5 Easy Ways To Detox Your Home (Plus DIY Cleaning Recipe)
You might have done a detox in order to eliminate toxins from your body, but have you done anything about the toxins in your own home? With the average house containing over 500 chemicals and the increasing knowledge that common household cleaning products are found to have negative effects on the body, it’s more important than ever to clear your home of dangerous toxins for the health and safety of your family and yourselves.
Here are five simple tips on how you can detox your home today:
1. Take The Time To Read And Understand Labels
Reading the ingredients list of everyday cleaning products can be overwhelming with words that you have often never heard of, let alone even pronounce. By doing a simple Google search, you can familiarize yourself with the names of dangerous chemicals and how they can potentially harm your body.
2. Don’t Be Misled By ‘Green’ and ‘Natural’ Marketing Scams
Many households have begun using ‘green’ alternatives in their home believing they are a safer option but even these can contain harmful ingredients. Unfortunately, the terms ‘green’ and ‘natural’ are often nothing more than marketing terms used by manufacturers to increase sales and cannot automatically be deemed safe.
3. Make Your Own Nontoxic All-Purpose Cleaner
The best way to ensure there are no dangerous chemicals in your cleaning products is to make your own! It’s not only safer for your family but also way cheaper. All you need for a basic all-purpose cleaner is water, white vinegar and bicarbonate soda.
4. Incorporate Essential Oils
Don’t like the smell of vinegar? The smell will leave not long after it dries, but you can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, like lavender or eucalyptus, to your DIY cleaning products. They are not only antibacterial but will have your whole house smelling beautiful too.
5. Keep The Air Clean
When you breathe, your body takes oxygen and releases carbon dioxide; during photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. By adding indoor plants around your home, you can increase the oxygen levels and clean the air. Plants that fare well indoors include the spider plant, peace lily and dragon tree. You can also keep the air clean by eliminating artificial air fresheners and instead use fresh flowers or bowls of herbs to add a nice fragrance.
DIY TOXIN-FREE FLOOR CLEANER RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 10 drops lemon oil
- 10 drops lavender oil
- 4 drops melaleuca oil
Method
- Place in a glass spray bottle. Spray onto floors and mop. Alternatively, double or triple the recipe amount (depending on the area you need to mop) and place in a bucket and mop floor.
- Do not use on polished timber floors as the essential oils and vinegar can dull the shine/strip the varnish- omit essential oils and vinegar and use the following instead: 2 cups water and 2 cups liquid castile.