Harmonious Habitat: Decongest and Detoxify Your Home

by Ashley Ess

Creating a non-toxic home can seem quite a daunting task. Many families don’t have the  funds to rid their homes of every last piece of building material that is still off-gassing or to rewire their electricity in order to cut down on EMFs. On the same note, many don’t have the resources to research every morsel of information about what might be lurking behind the drywall or underneath the floorboards. But we do have choices that can make the task of detoxifying and decongesting less daunting and more attainable. 

As parents, we try to make conscious choices when it comes to our children’s health as well as our own. We exercise, feed our pregnant bodies the best nutrients for our growing baby, and strive to give our children the most wholesome foods. Many of us embrace a spiritual practice that involves our kids as a way of honoring the realm beyond the physical and fostering a healthy mind and spirit. We even try to bring only the best, non-toxic products and items into our house and choose natural materials as much as possible. But is this enough to keep our home environment as healthy as it can be? 

A home is a whole, living, breathing entity, not merely a physical structure. It consists of humans, each with their own energy emissions, pets, plants, and yes, even bugs and bacteria! We create new energies when we clean the house, put on some music, dance, laugh, cry and yell. We bring furniture, appliances, clothing and food into our home. All of this is part of a home, though some of it can contribute to the energetic, electromagnetic and allergenic/toxic congestion that affects our harmony negatively. The following are some sources and solutions to physical and energetic toxicity and ideas on how to harmonize your home.

Wireless and EMF Congestion

There is a great deal of published research and data on safe amounts of electromagnetic field (EMF) frequency and radiation. The problem is that the average consumer may only consider the data on a single device at one time; a cell phone, computer or microwave individually only emits a certain acceptable amount of radiation. In that case, if each individual device is deemed safe there should be nothing to worry about, right? But have you considered all of the electronic and wireless items in your home and their cumulative effects? 

The National Institutes of Health considers EMFs to be a possible carcinogen, as they may elevate risks for certain cancers. Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association cites a link between increased brain cell activity and the position of a cell phone’s antenna. Some may say the jury is still out on actual long-term health effects of EMFs and the use of wireless devices, but this certainly sounds like enough reason to change the way we invite these technological invaders into our homes. 

The “chatter” that occurs when so many wireless devices are pulsating through your home may be disruptive to human cells. Even the notion that all this electromagnetic radiation might have ill effects on our health is enough to cause unneeded stress, and that’s not exactly conducive to a harmonious home. 

What you can do:

- Consider purchasing an EMF meter. This is the only way to find the most congested sources of EMF radiation in your home.

- Keep all electronics at an average of at least 4-6 feet away from your bed and limit electronics in your child’s room to only the most essential.

- Never let your child use your cell phone, and keep her away from microwaves, computers and other wireless technology.

- Keep only the essentials plugged in. Unplug as many electronic devices as you can at bedtime.

- Why not give your nervous system a break and eliminate all wireless technology from your home? Test it out to see if you notice a difference!

Breathe Easy… 

The quality of indoor air has been the subject of the US Environmental Protection Agency studies. Dust mites, allergens and toxic chemicals among other elements pollute our home air, rendering it at times worse than the air outside. With ailments like asthma in children being on the rise, it’s imperative we do what we can to eliminate these elements from wreaking havoc on our family’s respiratory health. 

What you can do:

- Check out the EPA’s guides on improving the quality of air inside your home here: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/index.html 

- Let your house breathe -- open the windows!

-Placing plants like Peace Lilies, Weeping Figs, Rubber Plants and English Ivy throughout the house can help clear the environment from toxins such as formaldehyde, which leaches from carpeting adhesives and particleboard, among other materials. Formaldehyde is just one home toxin known to trigger asthma and may cause cancer.

Consider Going Shoeless

Going shoeless in your home is more than being about keeping simple dirt off of your floors. Some cultures even do this as a form of respect for the home. The bottoms of your shoes carry dust filled with bacteria and viruses, fertilizer residue, chemicals and pesticides, among many other toxins that don’t belong inside a home. It simply just makes sense to de-shoe before walking into the house. Your respiratory system and your crawling baby will be thankful for it!

De-Clutter Your Space!

Clutter can impose on the harmony of a home. It collects dust and allergens and obstructs the beauty that a simple home can inspire. Have a yard sale or donate unnecessary items, and recycle the rest – but do get rid of the clutter! Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be performed just once a year. A periodic de-cluttering throughout the year will help release stress, too.

Smudge Your House with Sage

Creating a non-toxic home isn’t just about clearing out physical toxins. We are also exposed to toxic energies or “vibes” that can disturb our psychological states as well. The Native American tradition of smudging the home with sage helps to clear stagnant, negative energies that make an otherwise happy home feel heavy. Smudging every room in the house with conscious intention (don’t forget windows and doors!) and then releasing the smoke will promote a home filled with peace and clarity. 

What you can do:

- Purchase a bundle of dried sage from your local health food store, metaphysical bookshop, online or make your own. Simply light the end of it, blow on the embers to create smoke and wave it around the rooms, in corners, etc. Then get ready to feel uplifted!

A Word on Cleaning Products

There are many non-toxic cleaning products on the market that work just as well as their toxic counterparts. Using products that contain chlorine bleach, petroleum-based chemicals, and other highly toxic ingredients is not a healthy, viable option. There simply is no reason to use harsh chemicals in the space where family members eat, sleep, crawl and play!

What you can do:

- Purchase only natural and non-toxic cleaning products. Health food stores carry good options. Many mainstream stores now carry them as well, but beware of certain labels that claim to be all-natural or eco-friendly that may not actually be. Read, read, read labels! 

- An alternative to commercial products is to create your own cleaning solutions. Have these ingredients on hand to create basic toxin-free household cleaners: 

castile soap

white vinegar

baking soda

borax

lemons

Mixing simple ingredients like equal parts liquid castile soap and borax with the juice of one lemon in warm water will produce a non-toxic, pleasant-smelling cleaner that won’t harm your family.

Ashley Ess is the Chief Editor of Bamboo Magazine - Whole Family Living.