• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
live love fruit logo

Live Love Fruit

Eat Vibrantly. Live Vibrantly

About Start Here Work With Me

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Health
  • Remedies
  • Recipes
  • A-Z Conditions
  • Fitness
  • Environment
  • Self Improvement
  • My LLF
  • Shop
Category: > Health > 10 Ways To Detox Your Home To Reduce Toxicity and Lower Your Risk of Disease

10 Ways To Detox Your Home To Reduce Toxicity and Lower Your Risk of Disease

Jun 6, 2018 Carly Fraser Post contains aAffiliate links Save For Later Print

Last Updated: Feb 20, 2019

538 shares
  • Facebook472
  • Twitter3
  • LinkedIn

detox your home

Many of the chemicals and toxins in our home we’re unable to see, taste or even smell. This is a scary fact, given the average home contains 500-100 chemicals and toxins.

If you want to eliminate your exposure to toxic contaminants, you need to detox your home. While it does take a little work to switch out products for more natural ones, the benefits you receive from doing so are endless.

Perhaps that mystery illness of yours will disappear, or your sinus troubles, or excessive mucus production will suddenly come to a halt. People wonder why they are sick, and yet continue to use the very products that are making them so. Time for a little reality check!

10 Ways to Detox Your Home

The good news is, is that there are many things you can do to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. Here are 10 things you can do today to detox your home:

1. Say No to Synthetic Fragrance

Synthetic fragrances like those found in laundry detergent, dish soap and air fresheners cause some serious health damage.

To start, they’re respiratory irritants, which makes breathing harder and triggers “allergies” that people attribute to things other than fragrance. They also contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, which completely throw our hormones off-whack and contribute to things like breast, ovarian and prostate cancer (1).

And while we’re on the topic of phthalates, these chemicals are linked to reproductive toxicity, and have been linked to decreased sperm counts, early breast development and birth defects (2, 3).

Fragrances are also neurotoxic, and cause liver and kidney damage, so make sure you keep them out of your house and out of your life.

Here is a list of things to avoid that contain synthetic fragrance:
– Air fresheners
– Dryer sheets
– Scented candles
– Shampoo
– Laundry detergent
– Dish soap
– Deodorants
– Soap
– Sunscreen
– Perfumes, colognes and body sprays
– Lotions and serums
– Cleaners
– Cosmetics

Always look for products that don’t list “fragrance” or “parfum” on the ingredient list. That way, you’ll be sure to avoid these harmful substances.

2. Improve Air Quality

Did you know that indoor air is about 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air? In fact, you’re better off walking the polluted streets of Hong Kong than sitting in your house watching TV.

A major source of indoor air pollution is carpeting. Carpeting traps dirt, fleas, dust mites and lead. If you have carpeting, I highly suggest investing in a HEPA filter vacuum, which helps trap the widest range of particles and gets rid of allergens.

Another thing you can do to keep the air clean indoors is by investing in a high-quality air filter like the Intellipure. The Intellipure unit is one of the best air filters on the market, and it uses technology currently used in hospitals, medical clean rooms, government buildings and military applications.

Intellipure

The Intellipure has also been proven to capture 99.9% of all particles as small as 0.007 microns in size. Compare this to the standard HEPA filters, which filter only up to 0.3 microns in size. It also contains a heavy-duty commercial-grade gas and odor filter, which eliminates most gases, and the patented DFS (Disinfecting Filtration System) technology removes 99.99% of harmful viruses, fungi, molds and bacteria. The result? Fresh, pure, healthy air.

Another option I recommend is by adding air-purifying plants in every room of your house. The plants themselves, and the bacteria in the soil, help to reduce volatile organic compounds (like formaldehyde) in the air.

3. Switch to Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

Cleaning products contain some of the worst toxic ingredients. As discussed in point one above, fragrances contain phthalates, known endocrine disruptors that can easily enter our bodies through inhalation. Cleaning products are loaded with fragrance to leave things smelling “clean,” but not many people are aware of the health risks they’re trading out for a “clean” smell.

