When people talk about detoxification, it’s mostly related to your body. Getting rid of the harmful toxins, which are various substances we come in contact with daily – they include pesticides on fruits, vegetables and meat, the countless ingredients with weird names we see on the processed food labels, pollutants in the air, and even heavy metals in the soil, such as mercury and arsenic.
So from time to time, we have to detox our bodies to get back on the healthy side and be our best selves.
This philosophy can also be applied to other places. Just as our bodies get filled with all kinds of things that shouldn’t be there, so do our homes.
But how do you detox a house? This is where we come in! Many people think it’s just cleaning, but that is not true. Buckle up as we tell you about all the ways you can detox your home to start the new 2022 fresh!
Grow some friends
House plants are mini eco-systems that can help purify the air in your home, add a nice fragrance to the atmosphere and eliminate pollutants and toxins. There are certain plants that do a better job than others and those include the following:
- Dracaena
- Spider plant
- Snake plant
- Aloe Vera
- Ficus
- Bamboo Palm
- Peace Lily
- Marigolds
And if you want some powerful scents, go for Valerian, Jasmine, Lavender, Gardenias or Rosemary. However, make sure to coordinate the number of plants with the size of the room. Too many of them in a small bedroom can become overwhelming.
Use green, natural cleaning products
Many people are allergic to the harsh chemicals in cleaning products, especially children. Switching to greener solutions would be better not only for your home but for your whole family, as well. White vinegar, baking soda, lemons, salt and even essential oils, have tons of different uses, whether it’s cleaning your kitchen cabinet, oven, fridge, bathroom, and even washing your clothes. You can find numerous recipes on the Internet about making your own cleaning solutions with natural ingredients. It can turn into a fun family activity, as well, where you let your kids name the cleaning solutions, decorate the bottles and much more.
Get rid of plastic
Plastic is bad for the planet, animals, humans, basically everything. Removing it from your home and life will help you reduce your household waste and live a greener, more sustainable life. Here are some easy to follow tips for making your home and life plastic-free.
- Switch to glass or metal containers for your food. They will last a lot longer and preserve the quality of the products a lot better than plastic.
- Invest in metal straws that you can wash and use multiple times. You can even carry one with you to use when going outside.
- Opt for reusable produce bags, not plastic ones, when you go shopping for food.
- Try not to buy so many frozen products, as they are mostly processed foods, not good for our health, and they come in plastic packaging that you have to throw out later. Opting for fresh products will be better for you, your home and the environment.
Keep your home fresh
This includes cleaning all the rooms regularly, making sure there is no grime build-up anywhere in the house, and most importantly actively trying to prevent mould. We recommend that you invest in a dehumidifier and place it in moist, dark areas.
Replace artificial air fresheners with plants and essential oils. As we said earlier, the more natural the fragrance is – the better.
Remember to vacuum often and get rid of accumulated dust since they are like magnets for different chemicals.
Make sure that nobody walks with shoes in the house. Buy a cool looking shoe rack, place it next to the front door and just leave them there. Shoes bring all kinds of contaminants from outside and it’s recommended that they don’t go any further than the hallway.
Be organised in your kitchen
Declutter your kitchenware, especially the utensils, and keep them in a place that can be accessed easily, whenever you need them. Measuring cups and spoons, for example; most of the time you use them together, so why not keep them together, as well.
Do a general clean up of your fridge and pantry, getting rid of everything that you don’t need and is not good for you. Too much clutter in your home can prevent you from feeling like your home is clean and safe.
Be mindful when choosing your cookware
Even though they are very popular, Teflon surfaces can actually transfer many harmful chemicals into your food, along with non-stick pans. We recommend that you go for ceramic, stainless steel or cast iron cookware. They will not change the taste of your food, the heat is applied evenly throughout the surface and they are very durable, lasting for years.
Donate unwanted items
When you start decluttering your kitchen, bedroom, and basically any other room in your home, you will probably find many things that you no longer need. Instead of throwing them away, give them a new life by donating them to a charity organisation.
Go green in your bedroom, as well
You may be surprised to learn that fire-retardant materials in some mattresses are made with PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) which are proven to cause many problems to people such as damage the reproductive system and liver, affecting our behaviour, impairing the immune and nervous systems, irritate the skin and much more.
Thankfully there are many greener options for your quills, mattresses, comforters and pillowcases that are much less toxic and keep the air clean. Look for mattresses made from 100% natural latex. As for your other bedding items, just make sure they are produced entirely from natural and organic materials so that you know there are no toxins released into the air and your body 24/7.
Get rid of non-sleep related items in your bedroom
You’ve probably heard the saying before that a bedroom is a place for sleep and intimacy only. Anything else that is not related to those two activities should find another place in your house. Your fitness machine, TV, laptops and computers, and basically anything else that might distract you from whatever it is you should be doing in there. It’s also proven that many electronics emit blue light that prevents us from falling asleep and keep our brains awake.
If you can’t leave your phone in another room, at least don’t put it under your pillow or close to your face.
Conclusion
It’s essential to take care of our well-being even when we don’t feel like it. If it’s hard for you to find motivation and follow our tips, make it a group activity and invite family and friends to do the same. That way you can exchange ideas and keep each other accountable.