Your Family – September 2019

32 yourfamily.co.za

HOW TO...

B

y ensuring you keep your home

detoxified throughout the year

and using less chemicals, you can

keep more dirt out of your home.

DETOXIFY YOUR

HOME NATURALLY

Did you know the average household

contains between 500 and 1 000

chemicals? Many of them are invisible

to the naked eye, and you can’t smell or

taste them either, but that doesn’t mean

they don’t exist. Toxic chemicals are

everywhere and dangerous for our health.

Indoor air is on average two to five times

more polluted than outdoor air due to

carpeting which traps dirt, fleas, dust,

dust mites and home insulation, which

doesn’t allow in fresh air.

BREATHE IN CLEAN AIR

One of the most crucial ways to detoxify

your home is to keep the air clean. Keep

all the rooms in your house ventilated

by opening windows and doors as

much as possible. You can purchase

portable air purifiers. Certain plants also

work well as natural air detoxifiers and

clean the air you breathe. (See our room-

by-room guide of the best houseplants

on page 92.)

SWITCH FROM EVERYDAY

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

PRODUCTS TO NATURAL,

ECO-FRIENDLY ONES:

Traditional cleaning products contain

artificial fragrances and toxic chemicals

which can be harmful to the eyes, skin

and lungs. You can use basic ingredients

you have around the house – for

instance, vinegar instead of bleach and

baking soda to scrub tiles and other

surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom.

LEAVE YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR

Shoes naturally accumulate lots of dirt

and grime. Every day the soles of shoes

pick up insect particles, animal faecal

matter, chemicals, tar and car grease on

the roads and elsewhere.

Having your family take their shoes

off at the door will prevent these toxins

from spreading all over your floor. Keep

the family’s slippers in the entrance hall,

or at the kitchen entrance instead of the

front door, and slowly introduce them to

the habit of swapping shoes.

SUPER-

CHARGE

your�spring�

WHILE SPRING CLEANING

YOUR HOME, DETOX IT

AT THE SAME TIME USING

ORGANIC, BUDGET-

FRIENDLY PRODUCTS. IT’S

AN EASY WAY TO KEEP

YOUR HOME HYGIENIC

cleaning

TIP

Many of the pollutants found in tap water

become gases when released at room

temperature. A shower filter will keep the

toxins from becoming airborne and filling

up your home.