10 simple ways to improve the air quality in your home

The phrase "toxic load" describes the quantity of harmful substances, including chemicals, pollutants, and heavy metals, that our body is exposed to, and carries, at any moment. Although our body is remarkably capable of managing this toxic load, with our liver, kidneys, and digestive tract being the primary systems that process and eliminate these substances, it often encounters an overwhelming challenge in our modern environment, receiving more than it was designed to handle.

When the body is exposed to more toxins that it can efficiently eliminate, the consequences may include chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation and potential organ dysfunction. Chronic exposure to these substances, even at low levels, is linked to increased risk of developing cancer, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and immune system dysfunction (1).

For this reason, while it's impossible to live in a completely toxin-free environment, we want to support our body by removing unnecessary toxins from the environment (2). The good news is that there are many practical actions we can take in this regard. The air quality in our homes is an excellent place to start.

Improving your home's air quality

Modern homes have more chemical exposure than we might be aware of. Common items such as cleaning sprays, certain plastics, furnishings, and even dust can contribute to what your body has to handle. However, there's no need for a complete home overhaul. Some practical, small adjustments can make your space feel cleaner, lighter and healthier to live in.

1. Choose greener cleaning products

Many standard detergents and sprays

contain ingredients that contribute to indoor air pollution. Switching to green, natural alternatives is an easy first step (3). The Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s website has a useful tool where you can enter the name and brand of a product and check its health concern rating. They also offer an app that you can keep on your phone to scan products as you shop at the store. Alternatively, you can make your own house cleaning products using bicarbonate of soda crystals, eco-friendly washing-up liquid and essential oils. There are many recipes you can look up online for inspiration.

2. Upgrade your laundry products

Laundry detergents and synthetic dryer sheets can release irritants into the air and onto your skin. Eco-friendly detergents and wool dryer balls are a cleaner, lower-chemical option. Product development advances mean these can actually be relied upon to clean your close these days, while wool dryer balls (infused with a couple of drops of essential oils if you’re feeling fancy), speed up tumble drying time, cutting down on bills.

3. Air out dry-cleaned clothes

Dry-cleaning solvents linger. Hanging items outdoors or in a garage allows chemicals to evaporate before they enter your wardrobe.

4. Keep shoes at the door

Footwear brings in dirt, pesticides and pollutants from outside (4). Leaving shoes at the entrance of your home reduces contaminants in your living space.

5. Ventilate regularly

One of my personal favourites, as it's so simple to do! Indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air, due cooking, tobacco smoke, candles, cleaning agents, building materials, paints, and mould (5). Opening windows and doors - even for short periods - helps refresh the air and reduce accumulated toxins. This is particularly important if you spend a lot of your time indoors, for example working in an office, and during the winter months.

6. Add air-purifying plants

   Plants such as aloe vera, rubber plants, spider plants and areca palm help filter indoor air and support a cleaner environment (6). Add in that most of these plants are easy to care for, as well as that they make a home feel inviting and well put together, and you’re onto a winner. I have gifted both my kids their own spider plants for their rooms, which they have named and enjoy looking after.

7. Remove artificial air fresheners

   Synthetic fragrances can irritate the respiratory system and disrupt our hormones signalling system (7). Essential oil diffusers or natural reed diffusers provide milder alternatives. To identify whether home fragrances are synthetic or made with essential oils, check the label. Essential oils are listed by their botanical Latin names, like Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) oil or Citrus Limon (Lemon) peel oil. On the other hand, synthetic fragrances are often listed as fragrance, parfum, perfume or aroma, which indicates a mixture of undisclosed chemicals rather than plant-derived oils. Look for terms such as “100 percent essential oils” or “pure essential oils”, as brands that use real essential oils say so clearly on the label. If you have a pet, please note that both essential oils and synthetic fragrances cause problems for them, especially cats and some small animals. Their livers process chemical compounds differently from humans, and even small airborne amounts may irritate their respiratory system or lead to accumulation over time.

   

8. Choose safer bedding and mattresses

Ever wondered why new beds and bedding has that chemical smell? They’ve been bathed in chemicals, many of them not the kind you’d want transferring to your body (8). Organic cotton bedding avoids bleaching agents and additional chemicals. If you don’t have an organic mattress, a mattress topper can reduce contact with treated material.

9. Stay on top of dust and mould

Dust tends to hold onto unwanted particles, so a quick wipe-down and a good vacuum now and then keeps things fresher. Wiping surfaces with a microfibre cloth and vacuuming regularly with a HEPA filter helps keep particulate load down, especially on surfaces like rugs and carpets. Popping your children's soft toys in the washing machine for a gentle cleaning cycle every 2-3 months is also a good idea. If you notice dampness or musty smells in a room, particularly if drying clothes indoors, using a dehumidifier can reduce mould risk.

10. Choose low-VOC paints and furnishings

New paints, upholstery and composite woods can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for years (9). Opting for low-VOC paints and untreated fabrics reduces this load. If you can’t choose a low-VOC option, regularly airing the room becomes even more important.

References

1. Genuis, S. J., & Kelln, K. L. (2015). Toxicant exposure and bioaccumulation: a common and potentially reversible cause of cognitive dysfunction and dementia. Behavioural neurology, 2015, 620143. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/620143

2. Genuis S. J. (2011). Elimination of persistent toxicants from the human body. Human & experimental toxicology, 30(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0960327110368417

3. Pacheco Da Silva, E., Sit, G., Goldberg, M., Leynaert, B., Nadif, R., Ribet, C., Roche, N., Zins, M., Varraso, R., Dumas, O., & Le Moual, N. (2022). Household use of green and homemade cleaning products, wipe application mode, and asthma among French adults from the CONSTANCES cohort. Indoor air, 32(7), e13078. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.13078

4. Rashid, T., VonVille, H. M., Hasan, I., & Garey, K. W. (2016). Shoe soles as a potential vector for pathogen transmission: a systematic review. Journal of applied microbiology, 121(5), 1223–1231. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.13250

5. Nassikas, N. J., McCormack, M. C., Ewart, G., Balmes, J. R., Bond, T. C., Brigham, E., Cromar, K., Goldstein, A. H., Hicks, A., Hopke, P. K., Meyer, B., Nazaroff, W. W., Paulin, L. M., Rice, M. B., Thurston, G. D., Turpin, B. J., Vance, M. E., Weschler, C. J., Zhang, J., & Kipen, H. M. (2024). Indoor Air Sources of Outdoor Air Pollution: Health Consequences, Policy, and Recommendations: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 21(3), 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.202312-1067ST

6. Elhadad, S. M., Shalaby, E. A., Saleh, I. H., & Omar, M. Y. (2025). Comparative evaluation of air phytoremediation potential of four ornamental potted plants for ecofriendly biofilter applications. Scientific reports, 15(1), 45659. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30145-8

7. Ashcroft, S., Dosoky, N. S., Setzer, W. N., & Satyal, P. (2024). Synthetic Endocrine Disruptors in Fragranced Products. Endocrines, 5(3), 366-381. https://doi.org/10.3390/endocrines5030027

8. Beckett, E. M., Miller, E., Unice, K., Russman, E., & Pierce, J. S. (2022). Evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from memory foam mattresses and potential implications for consumer health risk. Chemosphere, 303(Pt 1), 134945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134945

9. David, E., & Niculescu, V. C. (2021). Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as Environmental Pollutants: Occurrence and Mitigation Using Nanomaterials. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(24), 13147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413147