How to Detox Your Home in 7 Days (Without Spending a Fortune)

Your home should be your sanctuary, but many common household items emit toxins that can affect your health, sleep, and wellbeing. The good news? You don’t need to spend a fortune to create a healthier, more holistic environment. Here’s a practical and affordable 7-day plan to detox your home, one room or area at a time — all rooted in natural living and backed by up-to-date research.

Day 1: Clear the Air Naturally

Why it matters: Indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air due to synthetic fragrances, mould, dust, and off-gassing from furniture and cleaning products.

Avoid: Synthetic air fresheners, aerosol sprays, and paraffin wax candles. These often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and phthalates that can irritate your lungs, trigger allergies, and disrupt hormones (Environment Protection Authority Victoria, 2024).

Why it’s harmful: Phthalates are classified as endocrine disruptors, which means they interfere with the hormonal system. This disruption can affect fertility, thyroid function, and metabolic health (Harvard Public Health, 2023).

Swap to: Beeswax or soy candles scented with essential oils. These are non-toxic, biodegradable, and burn cleaner. You can also use essential oil diffusers or simmer pots with citrus peels and herbs for a natural scent.

Extra tip: Open windows daily for ventilation, and bring in air-purifying plants like peace lilies, snake plants, or spider plants.

Day 2: Detox Your Kitchen

Why it matters: Many toxins sneak into your body through food — and what it’s stored, cooked, or served in.

Avoid: Plastic containers, Teflon pans, and plastic cutting boards. Plastics can leach harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates, especially when heated. BPA has been linked to hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, and some cancers (Harvard Public Health, 2023).

Plastic cutting boards in particular can shed microplastics into your food, especially when scratched or worn. According to CSIRO (2023), fragments from plastic kitchenware may contaminate food and pose long-term health concerns.

Swap to: Glass, stainless steel, ceramic, and bamboo for storage and utensils. Use wooden, bamboo, or glass cutting boards to avoid microplastic contamination.

Bonus tip: Wash produce thoroughly to remove pesticides, and consider a water filter to reduce chlorine and heavy metals.

Day 3: Switch to Clean Personal Care

Why it matters: Your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you apply to it. Many personal care products contain ingredients linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and even cancer.

Avoid: Products with parabens, sulfates (SLS/SLES), phthalates, and synthetic fragrances.

• Parabens are preservatives linked to oestrogen mimicry, which may interfere with hormone balance and increase breast cancer risk (Cancer Council Australia, 2024).

• Sulfates can strip the skin’s natural oils, causing dryness, irritation, and exacerbation of eczema.

• Phthalates, as mentioned, are hormone disruptors found in synthetic fragrances.

Swap to: Natural brands using ingredients like aloe vera, coconut oil, essential oils, shea butter, and natural clays. Look for products labelled “fragrance-free” or “naturally scented with essential oils.”

Extra tip: DIY some of your own products like scrubs or deodorants using pantry staples.

Day 4: Clean Your Cleaning Products

Why it matters: Traditional cleaners often contain ammonia, bleach, and VOCs — substances linked to asthma, hormone disruption, and indoor pollution.

Avoid: Harsh chemical cleaners, especially those with chlorine, ammonia, or synthetic fragrances. These can irritate the lungs and cause skin reactions, especially in children and pets (NSW Government Health, 2024).

Swap to: DIY natural cleaners using vinegar (natural disinfectant, breaks down grease), bicarb soda or baking soda (gentle abrasive, deodorizes), lemon, and essential oils. These ingredients are affordable, effective, and safer for your family and the environment.

Bonus tip: Use washable cloths instead of disposable wipes and avoid antibacterial sprays unless medically necessary.

Day 5: Create a Healing Sleep Sanctuary

Why it matters: You spend around a third of your life sleeping — and the quality of your rest directly affects your hormones, mood, immune system, and overall wellbeing.

Avoid: Synthetic mattresses, polyester bedding, plug-in air fresheners, and furniture treated with flame retardants. These can release low-level toxins into your sleeping environment over time.

