Many of us have done a juice cleanse in order to eliminate internal toxins from our body, but how many of us do anything about the toxins in our own homes? Common household products are increasingly being found to have negative health effects on the nervous and immune systems, on our reproductive systems and on our endocrine, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

The average home may contain as many as 400 or more harmful chemicals, a lot of which we are unable to see, smell or taste. These chemicals may be tolerated in small doses, but problems can occur when we are exposed in broader ways; everyone’s tolerance level is different depending on genetics, nutritional status and previous contacts with many chemicals. Taking time to pay attention and reduce our exposure to internal and external toxins by detoxing our surroundings can permit our body’s own detoxification process to function more efficiently.

Here are some simple tips to begin creating a healthier home environment:

• Leave the shoes outside. Not only dirt, but germs, pesticides and other contaminants can hitch a ride on the bottom of your shoes and pollute your surroundings.
• Open the windows. Our well-insulated homes trap stale, unhealthy air inside. Whenever possible, open the windows to encourage circulation of fresh air.
• Hand wash clothes instead of dry cleaning. Chemicals used in dry cleaning have been linked to cancer. If there’s an item you must dry clean, remove it from the plastic wrap and hang it outside to let it air out before wearing it or putting it in your closet.
• Choose green cleaning products. Make your own non-toxic cleaners with everyday ingredients, like vinegar, baking soda and lemon.
• Cultivate house plants. Houseplants such as ivy and peace lilies have a natural ability to clean air, removing pollutants, such as formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide. Adding plants will improve the air quality of your home.