumulate these toxins which can lead to a decline in our health and overall well being. Cooking, cleaning, showering and even sleeping can all be toxic events! Implementing a simple and thorough detoxification process can not only improve the quality of our home environment but can create a more harmonious living space. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to detox your whole home and individual rooms.
For the whole house:
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Purify and circulate your air: Opening windows and doors, even a crack, can go a long way to help recycle the air in your house, keeping toxins from building up. If using central heat and A/C, change vent filters in a timely fashion and avoid extreme temperatures. Run ceiling fans (that you dust often) intermittently on low. Invest in a high-quality air purifier to remove pollutants such as dust, pet dander, pollen, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. Become friends with plants! Incorporating plants into your home goes beyond decor– plants are nature’s air purifiers, absorbing toxins and releasing oxygen. Peace lilies, spider plants, ferns and snake plants have a pronounced ability to clean your circulating indoor air: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3230460/
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Evaluate Your Cleaning Products. Many conventional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals like ammonia, bleach, dyes and synthetic fragrances that can linger in your home and affect indoor air quality. They can also act as endocrine disruptors as they are absorbed into our skin (our largest absorptive organ) and confuse our hormone signals, manifesting in various negative impacts on our health. Switching to natural alternatives such as vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, castile soap, and essential oils as well as swapping brands like Tide and Gain for Seventh Generation and Ecos are all steps towards avoiding toxic exposure. These options are not only safer for your health but also environmentally friendly.
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Air Fresheners: Though we all love a candle scented like fresh baked cinnamon rolls or a room deodorizer diffusing fresh pine, it is best to avoid air fresheners and heavy scent emitters like candles and plug-ins. These items contain harmful chemicals and compounds that disrupt our hormonal balance. If there is a need to cover a continuous odor in your home, don’t mask it; get to the root of what is emitting the smell; it could be mold or a toxic bacteria. Use natural oil diffusers such as lavender or eucalyptus as well as soy or beeswax-based candles to emit fresh scents in a clean home. You can also light natural incense and use flowers, cinnamon sticks, coffee beans and vanilla beans to scent a clean room.
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When furnishing and decorating your home, opt for natural materials such as wood, bamboo, cork, wool, silk and organic textiles. Synthetic materials like plastics and synthetic fibers can release harmful chemicals known as VOCs (this is called off-gassing). By choosing natural materials, you can create a healthier indoor environment free of toxic emissions.
In Your Kitchen:
While using your kitchen to cook meals and store healthy food items is highly recommended activity for healthy living, daily actions that this necessitates can be harmful if not performed with toxin control in mind.
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Cooking is at the top of the list of recommendations to living healthfully, cooking without taking proper precautions can be a quite toxic event. Turning on gas stoves and ovens, using aerosol oil sprays and frying or charring foods can all be harmful to our lungs; be sure to turn on ventilation fans and open windows and/or doors whenever possible. Swapping out PAM style sprays for pure cooking oils, as well as using a slow cooker, instant pot or poaching methods when possible to replace high heat cooking can reduce free radicals released when we char or fry foods on the stove top.
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Opting for organic produce and whole foods when possible can minimize pesticide exposure and ingestion of additives and chemicals found in processed foods; always read your foods labels!
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Though leftovers are a great way to prep up front and ensure quick access to healthy foods throughout the week, storing food in plastic containers can promote the leaching of plastics into our meals. Use glass, silicone or stainless steel containers for food storage. Again ,opt for natural kitchen cleaning solutions to prevent chemical residues from contaminating food surfaces.
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Be sure to discard leftovers in a timely fashion to prevent mold growth, and bacteria.
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When it comes to our kitchen sink, be sure to have distinctly separate spaces for dirty dishes versus clean dishes. Swap out sponges frequently, and use natural dish soaps and washer gels instead of chemical laden ones such as Palmolive.
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Have separate cutting and prep boards for raw meats and label them “raw meats only” and replace plastic cutting boards with pure wood, bamboo or silicone boards that will not leach toxins from plastic elements into your food..
In Your Bathrooms
Most bathrooms are the smallest spaces in our homes, leading to quick accumulation of toxins. Keep the following in mind when using your restroom, even if briefly:
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Keep a window cracked to prevent build up of mold, mildew and bacteria that grow in improperly ventilated areas.
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Always close the toilet lid before you flush to prevent aerosolization of bacteria.
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Use a shower filter if you do not have an internal home water filtration system to sift out pollutants that seep into your skin, your largest absorptive organ.
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Consider switching to organic personal care products free of harsh chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates to minimize exposure to toxins through skin-care and hygiene routines. If using perfumes or colognes, spray them on next to an open window and opt for natural blends instead of ones with alcohols and chemicals.
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Hang used/wet towels with full surface area exposed instead of folding them before they’re dry to prevent mildew buildup.
In Your Bedrooms
Keeping your bedroom clean takes more effort than just keeping it tidy, putting clothing away and making your bed. To deep clean your bedroom, do the following:
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Ensure your furniture and the cleaning items you use for it are safe. Be sure your bed, where you (hopefully) spend a significant portion of each day, is toxin-free. Using organic detergent for sheets and opting for bedding made from natural materials like cotton or bamboo can minimize exposure to harmful chemicals. Consider using an organic mattress and non-toxic furniture to further reduce your exposure to toxins while you sleep.
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Dust your windows and surfaces often, vacuum carpets weekly and wash bedding, pillows, and curtains regularly to remove dust mites and allergens. You can even vacuum your mattress once/month to suck up dust particles that may have seeped in.
Detoxifying your home is a proactive step towards creating a healthier and more sustainable living environment for you and your family. By implementing these tips and making conscious choices about the products you use and the materials you bring into your home, you can significantly reduce your exposure to toxins and create a space that promotes well-being and vitality. Start small, and gradually incorporate these practices into your daily routine to reap the benefits of a detoxified home for years to come.
The following guide is crafted to make detoxifying your home manageable and effective. Start with what feels doable for you and gradually incorporate more changes. For further information and to explore cleaner product options, visit reputable sites like:
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Yuka (https://yuka.io/en/)
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EWG (https://www.ewg.org) for guides on safe products
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Green Seal (http://www.greenseal.org) for certified green alternatives.
A few of Keyspan’s favorite eco-friendly/home safe products:
Cleaning products:
SPRAYS:
VINEGAR CLEANER
THYMES:
SEVENTH GENERATION:
METHOD:
Self-care products:
Laundry care:
DRYER SHEETS
CLEARALIF
https://www.amazon.com/Laundry-Detergent-Sheets-Fresh-Linen/dp/B09B35YB5C?ref_=ast_slp_dp&th=1&psc=1
Earth Breeze Eco sheets
Detergent:
9 ELEMENTS
ECOS
ZUM
BIOKLEEN
Remember, every small step towards a toxin-free home contributes to a healthier, more vibrant life for you and your loved ones.
Version 3.0 the checklist
Creating a healthier home environment starts with understanding the why and how of detoxifying each space in your house. Below is a room-by-room guide to help you take action towards a toxin-free living area. This checklist format allows you to tackle each task methodically, ensuring you can create a safer, more vibrant home for you and your family.
Whole House Checklist
Why Detox? Enhancing air quality and reducing indoor pollutants benefits your overall well-being.
[ ] Open windows daily to allow fresh air in and reduce indoor pollutants.
[ ] Install a high-quality air purifier to capture dust, pollen, and VOCs.
[ ] Add indoor plants like spider plants and peace lilies for natural air filtration.
[ ] Switch to natural cleaning products (vinegar, baking soda) to reduce chemical exposure.
[ ] Choose furnishings made from natural materials to avoid off-gassing of harmful chemicals.
Kitchen Checklist
Why Detox? The kitchen is the heart of the home but can also be a source of toxins from cooking and food storage.
[ ] Use glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic to minimize chemical leaching.
[ ] Open windows or use an extractor fan when cooking to improve ventilation.
[ ] Select organic produce and whole foods to reduce pesticide exposure.
[ ] Clean with natural solutions to prevent chemical residues on food surfaces.
Bathroom Checklist
Why Detox? Bathrooms can harbor mold, mildew, and toxins from personal care products, affecting air quality and personal health.
[ ] Keep a window cracked open to prevent mold and improve air quality.
[ ] Use a shower filter to reduce exposure to chlorine and other water pollutants.
[ ] Use Yuka to switch to organic personal care products to lower chemical absorption through the skin.
Bedroom Checklist
Why Detox? A third of your life is spent sleeping, making the bedroom a critical area to detoxify for improved rest and health.
This checklist is designed to be a practical tool in your journey towards a healthier, toxin-free home. Remember, every step you take makes a difference. For more detailed information on specific products and further guidance, consider visiting reputable resources like Yuka (https://yuka.io/en/) [EWG](https://www.ewg.org) or [Green Seal](http://www.greenseal.org).
