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How Do I... Detox My Bathroom?
An expert reveals how to turn your unhealthy bathroom into an eco oasis in a few simple steps
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. Here Will Shannon, naturopathic expert and managing director of Pinnacle Health Clinic, shares the secrets to creating a healthy bathroom.
Be wise to invisible chemicals
There could be several products in your bathroom that are ‘gassing out’ without any hint of an odour – in other words, filling the air with potentially damaging chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and parabens without you even being aware of it.
These include:
There could be several products in your bathroom that are ‘gassing out’ without any hint of an odour – in other words, filling the air with potentially damaging chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and parabens without you even being aware of it.
These include:
- Air fresheners
- The glues used in particleboard drawers and cabinets
- Materials such as tiles, floorboards and carpet
- Skincare products, shampoos and hair gels
Simple steps to making your bathroom healthier
- Keep your bathroom well ventilated to reduce moisture build-up and mould growth. Pull up the blinds, open the window and let the sunshine into the room as often as possible.
- Use an extraction fan to speed up the drying process.
- Wash your shower curtain regularly to prevent mould growth.
- Replace your toothbrush every three months, and sooner if the bristles are fraying, you’ve been sick or if you store your brushes next to other people’s.
- Wash towels regularly, and don’t let them stay moist for prolonged periods.
- If replacing towels, select organic ones (regular cotton uses about 10 per cent of the world’s pesticides to produce).
- Don’t lay carpet in the bathroom. Choose flooring that is easy to clean and quick to dry instead, such as tiles. For softness, use bath mats.
- Ditch chemical-based cleaning products and use natural cleaners instead (they’re available at most health food shops). Or make your own using simple, biodegradable household ingredients such as baking soda and white vinegar.
Opt for natural skincare and haircare products
Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs a significant amount of what you put on it, so pay attention to nourishing it with the right skincare products and shampoos.
Chemical-based shampoos and skincare products are full of nasty toxins and can strip your skin and scalp of their natural oils. Replace them with organic, cruelty-free skincare lotions and shampoos – they’re not just be better for you, but for the environment too.
Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs a significant amount of what you put on it, so pay attention to nourishing it with the right skincare products and shampoos.
Chemical-based shampoos and skincare products are full of nasty toxins and can strip your skin and scalp of their natural oils. Replace them with organic, cruelty-free skincare lotions and shampoos – they’re not just be better for you, but for the environment too.
Up the green factor
Plants not only look beautiful in a bathroom, they can also improve air quality. Some of the best air-purifying plants include:
Plants not only look beautiful in a bathroom, they can also improve air quality. Some of the best air-purifying plants include:
- peace lily
- aloe vera
- spider plant
- devil’s ivy
- dwarf date palm
- weeping fig
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Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like or share this story and save the photos. Join the conversation.
More
Find a bathroom designer near you
But don’t despair – here are some simple steps for giving your bathroom a much-needed detox.