🏡 Toxic-Free Living: 3 Household Products Worth Rethinking, and Simple Swaps to Try

Air fresheners, cleaning products, and bug sprays deserve a closer look. Here’s what’s in them, why exposure matters, and where you can start.

When you’re trying to take better care of yourself, you probably think about what you’re eating. Maybe your sleep, your stress, and how much you’re moving.

But what about what you’re using around the house? 🏡

The plug-in fragrance. The bathroom cleaner. The bug spray under the sink.

This is one of my favorite things to discuss with clients because these are tons of everyday choices that are super easy to overlook. Ingredients matter, and so do the amount you use, how often you use it, and how well your space is ventilated.

You don’t need to replace everything overnight. Let’s start with three products worth a closer look.

1. The fragrances filling your home 🌼

A strong “fresh” smell doesn’t necessarily mean "cleaner air".

Some air fresheners and scented cleaners contain limonene, an ingredient that gives products a citrus scent. It’s also naturally present in citrus oils.

Research has shown that limonene and related fragrance compounds can react with ozone in indoor air to form other pollutants, including formaldehyde and fine particles. Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and airways. How much forms depends on the product, ventilation, and conditions in the room. This doesn’t mean every scented product creates a dangerous exposure, but fragrance isn’t air purification.

My simple swap? Start with the source of the smell.

Empty the trash, clean the spill, wash damp fabrics, or address excess moisture. Use an exhaust fan that vents outdoors when appropriate, instead of repeatedly covering an odor with fragrance.

And a word about essential oils: “organic” doesn’t automatically mean safer to breathe. Essential oils can also contain limonene and other compounds that react in indoor air. Switching to a diffuser doesn’t necessarily eliminate the issue.

For someone sensitive to scents, choosing fragrance-free products is a practical place to begin.

2. Bleach-based cleaners ⚠️

The ingredient to recognize here is sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in household chlorine bleach.

Bleach has legitimate disinfecting uses, but one serious risk is mixing it with other products. Acids, including vinegar, can release chlorine gas. Ammonia can produce chloramine gases. These gases can irritate or injure your airways.

Never mix bleach with other cleaning products. Follow the label’s directions for dilution, ventilation, and use.

For everyday dirt and grease, you may not need a disinfectant. Two options worth considering are:

Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner, Free & Clear. This fragrance-free cleaner is EPA Safer Choice certified ✅. It’s intended for cleaning, not disinfecting, and its label lists which surfaces it’s suitable for.

Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid Soap. I also love the Dr. Bronner’s brand. Its unscented Castile soap is an option for appropriate household cleaning jobs when diluted according to the company’s instructions. It’s concentrated, so more isn’t necessarily better!

Whichever you choose, follow the product directions. A cleaner and a disinfectant do different jobs.

3. Indoor bug sprays 🐞

Some indoor insect sprays contain pyrethrins, insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. They work by disrupting insects’ nervous systems.

Although generally low in toxicity to people, direct exposure can cause skin irritation, tingling, or numbness. Breathing in a spray can also irritate the respiratory tract. Using a product occasionally and according to its label is different from repeatedly spraying it in a poorly ventilated room.

Start by making your home less inviting to the insects.

Remove food scraps, keep trash covered, and look for breeding sources or entry points. A trap won’t solve a problem if insects keep finding food and places to reproduce.

For flies and gnats, a Zevo Flying Insect Trap is one option. It uses light to attract flying insects onto a sticky cartridge, rather than releasing an insecticide spray. Choose the trap specifically, since the brand also sells sprays.

What I mean by lowering your “toxic load”

When I use that phrase here, I mean reducing unnecessary contact with potentially harmful substances.

That starts with specific questions: What are you using? What’s in it? How are you exposed? Is there a simpler option that does the job?

This is something I like to work on with clients during their detox programs: looking beyond food and considering the routines and products they live with every day.

Start with ONE product you use regularly. Read the label. Check the directions. Consider whether you need the fragrance, the spray, or the disinfectant for that particular task.

If you’d like personalized help reviewing your habits and choosing where to start, you can explore working with me HERE.

Warmly 💛,
Eric
Rasāyana Living