Why it’s harmful: Flame retardants and synthetic materials can off-gas chemicals that interfere with your endocrine system, potentially disrupting sleep, immunity, and even brain development (Australian Government Department of Health, 2023).

Swap to: Choose organic cotton sheets, natural latex or low-tox mattresses, and simple, untreated bed frames. A HEPA air purifier can support cleaner breathing, and washing bedding weekly in hot water helps reduce dust mites and allergens.

Bonus tip: Wind down naturally by switching off screens an hour before bed. Add blackout curtains, soft lighting, and calming scents like lavender to support your body’s natural sleep rhythm.

Day 6: Reduce EMF Exposure

Why it matters: While the science is ongoing, many people are choosing to reduce exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) as a precautionary measure.

Avoid: Keeping your phone next to your bed, using Wi-Fi overnight, or working with a laptop on your lap.

Swap to: Switch off Wi-Fi at night, use wired connections where possible, and keep devices away from your body when not in use.

Bonus tip: Use speakerphone or wired headphones when taking calls and avoid carrying your phone in your pocket.

Day 7: Reduce Waste and Choose Sustainable Packaging

Why it matters: Plastic pollution doesn’t just harm the planet—it harms your health. Plastics break down into microplastics that end up in the food chain, water supply, and even human blood (Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, 2024; CSIRO, 2023).

Why it's harmful: Plastics often contain hormone-disrupting chemicals like BPA and phthalates. These leach into food and beverages, especially when plastic is heated or damaged (Harvard Public Health, 2023). These compounds mimic oestrogen and other hormones, interfering with natural endocrine function and potentially leading to fertility problems, metabolic disorders, and increased cancer risk (Harvard Public Health, 2023).

Swap to: Glass and aluminium packaging wherever possible. Unlike plastic, these materials don’t leach toxins and are more readily and infinitely recyclable (Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, 2024).

Bonus tip: Bring your own shopping bags, water bottles, and containers to reduce single-use plastic waste.

A Healthier Home Starts with Simple Steps

Your home should feel like a sanctuary — a space that supports your health, sleep, and overall wellbeing. But many everyday household items quietly release toxins into your environment. The good news? You don’t need to spend a fortune or make drastic changes overnight to see real benefits.

This practical 7-day plan will guide you through detoxing your home, one area at a time. It’s simple, affordable, and grounded in natural, holistic living.

7-Day Recap

• Day 1: Fresh air, essential oils, beeswax candles

• Day 2: Ditch plastic & Teflon, use glass & bamboo

• Day 3: Choose clean, natural skincare

• Day 4: DIY cleaning with vinegar, lemon & bicarb

• Day 5: Organic bedding, no synthetic fabrics

• Day 6: Reduce EMFs, turn off Wi-Fi at night

• Day 7: Avoid plastic, use glass and aluminium

References

Australian Department of Health, 2024. Indoor air quality and health. [online] Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/topics/environmental-health/about/indoor-air-quality [Accessed 31 May 2025].

Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, 2024. Plastic pollution and its environmental impacts. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/publications/national-waste-policy-action-plan#:~:text=The%202024%20National%20Waste%20Policy,targets%20in%203%20priority%20areas: [Accessed 31 May 2025].

Better Health Channel (Victoria), 2024. Reducing exposure to household chemicals. [online] Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Chemicals-in-the-home [Accessed 31 May 2025].

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2024. Plastic pollution and alternatives. [online] Available at: https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2023/May/Plastics-food-safety-security#:~:text=Plastic%20is%20a%20fantastic%20invention,research%20needs%20to%20be%20done. [Accessed 31 May 2025].

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2023. Volatile organic compounds’ impact on indoor air quality. [online] Available at: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality [Accessed 31 May 2025].

Harvard Public Health, 2023. We can't stop at water—it's time to kick PFAS out of our makeup. [online] Available at: https://harvardpublichealth.org/policy-practice/we-cant-stop-at-water-its-time-to-kick-pfas-out-of-our-makeup/ [Accessed 31 May 2025].

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 2023. Mould and health. [online] Available at:https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/mold [Accessed 31 May 2025].