5 Easy Ways Detox Your Home—Starting From Now

Before you read on, relax. We're not about to suggest anything extreme. But we do need to talk about the toxins we're consuming on a regular basis. Yes, you've heard of clean eating, but what about clean... cleaning? Clean living? And detoxing beyond dubious juice cleanses? (Which, in no way, shape or form we would ever suggest.) We've done the research, and here's a primer on creating a healthy home way beyond the realm of the kitchen.

Think about air quality

If you’re serious about detoxing your home, you need to think about air quality. If you live in a city there’s a good chance that the biggest source of toxins and pollution in your home comes from the air that you’re breathing. (Sorry.)

Do you keep your windows open? Do you have doors and blinds that allow for air flow to circulate? All of these things could be letting in polluted city air and trapping it within your home. The best but, unfortunately, most expensive thing to do is to invest in an air purifier. These machines vary in price based on brand, but they act as a filter, ensuring that the air coming into your home is of the highest quality.

Conversely, if things are feeling stuffy at home, just open a window, clean your carpets and your couch at appropriate intervals and then (stay with us) clean the vacuum cleaner. We know that one probably hurt a little.

In the meantime, a statement plant is an invigorating option that'll literally breathe air into your space (whatever the size) and doubles as decor, too.

On that note, get some house plants. Lots of them...

Far from just serving a purely aesthetic function, house plants are also a great tool for detoxing your home. That’s because the bacteria in their soil helps to breakdown things like formaldehyde and other problematic pollutants that can be found in the air.

What’s more, having some organic matter in room will help your mental health too. Keeping plants and nurturing them with water makes your house feel like it’s alive, and gives you a warm and inviting space to go home to.

Think about what you’re spraying

Most homes have seen any number of spray bottles in their lifetime. From air fresheners to cleaning products, the scents and chemicals that we filter through our homes is jaw-dropping when you really stop to think about it—never mind, the plastic packaging it comes in. An easy way to cleanse your space is making conscious choices when it comes to the products you're cleaning with.

That means switching to clean disinfectants, such as tea tree oil, instead of chemical based ones. You can also lay off the synthetic air fresheners, and instead opt for fresh lavender to scent a room.

Want a simple trick? Just take your shoes off

Have you ever visited a home where they kept a shoe rack by the door, upon which visitors would remove their shoes before they entered the space?

This is actually a very small but important hack you can implement in the fight to detox your home. Your shoes pick up so many germs, bacteria, dirt and dust as they carry you about your day. Do you really want to bring all of that home? Taking your shoes off before you enter your home stops the spread of all that nasty stuff and keeps it by the door.

On that note, never put things like a suitcase or an overnight bag that have been on the ground onto your bed without giving it a good disinfectant wipe down first. The same rules here apply, that thing has been all over picking up germs. It's gross, we know.

Consider going plastic-free (or at least cutting down)

First of all, some plastic containers contain a chemical known as bisphenol-A (BPA) that is basically a real bad guy. Studies have proven that BPAs impact our hormones and can lead to obesity and cardiovascular disease. If you have any BPA-heavy plastics, now is the time to throw them out. (They’ll be marked with a number 7.)

But why not consider going plastic-free in the first place. We all know how much damage our plastic reliance is causing the environment. Reducing your plastic usage at home, particularly single-use plastic, is of the utmost importance. That means swapping out the plastic wrap and ziplock bags for glass containers, jars and beeswax wrappers.

Also, avoid plastic straws and use metal or glass ones instead. It will feel difficult at the start, but it’s worth it in long term for the creation of a healthier, safer environment for you at home and the world at large.

Still interested? Here are the biggest wellbeing trends of 2019.