Whether you work from home or love a cosy night in, you probably spend a lot of time indoors. What you may not know, though, is that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. This alone explains why detoxing your home is important—after all, do you really want to breathe in mould, dust, and mystery chemicals on a daily basis?
Having said that, there’s no need to panic. As usual, we’ve got your back with simple tips to help you keep your home clean and as chemical-free as possible. Read on for how to detoxify your space.
Common Household Toxins to Watch Out For
Before we dive into our cleaning hacks, it helps to know your enemies. The reality is that certain ingredients that have become household staples are secretly sabotaging our well-being. A few usual suspects include:
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Volatile organic compounds, often found in air fresheners, paint, and certain cleaning products
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Phthalates, found in pretty much all fragranced cleaning products
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Parabens, commonly found in personal care products and certain processed foods
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Formaldehyde, found in certain furniture and building materials
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Pesticides, particularly if you have a backyard
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BPA and plasticisers, commonly found in plastic
Step-by-Step Guide to Detoxifying Your Home
Grab your reusable spray bottle and let’s get started:
1. Switch to Natural Cleaning Products
Conventional cleaning products are packed full of chemicals and, although often advertised as miracle solutions, they can do more harm than good. Their harsh formulas aren’t just bad for the planet, contributing to air and water pollution, but they could also pose a risk to your family’s health—obviously, a big no-no.
Enter natural cleaners—and more specifically, probiotic cleaners. Made with nothing but eco-friendly ingredients, our Universal Probiotic Cleaner will help detoxify every corner of your home, from the kitchen to the bathroom, bedroom, study, and even your car. Thanks to the gentle, yet powerful formula, it helps you achieve a clean that is:
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Balanced, fostering a healthy microbiome on all your surfaces
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Deeper, working microscopically to clean what you see – and what you don’t
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Longer, continuously cleaning for up to 3 days
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Fresher, not only controlling odours but eliminating them at the source
2. Improve Indoor Air Quality
Keep your air fresher than a spring breeze by:
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Opening your windows to let fresh air in
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Making use of the exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom
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Adding some houseplants to your space
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Getting rid of artificial air fresheners and using essential oils instead
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If you struggle with allergies, investing in an air purifier
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Regularly dusting and vacuuming
3. Choose Non-Toxic Home Materials
If you’re renovating or redecorating, look for paints and materials that are low- or zero-VOC. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, have been linked to health issues like headaches, allergies, and liver problems (to name a few), so you want to avoid them where you can.
4. Filter Your Water
So far, we focused quite a lot on air pollution, but unfortunately, your tap water might also be serving up a cocktail of nasties – think chlorine, microplastics, and heavy metals. This isn’t to say that you should drink tap water, but consider filtering it beforehand, whether you use a countertop pitcher or a full-on under-sink system.
5. Reduce Plastic and Synthetic Materials
Plastic is convenient, but we all know it has overstayed its welcome. And with so many alternatives readily available, phasing it out has never been easier. While going 100% plastic-free isn’t realistic for most, certain swaps can make a huge difference:
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Use glass or stainless steel food containers
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Use beeswax wraps instead of cling film
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Get a reusable water bottle and a keep-cup
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Opt for natural fibre towels and bedding
6. Be Mindful of Personal Care Products
If you can’t pronounce the ingredients in your cleaning products, they probably don’t belong in your home. Well, the same thing applies to your skincare. Where possible, choose natural products made with ingredients you can recognise. Extra points if the packaging is plastic-free!
Making Your Household Detox Routine Sustainable
Here’s the secret: detoxifying your space isn’t about tossing out everything you own and starting from scratch or living off-grid. It’s about making simple yet sustainable changes and, step by step, getting rid of toxic ingredients you didn’t even know were in your home. It’s a journey, not something you can achieve overnight.
Replacing your chopping board? Skip the plastic ones and choose bamboo instead. Repainting your walls? Look out for those nasty VOCs. Running out of cleaning spray? Try a probiotic alternative. Small swaps like these add up, and before you know it, your home will be cleaner, greener, and a whole lot healthier.
