What? Now I have to detox my house? I’ve already detoxed my liver! You don’t have to learn how to detox your house but health enthusiasts are already doing it. You add another layer of deeper cleaning in your own body when you do it. And when you learn how to detox your house, it’s pretty easy and straightforward and no side effects!

The biggest reason why this type of detox is important is that we are all surrounded by up to 1000 toxins that reside in our homes. Whatever toxins are in our environment end up in our bodies. We breathe them in, touch them, and consume them. They contribute to headaches, sinus problems, fatigue, and skin outbreaks.

The good news? You have the power to cleanse your body, your environment, and your home. By learning how to detox your house, you’ll see that it can be done systematically over a few months. The results are likely to be that you feel better, your skin looks more radiant, and you have more energy. These are the usual effects that result from a detoxification plan.

Why Go Non-Toxic?

Going non-toxic has become more important than ever since I’ve started to take a leading foot in managing my asthma. I’ve had asthma for since I was five years old (a story for another day) and have found that identifying and avoiding allergens, maintaining quality indoor air quality and avoiding products that pollute the body help me to feel better all around. You may be motivated by your own health story, caring for someone in your home, or simply want to take precautionary steps to keep your home in a healthy state. The steps we’re going through will help you take control of your indoor domain. 

Don’t forget to grab my free download, How To Detox Your House Naturally, to begin your journey.

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Here are the 10 ways to detox your home room-by-room:

1. Detox Toxic Chemicals from Your Laundry

Laundry room toxins are found in laundry detergents, bleaches, dryer sheets, and soaps. Sub them out with ones that are green, safe products. 100% sheep wool dryer balls are a healthy substitute. Oxi-Clean, baking soda, borax, soap nuts, vinegar, and Aquaball laundry balls are substitutes for detergents and bleaches. Find more healthy choices in the downloadable get-started guide here.

2. Taking Your Bathrooms Toxic-Free

There are plenty of toxic bathroom tub and tile cleansers on the market. Tilex products are still capable of taking out your body’s detox systems. Containing chlorine, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and 1,1-dichloroethylene, it irritates the lungs and one ingredient is used in scientific studies to harm the liver. This is just one example of how harmful products are allowed on the market. 

Shampoos, conditioners, soaps, scented candles, air fresheners, toothpastes, dental floss (uses PFAS), are the items to check with Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) website for suitable replacements.

3. Reset Your Indoor Cleaning Stash

EWG also has a complete guide to tips for healthy cleaning and lists >2500 cleaning products in their database so you can see if they are safe. The cleaner choices make a big difference! With the additional downloaded get started guide, you can save time and find choices quickly.

4. Replace Toxic Kitchen Cleaners and Kitchen Storage Devices

Store food in glass-lock containers, mason jars, stainless steel, ceramic cookware, and glass jars you save from other products. Plastic containers will transfer forever chemicals to whatever you are eating; throw them out when you have the other ones.

Teflon pans are out, as they contain forever chemicals that are fluorinated and have been found to be causative agents for cancer and developmental problems. Some pans will say on them PFOA and PFOS free; however, the chemicals they are substituting are equally as bad when it comes to causing cancer. Replace them with stainless steel, cast iron, or enameled or anodized aluminum cookware. 

Also check the chemicals you use to clean your floor, oven, and sinks. Baking soda and vinegar works very well for ovens and sinks.

5. Improve Your Air Quality

You can do this by attacking the main source of indoor air pollution: carpeting. Clean it with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter, and change the filter regularly. If you are replacing a carpet, beware of ones treated with stain-repellents and flame retardants (both are PFAS) and consider carpets made of wool or rugs with the Green Label Plus or Greenguard certification. 

Air quality is also improved by opening your windows at least daily. Run an air purifier, which removes harmful microbes and most gasses. And add indoor plants that have been tested by NASA to absorb toxins from the air, such as ferns, peace lily, spider plant, and aloe vera.

Also, check your carbon monoxide detectors regularly since this gas is odorless and can cause death if levels are too high. You should have one near your bedroom and another near the kitchen.

Scented candles emit formaldehyde, benzene and toluene, which may cause damage to the brain, lung, and nervous system, as well as cancer. As an alternative, use natural essential oils to diffuse into the air and purify the air. Switch to beeswax candles.

6. Prioritize clean water for drinking and hygiene

Tap water is contaminated with prescription drugs of all kinds. Some municipality water supplies are high in arsenic, lead, aluminum, barium, or other heavy metals. Old pipes also may give you contaminants. 

Water filters and/or a water distiller will remove many impurities; there are under the sink or countertop models that are available. If your water is super bad, consider getting an atmospheric water generator, which bypasses municipality water altogether. Remember that water is the solvent that dissolves many toxins in the body, eliminating them. The purer it is, the purer your body becomes.

7. Swap Your Personal Care Products

Learn about good, healthy alternatives to cosmetics and personal care products at this link:  https://pfascentral.org/pfas-free-products/ and https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Lotions, serums, cleansers, sunscreens, and cosmetics with fragrance or parfum on the ingredient list should be checked as well. More options are on my downloadable get started guide.

8. Deep Detox Clean For Your Bedroom

The mattress is one of your biggest concerns due to flame retardants your skin absorbs while sleeping. Natural mattresses are better choices but pricier. While saving up for one, place an organic cotton pad on top of your mattress so your skin is not absorbing harmful chemicals from the mattress.

Try a DIY mattress spray with essential oils to freshen the room and mattress as well.

9. Detoxing Your Living Room

The big problem is volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are vapors in the air emitted from particle board or medium-density fiberboard furniture or materials used in furniture. Another problem is flame-retardant treated foams. Your skin may absorb these chemicals just from sitting on furniture containing these chemicals. Consider antiques or furniture free of PFAS at this link: https://pfascentral.org/pfas-free-products/ 

Additional Tips To Detox Your House

When considering how to detox your house, consider these extra four tips as well.

Product Receipts

At the grocery store, when the clerk asks you if you want your receipt, put it in a ziplock bag in your purse. Don’t leave it in the bag with the groceries. Receipts still contain BPA, which is an endocrine disruptor. If it’s in the bag with fruit, it could be contaminating your fruit or veggies.

Dirt from Shoes

Stop tracking dirt into your home by simply removing your shoes at the door. The dirt may contain heavy metals or chemicals.

Lawn Chemicals 

These are harmful no matter which way you look at them. If you have snails, mosquitos, ants, beetles, fleas, and other pests, sprinkle USDA food grade Diatomaceous Earth on the ground twice a year. You’ll see a difference immediately as the pests become dehydrated while the beneficial insects are not harmed at all. For herbicides, use mulch to prevent weeds.

Fertilizers and Composts

Gardening aids are not necessarily good for your garden. Anything including fertilizers and compost made from sludge (human wastes) contains thousands of chemicals including forever chemicals and a marker chemical, Benadryl. Some examples are Milorganite brand and Dillo Dirt. Labels call them “biosolids” as a way to trick you into thinking they are safe. 

The EPA told farmers, the public, and those in agriculture that sludge was safe without testing for forever chemicals. These biosolid projects cause land and water contamination (elevated phosphorus levels and algae/cyanobacteria blooms, major environmental pollution.) The Health Ranger, Mike Adams, calls biosolids the greatest environmental crime in America of all time in his documentary called Biosludged.

If you’re dedicated, detoxing your house can be a fun and productive milestone. To help you on this journey, check out this free download on How To Detox Your Home Naturally on why and how to make these swaps.