Think you don’t need to detox? Think again. Every day we’re in contact with poisons in our products, our air, and our food. More and more studies associate them with serious health problems. While these toxins may be in tiny quantities, their effects on our bodies may be adding up.

“We’re exposed to a lot of different things that we’re not even aware of,” says Dr. Karen McDonald, director of public health at Concordia University College in Edmonton. “Chronically, we’re not helping ourselves to be exposed to them.” While some contaminants are difficult to avoid, others can easily be dumped from our daily routines. “If there are alternatives,” adds McDonald, “why would we not choose those?”

1. Clear out household cleaners

Many detergents and disinfectants used in the home contain ingredients known to be harmful such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and chlorine. Not only can these be inhaled while you’re cleaning, but they can linger in your home after you’ve used them, and are eventually released into the environment.

If your household has kids, cleaners also pose a risk of poison. “We’re talking about chemicals that, in the lab, we would treat very carefully. Yet at home, we just put them on the shelf,” says McDonald.

Put nontoxic cleaning products on your shopping list. Or spend less money and make your own all-purpose cleaners using safer ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda, and borax.

2. Open the windows

“We keep our buildings sealed. We expect to have an extremely tight level of comfort,” says Dr. Miriam Diamond, an environmental scientist with the University of Toronto. Since Canadians also spend an average of 90 percent of our time indoors, we could be inhaling household toxins almost all day long.

Exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms can help to exchange air with the outdoors. So can opening a few windows. “I reduce my exposure by keeping our house leakier,” says Diamond. “We’re not wasting energy, but we experience a greater temperature range.”

3. Wear less dangerous duds

Clothing may contain chemicals and compounds known to be a health hazard. These come from sources including pesticides, dyes, plasticizers, and fire retardants. Consider that your skin is the single largest organ of your body. Why not be more guarded about your garb?

Choose clothes made from organic, untreated natural fibres including cotton, hemp, and bamboo. Take steps to reduce the chemical residue left on your clothing by laundry detergents. Buy biodegradable, nontoxic laundry detergent, or make your own by mixing a cup of pure soap flakes with a quarter-cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate).

4. Eat organic

The use of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides on fruits and vegetables can leave a toxic residue that’s probably not so welcome in your garden salad. Choose food products that are certified as organic (read the label). That means that at least 95 percent of the product’s content has been grown without pesticides.

If you don’t have the option to buy organic, you can significantly reduce the residue on your fruits and veggies by washing them for at least 30 seconds. You can also purchase a vegetable wash that's been specifically designed to remove unwanted residues.

5. Take mercury off the menu

Many of us try to include fish in our diet for their omega-3 fatty acids. But far from giving your health a boost, some fish dishes, such as white tuna, can burden your body with mercury, a known poison. Even low amounts can cause health problems.

To lower your risk, restrict your white (albacore) tuna intake to no more than one meal a week. Reach instead for fish known to have more modest mercury levels including shrimp, salmon, pollock, and catfish.

6. Apply some traffic control

Traffic fumes contain a mix of carbon monoxide and harmful chemicals such as benzene. To reduce your exposure, don’t sit in an idling car, and try to avoid driving in heavy traffic.

Better yet, walk to work and school. Try to take routes through less polluted areas, such as parks or cemeteries. Even being a short distance away from traffic makes a big difference in the air you breathe.

If you have an attached garage or a room over your garage, never leave the car running while the garage door is closed. A Health Canada study found that the indoor air of houses with attached garages tested positive for car emissions, while houses with no attached garages had almost no detectable levels.

7. Stop snacking on processed foods

Evidence suggests that many food additives, such as sodium nitrate, artificial colours, and the preservatives BHA/BHT, are associated with cancer when eaten in large amounts.

Although processed foods contain only small quantities of these suspect compounds, why not cut your risk completely by clearing your pantry? Go back to the basics by making dishes from scratch and seasoning your own meals. Your grocery costs will go down, too.

8. Rip up your carpets

The wall-to-wall carpeting in your home—and the glue used to install it—may be stealthily releasing chemicals including formaldehyde and fungicides. Carpets also collect and trap bacteria, allergens, and chemical pollutants. Do you really want your baby learning to crawl on a carpet that’s crawling with contaminants?

Use a washable area rug made of natural fibres. And follow expert advice for removing the carpeting so you don’t spread debris.

9. Avoid plastic food containers

Bisphenol A (BPA) was recently added to Environment Canada’s List of Toxic Substances for its suspected adverse health effects. This popular plastic compound is used in many food containers such as cans, water bottles, and storage containers.

So are other suspect plastics, so your best bet is to store leftovers in nonplastic containers, and drink from reusable metal water bottles.

10. Light the right candles

Why worsen your indoor air by using candles and air deodorizers? Even unscented, colourless candles have been found to release harmful substances including alkanes, alkenes, and toluene into the air.

Scents and air fresheners also contain risky chemicals that can be deeply inhaled. If you love the ambience of a few lighted candles, opt for those made from beeswax or a vegetable base such as soybean.