18 ways to detox your home for better health and wellness
/18 ways to detox your home for better health and wellness
There are many different areas we can improve to create a natural, eco-friendly, and less toxic environment. Think of our parents’ or grandparents’ generation when everything is simple and basic. We don’t need dozens of plastic containers in the kitchen, or rolls of paper towels to clean everything. Soap, water, and the rag can clean most of our space. With the current coronavirus crisis, it is more urgent to reduce the waste, toxic chemicals, and products that end up in a landfill. It is time to rethink about the slow living lifestyle that is more earth-friendly and better for our health.
Add plants
Indoor plants can produce oxygen and refresh the air. It also brings outdoor in and helps us feel calm. Take care of the plants regularly with proper water, lighting, and maybe fertilizer. Rotate plants to outdoor space when the weather is right to keep them healthy.
Lighting
Lighting can affect our mood. Every morning, we can open up the windows and curtains to let the light shine through. For darker areas, you can add lamps to brighten up space. It is a simple way to increase energy and uplift our spirit.
Reduce noise
We are surrounded by all kinds of noise and tend to forget about them. It can be the humming of the refrigerator, humidifier/dehumidifier, TV, computer, and so on. If you live in a city, the traffic outside can be noisy too. If you are buying a new appliance, consider the noise level when in use. For the existing appliance, maybe we can arrange so we don’t spend too much time close to them. Just be mindful of the effect of long term noise exposure. It can be irritating and distracting.
Air purifier
We know indoor air is typically less clean than outdoor space. An easy solution is installing an air purifier. Some have a HEPA filter that can be very helpful for people with allergy, Replace or clean the filter according to the manufacturer’s instruction to maintain the performance. It can effectively reduce any pet odor and dust in the air.
Humidifier, dehumidifier, air conditioner, and heater
Depending on where we live and the season we are in, the air can be too dry, too humid, too cold, or too hot. It is a good idea to adjust it with a humidifier, dehumidifier, air conditioner, or heater. When we are in an extreme environment for too long, our health suffers easily. Setting up a comfortable environment also helps with our mental health.
Water filter
Most of us can benefit from a water filter to remove some chemicals or toxins in our water system. At least we can boil water for a few minutes for everyday drinking and cooking use. Some water filter systems can be expensive and fancy. Most popular water filter in the US includes Brita and PUR. A simple and natural way is to use a charcoal stick. You can find more by searching the charcoal stick water filter. The charcoal has a natural ability to cleanse water in a few hours. All you need to do is boil the charcoal sticks every 3 weeks or so to clean them. They should last a few months before replacing with the new charcoals. This will not remove heavy metal as effectively as a modern water filter, but still a good economical choice. You can combine different methods to get the best water quality and reasonable price.
Cookware
Do you still use a non-stick frying pan in the kitchen? They are very convenient but can be toxic and carcinogenic. The most common one is the Teflon coating. Some might have different names for the coating but all non-sticks are more-or-less the same. Once the surface is scratched (which happens very easily), the toxic chemical can leak to the food we are cooking. So try to limit the use of non-stick pans. When using it, avoid high heat or sharp metal spatula. Most non-stick pans don’t last long. Replace them in a few months when you start seeing scratches. A safer choice is stainless steel or cast iron cookware.
Decluttering your home
That is a basic and effective way to detox your home. Before you organize anything, we can simplify what we own. We really don’t need a lot to be happy. Most of the time it is just the habit of accumulation mindlessly.
One popular decluttering method is Marie Kondo’s decluttering system. You gather all items from one category (for example, books) and go through them one by one asking if the object brings me joy. Donate or discard the rest. It helps us realize what is important for us right now, and give room for future growth.
Set up a home cleaning routine
One system I like is called “Flylady” (www.flylady.net). She has been around long before Marie Kondo’s popular book. The basic idea is to have a schedule, routine, and habit for cleaning and organize the house. Let’s face it, house cleaning is an ongoing job, and perfection is not the goal. But if we have an overall schedule (monthly, weekly, special holidays….) and daily routine, we can have the housekeeping under control. Even if we are busy and miss a few days, we know we can get back to that part of cleaning in the next round.
It does not matter which system you follow. Coming up with your own system is even better. The point is to have a plan and habit so the house can be maintained regularly.
Indoor shoes and slippers
An easy way to stop the dirt and germ at the door is to change the outdoor shoes to a slipper when coming back home. It is a common practice for many cultures. Place some nice slippers by the entrance door can make the transition easier. It encourages visitors to change too so we can keep the indoor floor clean.
Choose low VOC paint
Most household wall paint contains toxic chemical and the smell can last for weeks. That can be harmful to breathe in especially for little kids, babies, or immunocompromised people. If you have the choice, pick the low VOC paint to reduce the toxic chemical smell. They are usually more expensive but worth the investment.
New furniture and mattress
Many furniture and mattress have a chemical smell because of the material or finishes they use. That smell can be toxic to our health. So we can either choose a higher quality, organic product or let them sit in an open-air for a longer period of time so the fume will diffuse first. It can reduce the time we expose ourselves to toxic chemicals.
No artificial fragrance
We are surrounded by artificial fragrance including candles, air-refresher, cleaning supplies, and body care products. Most products use artificial fragrance because it is cheaper to produce. However, they can be full of toxic chemicals. A better alternative is the fragrance made from essential oil or natural fruits and flowers. Fragrance-free is even better to avoid the irritation altogether. The best smell should come from food preparation from the kitchen. It can be tea, coffee, dinner, or dessert. Or just fresh flowers, fruits, and herbs.
Skincare and makeup product
There are so many choices in the market, we often just give in to the commercials or price point. They can contain a lot of questionable ingredients and even damage our skin sometimes. There is a lot of bio-science technology involved in the skincare industry. Not all chemicals are bad. We just have to do our research and know what is best for us. If in doubt, natural and simple ingredients are safer choices. Use fragrance-free products to avoid possible allergy.
Cleaning product and pesticide
There are a lot of different house cleaning products available for different purposes. We do not need the whole line to clean our space. If we can use natural homemade alternatives such as baking soda and vinegar, we can protect our health and our wallet. Too many toxic ingredients are in the household cleaning supply and pesticide. We should do our research and find less toxic alternatives from the internet. At least buy products from a reputable company that focuses on eco-friendly and natural ingredients.
Cellphone and electronics
We all know the cellphone, computer, and other electronics can produce radiation and blue light. We don’t know the exact damaging to our health but they are definitely bad for our eyes and health. If we can, do not surround us with those devices all the time. Use an earphone to answer the phone so we can keep some distance from the phone. Set up the night time screen lighting to reduce the blue light at night. The screen turns a little orange but that is better for our health.
Reduce plastic
Do you have a lot of plastic Tupperware for food storage? Plastic bags from grocery stores? and plastic toys for kids? Most of them are bad for our health and our environment. Plastic products are difficult to decompose and can damage our earth in the long term. We should use glass, metal, fabric, paper, or wood products instead of cheap plastic. It might cost more in the beginning, but our health is priceless. If we can all use less plastic and recycle our garbage, we can slow down global warming and protect our future generations.
Microwave
Some people will argue that microwave is not that bad, but others will say the radiation is damaging our health. It can be very convenient on busy days, but we should be aware of the negative side effect. When given the choice, we can cook on the stovetop more, and use microwave less. Most foods taste better when cooked on the stovetop anyway. Sometimes we have to compromise the convenience and find your balance. Faster is not always better.
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