Healthy home hacks for your family’s favourite spaces

How to easily ‘DIY’ your way into a healthy home this spring.

It’s that time of year for spring cleaning – but how can you make your home spring healthy?

As a family-focused natural health expert, I’ve come up with 5 low-cost and extremely simple home hacks that I use in my own home that will make your family’s most used spaces a whole lot healthier!

#1 In the kitchen.

The use of plastic containers can leach harmful chemicals into your food, so instead try repurposing glass jars from sauces and jams and use them for leftovers, homemade soups or bean salads. Need something smaller for nuts, seeds, fresh berries or a scoop of protein powder? Why not clean out those little jars that once held your night cream. Plastic-free, no waste, and totally healthy!

#2 In the bathroom.

Your skin is your body’s largest organ, so it’s important to know what’s going on it. The products you use might have chemical ingredients that can seep right through your skin and cause health issues. Even the word ‘fragrance’ isn’t innocent – they could be using up to 3000 unnatural ingredients to make that shampoo smell like strawberries. Switching to plant-based products is an important step for your family to take, and a lot easier than you think. Try starting under your arms. The stick you’re using likely uses aluminum that stops perspiration but traps toxins. Try a natural deodorant that uses essential oils and other natural ingredients that will eliminate the bacteria that causes underarm odour while still allowing your body to sweat when it needs to.

#3 In the laundry room.

Everybody loves fresh-smelling clothes, but at what cost? Conventional dryer sheets have a nasty list of possible side effects including headaches, nausea, vomiting, and even loss of muscle coordination. Try out an eco-friendly wool dryer ball that you can add your own essential oils to, or make your own dryer sheets: Cut up a few old dish rags into quarters, place inside a glass jar with a lid, add ¼ cup of white vinegar and 25 drops of lavender and cedar wood essential oil.

#4 In the bedroom.

When we don’t get enough sleep it affects our day-to-day lives. This simple trick can help create a calming atmosphere in your bedroom that will help you drift off in no time! Fill a glass spray bottle ¾ of the way with distilled water. Then, add a blend of essential oils to create a spray for your pillow that will help you relax and sleep better! My go-to calming blend is lavender, rosemary, peppermint, vetiver and ylang-ylang.

#5 In the living room.

When you look around, do you see any green? Houseplants help to detoxify and purify the air we breathe, which is important for the physical and mental health of your family. Go to your local grocery store or greenhouse and buy a fern or a colourful Bromeliad to bring a splash of spring colour.

For more healthy hacks like this, as well as info on my line of plant-based skincare products the whole family can use, check out www.cleankissorganics.ca.

Jodie Pappas is the founder of the small batch natural skincare line, Clean Kiss Organics. Jodie encourages families to take charge of their health by reading labels and reminding them that, “What you put ON your body, goes IN your body!”.

More Ideas! Check out this article on organizing for healthy eating every week. It’s simple and easy to do!