The Non-Toxic Summer Home: Simple Swaps for a Healthier Season

Summer is a season of fresh starts—but while you’re opening the windows and soaking up the sun, invisible toxins might still be lurking in your home, yard, and daily routines.

From weed killers to air fresheners, summer can quietly invite in chemicals that disrupt your hormones, irritate your skin, and inflame your gut—without you even realizing it.

The good news? You don’t need a chemistry degree (or a crunchy homestead) to clean it up.

Here are a few simple, effective, and actually doable ways to create a non-toxic summer home you’ll feel good living in—inside and out.

Wanna Save For Later? Pin It Now! Just click the top left button.

1. Ditch the Weed Killer (And Still Kill Weeds)

Conventional weed killers like Roundup contain glyphosate—a known endocrine disruptor and microbiome destroyer. It’s been linked to gut issues, cancer risk, and hormonal imbalance.

Try this DIY instead:

• 1 gallon white vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup salt
  
• 1 tbsp castile soap or dish soap
  

Spray directly on weeds in full sun. It works best for sidewalk and gravel cracks, and you won’t be breathing in chemical fumes.

2. Skip the Scented Sprays

Air fresheners and fabric sprays often contain phthalates and synthetic fragrances that can trigger migraines, allergies, and hormone disruption.

Better options:

• Open windows for 15 minutes each morning
  
• Simmer citrus peels, rosemary, and cinnamon sticks on the stove
  
• Use an essential oil diffuser with lavender, lemon, or eucalyptus
  
• Try a non-toxic brand like Grow Fragrance or Branch Basics Air
  

3. Summer-Proof Your Bug Spray

Most store-bought insect repellents contain DEET, which can irritate the skin and disrupt the nervous system with regular use.

Safer alternatives:

• DIY spray: Witch hazel + water + citronella, lemon eucalyptus, and tea tree oils
  
• Clean brands: Murphy’s Naturals, Kinfield, or Badger Balm
  

Bonus: many essential oils also repel ticks and mosquitoes and support immunity and mood.

4. Detox Your Laundry Routine

Your clothes are like a second skin—don’t soak them in synthetic fragrances or preservatives.
Many “summer fresh” detergents leave chemical residues that can irritate the skin and burden your detox organs.

Try instead:

• Fragrance-free or EWG-approved detergents (Branch Basics, Molly’s Suds, Seventh Generation Free & Clear)
  
• White vinegar as a fabric softener
  
• Dryer balls with a drop of essential oil
  

5. Keep Your Kitchen Clean—Without Compromising Your Health

The kitchen is where your gut healing begins—so ditch antibacterial sprays and bleach-heavy cleaners that harm your skin microbiome and your lungs.

Try instead:

• Castile soap + water + vinegar + lemon essential oil in a spray bottle
  
• Brands like Thieves Household Cleaner found HERE on my Amazon Favorites! 

You Don’t Have to Do It All—Just Start Somewhere

This isn’t about fear—it’s about freedom.
When you reduce the toxic load in your home, you support your hormones, your gut, your immune system, and your energy. And summer is the perfect time to simplify and reset.

Want a Real Reset That Starts in the Gut?

Reducing toxic exposure is powerful—but so is nourishing your body from the inside.

The 7-Day Glow Up is your full-body reset:

• Clean food, clean routines, and simple swaps
  
• Daily practices to reduce inflammation and support detox
  
• Gut-friendly meals that work with real life (and real cravings)
  

Ready to feel lighter—inside and out? Click here to join today for just $7!

XO,

Dr Sheena