Make a detox plan for your home: 9 keys to a toxic-free home

The Air quality is decisive for maintaining optimal health. Allergies, asthma, headaches, fatigue, sleep problems… can be related to presence of volatile substances in the home environment. They are in furniture, upholstery, paints, glues, hygiene and cleaning products, air fresheners… And there are many things you can do at home to rid the environment of toxins: ventilate, place more plants, use natural materials… We analyze everything you can do for your home to breathe a healthier environment.

1. Ventilate, let the air flow

Only By ventilating it is possible to minimize the presence of toxins in the environment. Although they are low doses, the cocktail of all these substances can have negative consequences, especially on the health of children and people with an illness. Breathing healthier air at home has a simple recipe: ventilate daily.Twenty minutes are enough in hours with less traffic and lower pollen load. In the bedrooms, ventilate first thing in the morning. In the other rooms, in winter around midday, when the sun is hotter. And in summer, at dusk, this is how the atmosphere cools off.

2. Add indoor plants

The best allies to purify the air are indoor plants, some capable of filtering up to 90% of the carbon monoxide present in the home, in addition to other compounds. Each species is specialized in absorbing specific volatile substances.; and all They oxygenate the environment and regulate environmental humidity.

The formula: two plants are enough to detoxify a 10 m2 room

Purifying plants

In 1989, NASA published a study stating that there are plants that purify the air more than others. Within this list, The top 5 is occupied by the pothos, the tiger’s tongue or sansevieria, the bamboo palm, the Ficus robusta or rubber tree and the spathiphyllum or peace plant. We tell you what substances they eliminate from the environment and Other examples of plants that you can add to purify the air:

Potos: It is a super cleaner. According to NASA, it helps reduce the amount of formaldehyde, xylene and benzene in the environment. In the bathroom it eliminates cosmetic substances.Sansevieria or tiger’s tongue: removes benzene, toluene, xylene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde from the air. In addition, it is a very resistant plant and easy to care for.Bamboo palm or Chinese palmerita (Raphis excelsa): This indoor plant is easy to care for, as long as you place it in a semi-shaded area (direct light could burn its leaves) and water it regularly.Robust elastic ficus: This type of ficus, also called rubber plant or rubber tree, does not tolerate temperatures below 14 °C, so it is perfect to have at home. It needs regular watering (every 3-4 days in summer and once a week in winter), always checking the humidity of the substrate beforehand. Better to use distilled water or rainwater.Spathiphyllum: absorbs xylene and toluene from the environment, as well as acetone and benzene. Likewise, it eliminates ammonia from detergents and cosmetics and trichlorethylene from dry cleaning products.Dracenas: They are ideal for newly furnished and newly painted spaces. It is useful for removing trichloroethylene, which comes from solvents and varnishes.Living room palm tree: They help you breathe better, because it cleans almost all the toxins.Ivy: eliminates substances present in plastics, resins and synthetic fibers.Tapes: They eliminate carbon monoxide, which is why they are useful in rooms with open fireplaces and combustion stoves.

3. Materials that breathe in walls and furniture

In upholstery, furniture, floors… use materials that act like a skin: that protect surfaces without closing poresthat are pleasant to the touch, natural and very healthy.

Toxic-free paints

Seeks paints with components of plant and mineral origin, biodegradable and health-friendly substances. Colorea, Keim, BioRox or Livos are specialized brands. These paints do not contain harmful volatile organic substances, formaldehydes or heavy metals. Some carry the indication “Low emissions of formaldehydes or VOCs (volatile organic compounds)”.

Since they are not synthetic, They prevent the generation of static electricity and reduce the presence of dust. They protect the surfaces and the materials they cover, without modifying them. Prevents the appearance of moisture and cracks.

If you like restore furniture, use chalk paint, a natural paint that comes from chalk and does not contain acrylics (plastics).

Very natural home clothes to take care of your skin

In terms of health, the clothing that is most in contact with the skin is the one that has the most influence, such as sheets, towels or pajamas. The Öko-tex standard 100 label guarantees the absence of harmful substances in textile products throughout their transformation process, until reaching the final consumer. Washing is another source of incorporation of harmful substances. Opt for natural detergents, such as coconut soap, and avoid scented fabric softeners.

4. Healthier eating

Buys kilometer 0 foods. There are three keys: local products (that have not had to travel thousands of km), seasonal products and organic products. If possible, give them priority. Also avoid highly processed foods: they include preservatives, sweeteners, flavor enhancers… Choose natural foods, they have a more regenerating effect.

Regarding the form of cook, avoid doing it at high temperature, for example fried foods and barbecues, since they cause greater loss of nutrients and also generate toxic substances. Cook slowly and with time!

5. Weekly cleaning

The cleaning products we use pass into the air and, when we breathe, enter our body. Although they are low doses, they end up causing irritation of the eyes, skin, allergies or asthma. A study from the University of Bergen in Norway indicates that cleaning once a week with cleaning products can be as harmful to the lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes!, especially in women.

Cleaning: use lemon, vinegar, baking soda… Avoid chlorinated products such as bleach

In your pantry you have products like lemon, white vinegar or baking soda, which will help you keep the house clean and without incorporating toxins.

6. In the bathroom, neither chlorine nor mold

The Daily showering is a source of exposure to water chlorine, which causes dryness and irritation of the skin, and its vapors harm people with asthma. To avoid this exposure, you can install a liter of activated carbon, which cleans the remains of chlorine. They are very easy to put on.

Mold is also the cause of bad odors and a stuffy atmosphere in your home. Avoid condensation and high humidity, as they are a source of mold generation and proliferation. If you ventilate the bathroom well, you will prevent it from forming. Keep in mind that when you smell it, you are already breathing in its spores. To remove it from the tiles, apply vinegar and then hydrogen peroxide, do not mix them.

7. Be careful with screens

Looking at computers or the phone before going to sleep does not help you fall asleep or get a truly restful rest. Can download a screen filter on your tablet, mobile phone or computer, to avoid exposure to bluish light from screens, especially after sunset. And don’t forget to lower the brightness level of the screens.

8. Put your phone in airplane mode at night

Since you don’t use it while you sleep, and thus you avoid exposure. Your home should be an environment that is as clean as possible from radiation. Sleeping with your phone in airplane mode helps you achieve this. Another option is to set the ‘do not disturb’ option, which will prevent you from being woken up by calls, messages or notifications.

9. Emotions count

What good is a shiny house, but where you don’t feel comfortable? The best recipe to make it a good detox for your mind is to make it a meeting place where you can live and share positive experiences. Let it be yours, a reflection of you and those you love. For a healthy home that offers well-being, your emotions count a lot.

If you want to be up to date with everything we publish on www., subscribe to our newsletter.