Cleaning products also contain other nasty chemicals that irritate the respiratory tract, increase your risk of cancer and damage the kidneys and liver.

The good news? There are lots of great non-toxic cleaning products out there like baking soda, vinegar, essential oils and lemon.

4. Don’t Store Thermal Receipts in Grocery Bags

Thermal receipts (like the ones you get at the grocery store) leach BPA. That’s the last thing you want on your organic produce. Always store thermal receipts in your wallet, and don’t let the cashiers stick them in your grocery bags against your produce.

5. Make Sure Your Water Source is Clean

Cleaning your water is an essential if you’re wanting to detox your home. Tap water contains over 300 chemicals and pollutants, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) (4). Some of these chemicals include things like chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, lead, mercury, endocrine disrupting chemicals, fluoride and hundreds of others. Do you want that going in your body? I think not.

One of my favorite water filtration systems is the Berkey Water Filter. They are portable, and look beautiful in the kitchen. The filters in the Berkey remove 99.9999999% of pathogenic bacteria and 99.999% of viruses, which greatly exceeds the standards. They also remove trihalomethanes, inorganic materials like chlorine, heavy metals, micro-organisms, pharmaceutical drug contaminants, pesticides and volatile organic compounds, as well as arsenic, E.Coli, nitrites, petroleum products, rust, silt, sediment, as well as foul tastes and odors.

While the Berkey Water Filter takes up some counter space, they are the least expensive in the long run, and require the least filter changes. Plus, they do not remove minerals from the water, which is a huge plus.

6. Change out Personal Care Products

Personal care products like makeup and deodorant also carry a threat of poisoning your body with toxic chemicals. A great App I like to use (and recommend) is EWG’s Healthy Living App, where you can find safer alternatives to the products you’re currently using. 

7. Avoid Paraffin Candles

While scented candles may seem harmless, they’re actually a major source of indoor air pollution, and destroy air quality (and the lungs). Environmental pollutants expert, Anne Steinemann states that certain candles may emit numerous types of potentially hazardous chemicals like benzene and toluene (5). These chemicals disrupt the nervous system, cause brain and lung damage, and also cause developmental problems in children.

Short-term exposure to formaldehyde released in scented candles can result in symptoms like watery and burning eyes, burning in the throat and nose, nausea and/or vomiting, wheezing and/or coughing, and burning skin and/or irritation. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can also cause cancer within the nasal passage, and even worse, leukemia (6).

Instead of scented candles, diffuse essential oils instead, or burn beeswax candles which have a wonderful, natural aroma.

8. Take Your Shoes off at the Door

Taking your shoes off at the door can reduce 60% of the toxins you track into your home. In fact, a major source of pesticides and lead contaminants that come into your home is a result of walking into the house with your shoes on.

To reduce these contaminants, all you need to do is declare your home shoes-free. Simple!

9. Avoid Toxic Kitchenware

When it comes to cooking and storing food, there are lots of hidden dangers. Plastic containers, for starters, usually contain BPA, so it is best to avoid them. Freezing stuff in plastic bags is just as bad. Instead of using plastic, opt for glass-lock containers, mason jars, or other glass containers to store your food in.

Non-stick pans are another major issue when it comes to toxic items in your household. Teflon contains per fluorinated chemicals (PFC’s), which have been linked to cancer and developmental problems).

Safe cookware alternatives include things like cast iron, stainless steel, glass, 100% ceramic cookware and non-toxic non-stick coatings.

10. Stop Using Herbicides on Your Lawn

Out of over 30 commonly used lawn chemicals, 19 of them have been shown to cause cancer, with another 15 known to cause nervous system poisoning (7). Also, the herbicides and pesticides used on gardens eliminate beneficial insects and bacteria that actually help control the pests sprayed for in the first place.

Instead of using toxic herbicides and pesticides, replace them with non-toxic ones. Vinegar works as a great herbicide, and pulling out weeds by hand is just as good of an option. You can also roll out landscape fabric if you’re wanting to prevent garden weeds, or use mulch, which eliminates light that weeds need to grow.

