There are many things in your home such as your carpet or your choice of cleaner that may be harming your health. It’s time to protect yourself from potential toxins that could be in your home.

Air Filters – Homes aren’t built to have much ventilation; they’re designed to be energy-efficient. This leaves a lot of room for irritants like dust mites, mold, and pet dander to get trapped inside which could aggravate conditions such as allergies and asthma. To filter the air in the rooms in your house, get a disposable high-efficiency filter for your furnace and air-conditioning system. You should change your filters every three months, and leave the fan on your air conditioner so substances such as pollen don’t get stuck indoors.

Air Purifiers – These are great for collecting particles such as pollen, dust, and smoke that lingers in the air. There are two gasses that aren’t as easy to trap and can be harmful to you. Radon is an odorless and colorless radioactive gas that seeps through foundations in homes and can cause lung cancer. Kits are available to measure the radon level in your home. Carbon monoxide is also an odorless and colorless gas that leaks in from your furnace, clothes dryer, or any other fuel-fired appliance. Carbon monoxide alarms are also available to measure the levels in your home. You should have detectors on every level of your home and replace them every five years.

Carpet – Wall-to-wall carpeting can also trap dust, pollen, and mold. If you spill on your carpet, it might not dry quickly, which means it will become a breeding ground for mold. Carpet tiles make a good alternative, since you can remove the individual squares for easy cleaning, drying, and replacement.

Clutter – Having an organized home leads to a clearer mind and healthier body. Letting things stack up makes it harder to clean because it becomes a breeding ground for sickness which causes bacteria. The secret is to cut down and minimize your possessions to maximize your space. You can do this by donating, recycling, or reselling. You can give old blankets to an animal shelter, recycle computer ink cartridges at office-supply stores, and even sell kitchen supplies you no longer use online.

Tap Water – Pesticides, lead, and chlorine can pollute the water that comes out of your sink. Getting a filter might be a good idea. Test your tap water with a kit, sold at hardware stores, to make sure you really need a water filter before you invest in one. Also, you shouldn’t throw away old filters when it’s time to replace them because they’re loaded with chemicals that can seep into a landfill and contaminate ground water. Instead, drop them off at a community disposal event for harmful trash.

Household Cleaners – A lot of cleaners have artificial fragrances that might aggravate your lungs and worsen conditions such as allergies and asthma. There are plenty of basic ingredients in your kitchen that won’t harm your health and are just as effective as store-bought products. Try using natural multipurpose cleaners such as apple cider vinegar distilled with water in a spray bottle instead of buying glass cleaner. Also, lemon juice can remove hard water stains, and baking soda is great for scrubbing pots.