7 Ways to Detox Your Home (and Keep It Clean) Year ‘Round
If you’ve ever thought about making changes in your household routine to lower your exposure to toxic chemicals, you may be put off by how daunting it seems.
But changes are important, since Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors.
And you don’t need to make them all overnight.
To help you detox your home in a manageable way, here are EWG’s top recommendations for lowering your exposure to harmful chemicals in your home.
Attack the dust
You may not be able to see the dust in your home except in a shaft of sunlight, but it’s there. This toxic stew of substances has many sources, including chemicals shed by home products, as well as clothing and other fibers, paint, hair, mold, pollen, bacteria, viruses, insects, smoke and ash, soot, animal fur and dander, dead skin and cooking residues, among others.
To reduce dust coming into your home:
- Leave your shoes at the door. We can track outdoor contaminants indoors on the soles of our shoes. It’s a good idea to change into slippers or house shoes when you get home.
- Vacuum. Run your vacuum cleaner on your floors and upholstery regularly, using a machine with a HEPA – high efficiency particulate air – filter.
- Clean floors. A traditional broom often just redistributes dust particles. Instead, use a wet mop on your floors and wet microfiber cloths to clean other surfaces.
- Use an air purifier. Check the California Air Resources Board list of certified air cleaners to find the best ones. A machine with a HEPA filter can remove nearly all particles as small as 0.3 microns, the size of many dust mites and allergens.