This post contains affiliate links

538 shares
  • Facebook472
  • Twitter3
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: Health, Healthy Home Tagged With: air filter, chemical-free home, detox your home, essential oils, intellipure, synthetic fragrance

Carly Fraser

About the Author

Carly Fraser has her BSc (Hons.) Degree in Neuroscience, and is the owner and founder at Live Love Fruit. She currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a determined life mission to help inspire and motivate individuals to critically think about what they put in their bodies and to find balance through nutrition and lifestyle. She has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals to re-connect with their bodies and learn self-love through proper eating habits and natural living. She loves to do yoga, dance, and immerse herself in nature.

View Profile

Reader Interactions

Related Posts

  • save water
    10 Easy Ways To Save Water At Home (and Reduce Your Water Bill)
  • The Carotenoids In This Carrot Juice Help Reduce Cancer Risk By Up To 50%!
  • 5 Ways To Make Turmeric Drinks To Reduce Pain And Inflammation
  • 10 Natural Ways To Help Cleanse and Detox The Body
  • 7 Tips To Help Reduce Your Risk of Bowel Cancer by Up to 75%
  • breast cancer
    3 Dietary Changes To Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer
  • 5 Genius Ways To Reduce Belly Bloating Naturally (Every Single Day!)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Free Ebook

Success! Please check your inbox to download your FREE eBook.

Reduce Chronic Inflammation Naturally!

The Ultimate Guide to Fight Inflammation and Restore Your Health!

21 Ways to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Recent Posts

visual illustration of toxins stored in fat cells in body

How to Eliminate Toxins From Fat Cells That Are Making You Fatigued and Swollen

foot with demonstrated achilles pain

This One Stretch Relieves Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, Achilles Pain, and Heel Pain

Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens recalled by Johnson & Johnson

Latest Sunscreen Recall Raises Concern Over Chemicals

lemongrass plant in garden

How to Plant Lemongrass to Repel Mosquitoes

Female Reproductive System next to adrenal glands representing organs in the body responsible for hormone production

10 Natural Ways to Balance Your Hormones

freshly pressed pineapple juice

15 Impressive Health Benefits of Pineapple Juice

Popular Posts

Man spraying pesticides on tea plants with other side of image showing dry loose tea bags

Pesticides in Tea: Is Your Favorite Tea Contaminated with Harmful Chemicals?

glyphosate in wine

Monsanto’s Harmful Chemical Glyphosate Found In 100% Of California Wines Tested

whole dandelion plant with flowers and roots on cutting board on a table

Dandelions Are Not Weeds! Top 10 Health Benefits of Dandelion

johnson & johnson baby products in pharmacy

Johnson & Johnson Finally Admits: Our Baby Products Contain Cancer-Causing Ingredients

10 Plants That Attract Dragonflies for Mosquito Control

companion planting chart

Use This Companion Planting Chart to Help Your Garden Thrive

France Bans Neonicotinoid Pesticides

France Bans All Five Neonicotinoid Pesticides Linked to Bee Deaths

Glyphosate in Food: Complete List of Products and Brands Filled with Dangerous Weed-Killer

whales dying from plastic pollution

Whales Dying From Plastic Pollution Are a Grave Reminder to Give Up Our Addiction to Plastics

illustrated piriformis muscle showing trigger points and radiating pain

How To Get A Deep Piriformis Stretch To Get Rid of Sciatica, Hip & Lower Back Pain

RECOMMENDED

Thank you! Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription!

Want to reduce inflammation and restore your health?

Join Live Love Fruit and we'll show you how!

Footer

Stay Connected!

Follows
  • 316k Followers
  • 1.9k Followers
  • 110k Followers
  • 607 Followers
  • 11.5k Followers
  • Home
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Write For LLF
  • Contact

Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
Content on Live Love Fruit may not be reproduced in any form.
Ads provided by AdThrive. Displayed ads do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by Live Love Fruit.

Copyright © 2012 - 2022 Live Love FruitPrivacy Policy | Terms of Service | Full Disclaimer | Affiliate Disclosure

538 shares
  • 472
  • 3