How To Detox Your Home And Feel Healthier

I sometimes feel that everywhere I go there are air-fresheners! Air fresheners in offices, in toilets, in stores, and in people's homes. Turn on the tv and there are adverts for air-fresehners.

But did you realise just exactly what is in most air-fresheners?

They can contain as many as 20 VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which have been linked to things like earache, diarrhoea and depression.

They can also contain phthalates which are hormone disrupting chemicals and of particular threat to babies and young people.

They can also contain benzene and formaldehyde which can cause cancer.

I react very strongly to air-fresheners and find it difficult to breathe and get very bad headaches so I suppose I'm lucky! Lucky because I have a physical reaction and so know that it is harming me. Many people don't have such a strong reaction but that does not mean that the chemicals in air-fresheners are not affecting you.

Why risk it? OPEN THE WINDOW! Fresh air is free and will remove any nasty niffs and make your feel healthier.

If you feel you need a little extra help once those windows have been opened and fresh air allowed to circulate then you could try baking soda to absorb odours and lemon for a pleasant smell.

We are so used to the huge variety of cleaning products available that we probably don't stop to consider what is in them.

We are urged to make our homes smell nice, get rid of bacteria and keep it all clean, clean, clean. But how many people realise exactly what it is that they are spraying or wiping on?

Did you realise just how many toxic chemicals can be found in household cleaners? There are numerous articles and studies on the chemicals and the effects that they can have. They can cause respiratory problems, dizziness, headaches, fatigue and some of the toxic chemicals can cause cancer. Once you start to discover what is in them and what effect that can have on your health you will see them in a whole new light!

There are various ways to detox your home from these cleaning products. There are numerous "green" products now available that don't contain chemicals and are available for all different prices. Two excellent companies to try are ONE Group and Green Fibres Even if you start by switching a couple of products containing high levels of chemicals you will be improving your health. And you can always make your own! I started to use vinegar and water to clean my windows and not only is it cheaper but it works faster and gave me cleaner windows than I'd had for ages! You can remove limescale in the bathroom by using white vinegar and water and it really does work.
So consider switching to an organic product that doesn't contain chemicals and you and your house should start to feel healthier.

Electricity is a vital part of our world but did you know that our electrical appliances give off electrical and magnetic rays that can be harmful? They have been known to affect our immune system, can cause insomnia, depression, anxiety, dizziness, increase epileptic seizures, cause dry or itchy eyes, skin and joint problems. This is not to frighten you or say that everyone will have symptoms or how severe they may be.

But just be aware of how many electrical appliances you have and how often you use them. I became aware of the effects from personal experience of using my computer for 7 hours a day over the period of a week. By the end of the week I was getting severe headaches, a racing heart and very bad joint pains. I'm not suggesting that you need to get rid of your tv or computer but do have a look at exactly how many electrical appliances you have and how often you use them and switch them off when not in use.

The best thing you can do to detox your home as regards electrical appliances is to make sure that you don't have them in your bedroom. Don't have your computer in there or your television and maybe have a battery operated alarm clock rather than an electrical one so that you don't have that electricity near to where you sleep.

And think carefully about whether you use an electric blanket. They may keep you warm but you are surrounding yourself with an electromagnetic field very close to your body. An old-fashioned hot water bottle may be much better for you!

I love my bedroom! It's my refuge and sanctuary and there's nothing I like better than snuggling under the duvet for a lovely long sleep!

But this is another area of your home that you can detox and feel healthier for it. Your old mattress may well contain chemicals to make it fire retardant, including formaldehyde which has been shown to disrupt brain development in animals.



And how many chemicals are there in your sheets and duvet? As we sleep on average 8 hours each night and are confined in a small space it would make sense to detox this area and give ourselves the best possible help for being healthier.

You can buy organic cotton or latex mattresses which will be free from chemicals. Obviously these are more expensive than the mattresses you most often see but if you can afford it then this is one area definitely worth investing in. A mattress can last for many years and you spend a lot of time on it so it is worth getting the best you can afford. But if this is beyond your pocket then consider getting an organic cotton cover or organic cotton sheets and pillow cases. These are much better for your health. These products can be bought from greenfibres

Most people have wall to wall carpets in every room. But if you want to feel healthier and detox your house you really should think carefully about carpets.

Firstly, they are a dust magnet and will attract up to 90% more dust than a wooden floor. Dust can affect the air quality and can cause respiratory problems and may affect those with asthma or other allergies.

Secondly, by now you probably won't be surprised to learn that there are a lot of chemicals in carpets! Chemicals are used to make them flame retardant and stain resistant and also many carpets are fitted using glue - which, yes you've guessed it, contains chemicals. I am especially sensitive to the glue used in carpets and cannot be anywhere near it. It leaves me struggling to breathe, feeling dizzy and disorientated and with really bad headaches, to name just a few of the symptoms I experience.

Carpets can release chemicals for all their life but it is worse in the first 6 to 12 months. There are also chemical in laminated floors. The best option would be something like wooden floors. I am lucky in that I have both wooden floors and wooden shutters at the windows so the air in my house is lovely and I feel much healthier living here!

An easy and cheap way to detox your home is to get some plants. Green plants are very good at cleaning the air - especially Spider plants. And the really cool thing about Spider plants is that they very soon seem to have lots of babies! So you can re-pot them and soon have lots of Spider plants and lots of clean air!

I hope this lens has shown you some of the ways in which you can detox your home and improve your health. Some of them cost nothing to do and can be implemented straight away. Some of them can be done at a small cost and gradually over time. And some of them may cost a little more money. Simply take which information is helpful to you and leave the rest! And I wish you and your home good health!