Day in and day out, here in one of the safest and most prosperous nations in human history, our bodies are under assault. Every day, the food we eat, the water we drink, the detergents we use, and the soaps, lotions, and makeup we apply are introducing toxins into our bodies and the bodies of the people we love.
But before you start purging your pantry, marauding your medicine cabinet, and canning your cosmetics, there’s something you need to consider. Detoxifying your body isn’t just about what you eat, drink, or apply to your skin. In fact, probably the best strategy you can use to detoxify your body is to start with the air you breathe. We’ll show you how.
Practice Good HVAC Hygiene
Your best weapon in the fight for clean air inside your home is your HVAC system. Make sure that your system is serviced regularly, at least once a year, to ensure there are no leaks or other issues that might be compromising your system’s performance or, worse, leaking contaminants into the air.
Just as important, invest in high-quality HEPA filters and make sure to change them often. No matter how immaculate your housekeeping or how obsessive you are about your cleaning, you should change every filter at least once a month. If you have pets, you’re smack in the middle of a raging allergy season, or someone in your household has respiratory or immune system issues, you’re probably going to want to change your filters even more often.
But that’s not all. As much of a beast as your HVAC may be, it can only do so much. So consider using high-quality air purifiers and humidifiers to ensure that crisp, clean air your family deserves.
Take a Bathroom Break
Raw sewage isn’t something that’s exactly appetizing to talk—or even think—about. But it’s a fact of life, and if you’ve got a toilet, a sink, a bathtub, or a septic tank anywhere near your home, and we know you do, then it’s important to understand how this can affect the quality of the air both inside and outside your home.
In fact, contaminants from raw sewage can infiltrate the air from anything as simple and commonplace as an overflowing commode or a clogged sink. Taking care of your plumbing, pipes, and sewage lines can help protect your family from exposure to potentially lethal fumes.
Give Your Home a Health Inspection
No matter how new and modern your home may be, the disturbing reality is that your house could be slowly poisoning you without you even knowing it. It’s estimated that your home can actually be five times more toxic than the outdoors.
For instance, paints, varnishes, carpeting, and hard flooring may emit toxins and contaminants for years are their installation. Even mattresses and bedding can contain disease-causing volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Sanitize Your Shopping List
It’s not just your HVAC and septic systems or your home’s paint, furnishings, and finishings that could be compromising the quality of the air. Everything from the cleaning products you buy to the scented candles you burn can be releasing poison into the environment.
However, avoiding products that contain dioxin, DDT, and PCB can help decrease your family’s exposure to environmental estrogen, reducing the risk of certain types of autoimmune disorders, cancers, and other illnesses. That these chemicals are prevalent in common household products, from plastics to laundry detergent to glues and solvents, means there’s a lot you can do to clear your home environment just by adjusting your shopping list.
Likewise, switching to eco-friendly paints and replacing paraffin-based candles with electric ones can help you create the ambiance you want while ensuring the pure air you and your family need.
The Takeaway
Our bodies may be our temples, but the modern world all too often treats them more like a dumpster fire. Detoxifying our systems through clean eating and drinking is important, but it means nothing if every second of every day the air we’re breathing is filthy.
Related reading: Detox Waters for Everyday Drinking
Detoxifying your air isn’t easy, but it is essential. It starts with practicing good HVAC hygiene with regular maintenance and clean, high-quality filters. It also requires supplementation with good air purifiers and humidifiers, especially during allergy season or in homes with pets.
Cleansing the air also means keeping your plumbing and septic systems in prime working order. Preventing clogged drains and system backups will protect your family from potentially life-threatening sewage emissions.
It’s also important to your house as a whole to give it a good old fashioned health overhaul. Consider the paints, varnishes, and finishes that might be releasing toxins into the air long after your home’s construction.
Finally, take the time to revamp your shopping list, such as replacing traditional scented candles with electric ones and switching out chemical household cleansers with organic ones.
True, doing all this takes time and effort. But once it’s done, you and your family are all going to be breathing a bit easier!
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