Home Sweet Home - this feeling even prevails among birds which try to protect their nests from all "evils" and dangers. And we are humans who have made and popularized this saying. We love our families and find happiness in staying together under a common roof, our home! Thus, home and its environment are so important to us. It is just like a temple which gives us moral, spiritual and family support. So our homes are as holy as the temples, churches or mosques. Therefore, it is our duty to preserve the "holiness" of our homes and to protect it from potential threats.
These days we're all aware of the prevalence of toxins in our lives. These harmful little substances have the ability to cause a variety of health problems. Many studies show that indoor air pollutants are 3 to 5 times more dangerous than the outdoor pollutants. You may need to take care of the hygiene of our house especially if you are ready to welcome a new baby in your life and at your home.
Tips to Detox Your Home
- Keep plants in your house to get natural oxygen. Bring nature indoors as it will be good for your baby's lungs too. These plants detoxify your home by removing pollutants like ammonia (found in cleaning products) and formaldehyde (found in furniture).
- Baby products like baby soaps and shampoos have nice baby fragrance but studies have shown that exposure to phthalates present in those products may cause health problems like allergies apart from affecting his reproductive development. Whenever possible, buy fragrance-free baby-care products and look for the words "no phthalates" on the label.
- Frequently clean the furniture of your house and even the air conditioning filters to help remove pollutants like mold, viruses and bacteria. Cleaning gives your furniture a brand new look too.
- If your refrigerator has a drip pan, i.e. a pan that will leak, clean it out every month. The moisture in the pan can breed mold and other bacteria.
- Use eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners that are effective and can improve the look of the furniture and other appliances. Add a few drops of essential oil to the bottle so that the room fills up with a fresh, natural scent.
- In the garden, plant a variety of veggies and flowers to discourage any one type of pest from multiplying. Consider introducing ladybugs since they are natural pest eaters and opt for natural pest repellents.
- Use environment friendly cleaning products containing natural ingredients that are non-toxic, biodegradable and made from renewable resources.
- Decorate your house with furniture made up of bamboo, cane, sustainable wood and low toxicity.
- Make sure you do not enter your house with your shoes on because this way you are going to bring all the dirt from outside inside your home. Use a different pair of slippers just for your house.
- Gas-powered lawn mowers can emit very high levels of carbon monoxide, thereby polluting the air around your house.
- Replace plastic bottles, containers and plates with their glass counterparts. Eating or drinking food from plastic containers or utensils is a way of ingesting the harmful BPA (Bisphenol A) compound.
- Use a water filter at home. Buy a home water filter and read the label carefully. Make sure it removes lead or whatever contaminant that may be present in the drinking water.
- Open the windows to avoid toxic buildups inside the house. Indoor pollutants are more harmful than the outdoor ones. Hence keep the windows open to let fresh air flow into your house.
- Use dehumidifiers in the house. Take care to damp-proof the basement and the exterior foundation wall to prevent mold growth.
- Buy paints that contain minimal VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Use cloth curtains instead of vinyl.
- Since most candles are petroleum-based and about 10 percent have lead-core wicks, switch to pure beeswax candles.
- Avoid soaps and shampoos containing synthetic fragrances and chemicals. Replace cosmetics with mineral-based formulas free of carcinogens and petrochemicals. Use pure essential oils instead of perfume.
Have you seen "Heaven"? No! No one has seen heaven! But to some people, homes are their perfect heavens on this earth. To see and stay in heaven you need to take care to maintain its purity so that it can only bestow you goodness and well-being.
