How to Detox Your Home This Spring
Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Spring is a time where people talk about decluttering, cleaning, organizing, etc. While you are straightening up this spring why not detox your home?
As a family we strive to live a “healthy lifestyle.” That doesn’t mean we never eat dessert, but we like implementing simple steps to improve our overall health. Today I wanted to share 5 easy ways to detox your home.
1: Get Indoor Plants
In the past, I’ve killed almost every plant we brought indoors. Thankfully in our new home I’ve found some great spots with morning sun and we’ve kept 3 plants alive for longer over 1.5 years!
Previously I would forget to water the plants, but now I make a habit to water them weekly or when their leaves seem to be wilting (a good hint the plants need water).
It’s fascinating to me that the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reported houseplants can remove toxins from the air even toxins such as formaldehyde. For maximum benefits, the NCBI suggests having multiple species of houseplants in one area.Â
2: Throw Out Your Cleaning SuppliesÂ
Did you ever notice how cleaning supplies don’t list the ingredients anywhere on the bottle? This frustrates me as I want to find “safe” cleaning supplies for our family.
Many cleaning supplies are filled with toxins and add harmful chemicals to your household air each time you spray. Not sure if your cleaners are safe? The Environmental Working Group has a great resource on finding the safe and green cleaners on the market.
3: Read Up on Natural Cleaners
Although my husband doesn’t love the smell, one of my favorite cleaning solutions is vinegar! It works on almost everything. There are so many resources out there listing the benefits of vinegar, lemon and baking soda as natural cleaners.Â
We’ve also invested in a few Norwex Basic Antibacterial Microfiber Cloth
 and we love them. They are a little pricey, but you can use them over and over again with just water. Plus you won’t be spending money on sprays or cleaners so in the long run it may save money.
4: Open Your Windows
Stale air gets trapped in our homes when we never open our windows. Many HVAC systems do not bring in fresh air from the outside instead the system recycles air already in the home. Last year I had the stomach bug and I desperately didn’t want anyone else in our family to get it!Â
We opened the windows a few times even in the cold weather to improve the indoor air quality and hopefully get rid of germs.
By opening your windows for a few minutes a day you are decreasing the amount of indoor air pollutants in your home.
Improve the air quality in your house by making this a daily habit, even if it’s only a few minutes.
5: Leave Your Shoes at the Door
This is something we always grew up doing. I’m honestly not sure exactly why, but as soon as we came in the house we took our shoes off. Our daughter seems to have gotten in to this routine recently and I’m grateful.
According to a pamphlet from the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences approximately 30 to 40 percent of contaminants inside your home are brought in from outdoors.
Some professionals in the cleaning industry estimate even higher, around 85 percent of dirt. It’s best to leave your shoes at the door so the dirt, dust and insect fragments stay off your carpets.
Better yet, get a doormat to wipe your shoes off before you even step foot in your laundry room or entryway.
6: Be Aware of Air Fresheners & Scented Candles
Many air fresheners have toxic ingredients in them such as phthalates and formaldehyde. Phthalates are known to disrupt the endocrine system.
I know a lot of people like having a “scent” in their home and they use plug-ins or candles to achieve this. Unfortunately, you may want to reconsider what you are using to create a sweet smell in your home.
7: Use Essentials Oils and a Diffuser
Instead of buying products filled with harmful chemicals consider a Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser
. We’ve never been huge on essential oils, but we recently purchased a diffuser and we love it.
With 2-3 drops of essentials oils we have a beautiful natural scent in our home and we don’t have to worry about it emitting any toxic chemicals. So far our favorites have been lavender at night, tea tree
in the morning, and thieves in the winter.
Do you spring clean? How do you avoid toxic chemicals without sacrificing a clean home? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments below!
Great tips for spring cleaning…naturally! 😀 We can still have very clean homes without using harsh chemicals!
Great tips…. my husband hates the smell of vinegar also and I usually add some essential oils to the cleaning water which helps the smell not to be so strong… and I try to do it when he isn’t home. 🙂 I agree about the smells… candles, air fresheners, perfumes, disinfectants… way too strong and too toxic for me to use. Thank you for your post.