You may not realize just how many toxins are in your environment. These toxins are disease promoting and don’t allow you to live your healthiest self. While you can control all the toxins in your environment, you can control the ones at your home. Your home is where you spend most of your time, so this will be the most important place you can reduce toxins.
Clean Regularly
Cleaning your home regularly is important in removing substances that can make you and your family sick. Cleaning helps get rid of germs, bacteria, mold, and mildew. These are all substances that can contribute to making you feel sick. There are certain areas of your home that build up germs more than others, such as your kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen sink is a place where you wash dirt and germs off food and rinse your used dishes. Bacteria and mold can build up in your sink. You should clean and disinfect to remove the germs and mold. Your bathroom faucets and handles can also build up bacteria and mold. Mold can create spores which can make you sick. Touching surfaces with bacteria and germs and then touching your face can also make you sick. Cleaning regularly can prevent this from happening.
Install an Air Filter
People spend a lot of time indoors, which makes the air quality important. A typical household in America can be 2-5x more polluted than outdoor air. Pollutants can be in the air such as pollen, dust mites, and toxins that can be found in plastics and solvents. Air filters and purifiers can help reduce these toxic pollutants inside your home and can help improve the air quality. There are many types to choose from which can be for your whole home or portable to be put in a single room. You should consider what kind of pollutants need to be filtered.
Switch to an Electric Stove
Electric stoves are great for cooking food, but they can release toxins into the air of your home. Gas stoves can elevate nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide into your home. There are ways to reduce toxic substances before switching to electric. You should always turn on the vent to reduce fumes and use the back burners more often to catch more of the fumes. Service your range if the flame isn’t blue. Switching to electric will reduce toxins in your home. Electric stoves are more efficient, and they can be easier to clean.
Use Toxin-Free Products in Your Home
Using toxin-free products in your home is an important way to reduce toxic substances. Firstly, using paint free of volatile organic compounds can keep your new home construction green. VOCs can last for many years after a fresh coat of paint, so swapping to a toxin free paint can help reduce toxins in the air. Other important products to switch are your cleaning products. Cleaning your home is important in reducing toxins but many cleaning products contribute to the toxins in your home. Changing your cleaning products can further reduce the toxins that are in your home.
Water Filters
Water is essential for health, but in some areas it can also contain dangerous chemicals. Water picks up contaminants as it comes to your tap. Water is also treated with chemicals so that waterborne illnesses aren’t a problem. These same chemicals can contain byproducts that are unhealthy. Filtering your water can be a great way to ensure that your water isn’t carrying toxic substances that can make you sick. There are many water-filtration options to choose from. The most ideal pick would be a whole-home filtration system, but this can be hard on a budget. The most important criteria are to be NSF internationally verified, after that there are other options that can work for you. There are options like countertop filters or water pitchers which can be more friendly on a budget and won’t take up much space.
Toiletries
Other products in your home can be contributing to the toxic substances in your home. This can include toiletries and beauty products. Makeup, lotions, perfumes, shampoos, conditioners, among other toiletries can contain ingredients that are toxic. Many of these products aren’t regulated and aren’t required to undergo safety testing. Ingredients to avoid in these products are parabens, fragrance, phthalates, Ethanolamine compounds, benzophenone, and sulfates. Watch out for misleading labels that say products are toxin free, as this isn’t regulated either. Be sure to check ingredients.
Dietary Changes
Foods in your home can also contribute to toxic substances, but they can also help. The body has its own detoxifying system. The detoxifying process involves removing toxins inside the body. These toxins can come from the many products in the home as well as eating a highly processed or high fat diet. You can make changes in your diet to help your body remove toxins. Eating more fiber from foods, like oatmeal and flaxseeds, will help because it binds to toxins and removes them in your stool. Your body needs enough calories in your day to support blood sugar as well as fueling your organs so they can do their job.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can help you get antioxidants. You should include cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens in your diet daily to provide nutrients and support your healthy systems. Protein is a source of amino acids which enable the liver to remove toxins. Choosing more whole foods will help you to get all the necessary nutrients and will support your detoxifying processes.
Removing toxins from your home can seem like a daunting task. It is important to reduce toxic substances in your home because toxins can cause sickness. While there are many steps you can take to do this, you should focus on one small aspect at a time. It doesn’t take drastic measures to make a significant impact on your health. Start with small changes and overtime you will have a healthier and happier home.
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