Environmental toxins are everywhere these days ranging from pesticides on our food, PFAS and heavy metals in our water, sulfates in our beauty products and even dangerous chemicals in our homes air and cleaning products. We will go deeper into all the things in future blogs, but lets start with learning how to keep our homes air clean & healthy, which will help put less physical stress on our bodies to detox out day in and day out!
The Troubles with Clean Air Quality
I am sure we have all been there. Walking into someones home and smelling a purge of synthetic fragrances hit us in our face. As they say, “Fragrance is the new Secondhand smoke”, so I wanted to touch on how important it is to remove them from your environments! For some, this can cause instant headaches or sinus pressure, but with consistent exposure, this can lead to chronic health conditions. The truth is 75% of households have been found to use some sort of air freshener in their home. Sadly, air fresheners are among the most toxic products you can put in your home. This ranges from sprays, plug-ins, potpourri, or oil stick diffusers. They are the primary source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in our environment, which create formaldehydes, free radicals, phthalates and acetaldehydes. Many immune-compromised individuals, especially with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) are triggered by these fragrances.
The truth is masking the smells will only cover up a potential deeper issue in the home – like mold from water damage or gas leaks or clogged drains! I am all about getting to the root cause around here and your house is no different. Covering up a musty smell in a home will not fix the root cause!
Why are air fresheners so bad according to scientists?
Ultimately, they are terrible for your health, especially for elderly, infants, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) “86% of plug in air fresheners tested contain phthalates, which have been shown to cause negative effects on cardiovascular and reproductive systems.”
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with our hormone balance. These chemicals bind to the same receptor sites that hormones can and hijack hormone function and quantity. They have been referred to as “xenoestrogens” for their ability to “mimic” estrogens. Because of this, phthalates have been linked to lowered sperm counts, low testosterone, damage to sperm, genital defects, and early puberty.
Additionally, plug-in air fresheners are also known to release formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen that has been linked to cancers of the nose and throat, ongoing irritation of the throat and airways, and frequent nosebleeds.
Below are non-toxic ways to ditch the air fresheners and say hello to fresh clean air quality in your home!
- Find the source of odors & fix.
- Buy an Air Purifier
- Buy Dehumidifier
- Use HEPA vacuum weekly
- Routinely deodorize each living quarters
- Utilize natural non-toxic cleaners, plants or natural fragrances
Find Source Of Odor & Fix.
If you feel mold is the source of a musty smell, finding the source of the water is the first step. A great starting point is to test your home with an ERMI from EnviroBiomics. Then find the source causing the mold found and go from there! This can accomplished with a moisture meter, hiring a certified mold inspector or even better mold sniffing dog (amazing what dogs can do!) or visual inspection of damp spots on ceilings, walls or floors. It is important to get on a routine to regularly check for water leaks or areas of moisture accumulation to get ahead of the issue. Pay attention to areas around pipes, appliances and faucets. Additionally, check the gutters and downspouts to ensure they are functioning properly. Getting to the root and fixing the problem will help in the long term, so plan wisely!
Also, ventilating rooms by opening windows and circulate fresh air goes a long way as well! Given the humidity is not to high at that moment or the air quality outside is ok!
Buy a Dehumidifier
In order to keep the humidity low to avoid mold growth, resulting in musty smells and even worse mycotoxins in the air, getting a dehumidifier in the home is an excellent way to remove excess moisture from the air. Things to consider when buying dehumidifier are the size of your space, noise and tank capacity or need for a drain pump. Needing to empty everyday all day is a drag – been there! Whole house dehumidifiers can be integrated into your HVAC system as well. According to the US Environmental Protectional Agency (EPA), the indoor humidity should be between 30 – 50% to preserve air quality. In the summer months, use your AC as this will help reduce the moisture in the home.
Buy an Air Purifier
Purchasing a Quality Air Purifier is key to maintaining healthy air quality in your home. While they do not remove moisture from the air, they will pull toxins from the air, such as mold spores, mites, viruses and other allergens. There are plenty of good air purifiers on a budget, but just make sure to look for a HEPA filters. Personally, I own and love AirDoctor.
Use HEPA Vacuum Weekly
Although simple, vacuuming is actually one of the best ways to remove odors in the home. Vacuuming once a week to maintain and more if you have pets! Finding a vacuum with a HEPA filter (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) is extremely effective at trapping extremely small micron-sized particles – so very fine dust and allergens such as pollen, pet danger and even mold spores.
Routinely Deodorize Each Living Quarters
Keeping up with regular deodorizing and cleaning of bedding, carpet, furniture, closets, clothes and refrigerator seems like a full time job! Make it routine to alternate and routinely deep clean certain aspects of your house quarterly, especially closets & your garage. Hello spring cleaning! Check out a few best practices below that are healthy habits to start today:
- Keep your refrigerator smelling fresh by wiping down weekly, along with adding baking soda boxes to absorb and deodorize food odors.
- Add Borax, white vinegar and baking soda to your laundry.
- Vacuum your furniture bi-weekly with HEPA vacuum.
- Buy washable rugs, bedspreads and shower curtains and wash quarterly.
- Declutter paperwork and decor – this is good for the mind, as well as keeping those dust bunnies away!
Utilize natural non-toxic cleaners, plants or natural fragrances
There are plenty of low cost, natural ways to clean your home that leave a neutral smell or a lovely hint of smell if desired. Below are a few ideas:
- Use white vinegar and baking soda throughout the home as they are both odor removers. Keeping a spray bottle of vinegar water on hand is helpful when I want to neutralize any odors from perfumes, smoke or cooking odors. (1 tsp of white vinegar in a pint of distilled water). Baking soda can be used by sprinkling on carpets or shoes to absorb odors then vacuum out.
- Try Charcoal Air Fresheners – They are great to absorb odors and you can either DIY or purchase. I bought mine to through in my car from Moso Natural!
- Find houseplants that act as natural air fresheners whose flowers leave scents in the air as well as oxygenate the air! Here are some ideas for you.
- Select indoor plants improve air quality by cleaning the air and even reduce humidity! Popular plants include Boston ferns, English Ivy, and Peace Lily.
- Grind up lemon peel while running hot water into your garbage disposal to remove odors and freshen kitchen air.
- Grow basil, mint, lavender, thyme, in your kitchen etc to as as natural air fresheners
- In the fall, I love to simmer a pot full of various ingredients to eliminate lingering kitchen odors. Some great combos include: cinnamon and cloves; sliced lemon, rosemary springs and cinnamon sticks; cranberries, cloves and apples.
Disclaimer – when growing plants indoors, be mindful of mold growth and do not overwater plants! Also, if you are immune compromised, always ensure you are protected when cleaning to lessen your risk of exposure with a mask or another protective barrier.
Key Takeaways
Keeping your home air quality clean will directly impact your health, so make sure to do your diligence on making your home safe for you and your family with the tips I provided, such as finding the source of the odors and fixing, buy a HEPA air purifier and vacuum cleaner, purchase a dehumidifier, routinely clean and deodorize your home and utilize natural non-toxic cleaners, plants or natural fragrance to freshen your home when needed!
This article is for general informational purposes only and not intended for medical intervention. Please consult with your doctor before making any diet or lifestyle modifications.
Amy is a Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian (RDN), as well as a Nutrition & Wellness Communications Consultant with many years of marketing experience and her Master of Public Health degree (MPH). She is passionate about transforming our broken healthcare system and getting to the root cause of symptoms not putting bandaids on them.