Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Ways to easily detox your living space

Now that fall is here and winter is just around the corner, most of us will be closing windows and turning on the heat. Now that we can’t let the fresh air in, we need to focus on keeping the air inside as fresh as possible. Here are a few tips for detoxifying your indoor space. 

Be careful if cooking with non-stick cookware. Non-stick cookware should not be heated to temperatures exceeding 400 degrees. Also, do not preheat them dry, add oil and food first. Your nonstick cookware may be coated with PFAs that can leach into the air and your food at high temperatures. Consider using stainless steel, cast iron, or enameled or anodized aluminum pans. 

Use your exhaust hood. An exhaust hood should always be used when cooking over a gas flame. Gas cooking generates nitrogen dioxide and tiny particles that can irritate your respiratory system, especially if you have asthma. 

Consider filtering your water. The quality of water varies greatly across the U.S., and public utilities only test for a few chemicals and contaminants. Save up for an under the sink reverse-osmosis filter. It’s best to filter home water. 

Take off your shoes at the door. Shoes track all sorts of nasty things like pollen, lead and pesticides. This is an easy fix. If you’re like me and can’t go barefoot, leave a clean pair of house shoes to change into at the door. 

Be careful when buying rugs or furniture. If you can, it’s best to ditch carpeting altogether as it is a magnet for dust and other pollutants, and it is often treated with flame retardants as well as water and stain-proofing chemicals. When purchasing rugs look for the Green label Plus or Greenguard certification. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter weekly. Your furniture can also give off toxins like formaldehyde that cause respiratory problems. Foam stuffed furniture manufactured from 1980-2015 contains flame-retardant-treated foams that can be problematic. Older furnishings tend to emit less but when purchasing new furniture be careful. Look for Greenguard Gold and Oeko-Tex standard 100 certifications. 

Check the age of your mattress. The bedroom is where we spend 1/3 of our lives. Mattresses manufactured prior to 2015 will have those same flame retardants. It might be time to replace it now. If you can’t, add a washable organic cotton pad between you and the old mattress. Also, change your bedding frequently, wash in hot water. Clean comforters, blankets, and duvets according to manufacturer’s instructions quarterly. Vacuum the mattress monthly. 

Be careful of the products you use to clean around the house. Since COVID-19 there have been an increase in poison center calls. Most cleaning can be done with warm water, a mild detergent and a bristle brush. You can go to EPA.gov to find a list of disinfectants to use safely around the house. In the laundry vinegar works great, it’s antimicrobial and naturally softens. Instead of chlorine bleach use oxygen bleach and lemon juice.

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago