Walking through the front door should feel like a deep exhale. For many of us, however, it often feels like the opposite. We see a pile of mail on the counter, toys scattered across the rug, or a closet so full that the door barely shuts. While we often think of this as a simple organization problem, it is actually a health opportunity.
When we talk about creating a healthy home, we often focus on what we bring in, such as air purifiers or organic mattresses. But one of the most effective ways to lower the toxin load in your house is simply by looking at what you can take out. Learning how to declutter is not just about aesthetics; it is a foundational step in building biology that protects your family and supports your well-being.
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The Science of Your Space and Your Nervous System
Our homes and our nervous systems are deeply intertwined. Research into environmental psychology suggests that a cluttered environment can keep our bodies in a state of low-grade “fight or flight.” When our visual field is crowded, our brains are constantly processing a surplus of information, which increases cortisol—the body’s primary stress hormone.
Science Spotlight: A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that women who described their homes as cluttered or full of unfinished projects had higher levels of cortisol throughout the day compared to those who described their homes as restful and restorative.
For a busy parent, this means that a messy room isn’t just annoying; it is physically draining. Over time, this chronic stress can impact your sleep, your mood, and even your immune function. When you understand how to declutter for your nervous system, you are giving your body permission to rest and recover.
HOW CLUTTER IMPACTS THE HOME ENVIRONMENT
Our home’s indoor air quality is affected by MANY different materials and products. We can control the quality of our air at home by limiting certain products and toxins within our house. It takes a little bit of knowing what to look for and research in order to keep toxins out of the house, but it’s totally doable. And it’s an excellent reason to learn just how to declutter your home in the right way.
Decluttering your home is a great time to start getting rid of toxic products and materials, as you’re already in the mindset to pair down and say goodbye to things you’re no longer using. If nothing else, when you declutter your home, it allows you to enjoy your home more and get rid of the bogged down feeling that comes when you’re surrounded by stuff and clutter.
Any way we can remove a toxin from our daily life, is a way we can lighten the load on our immune systems and bodies.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): VOCs are often in paint, but can also be in other solvents and products. They off gas into the home and oftentimes stay in the air for long periods of time. A common VOC is formaldehyde, which has been labeled a known carcinogen to humans. Formaldehyde is found in plywood, particleboard, glues, drapes, fabrics and certain types of foams.
VOCs are also found in perfume, cleaning products, hobby supplies and personal care products. These materials and products are constantly releasing volatile organic compounds into the air we have in our homes.
Many VOCs can damage the liver, kidney or central nervous system with long term exposure. (Study) So reducing these items that have VOCs in them is highly beneficial to your indoor air.
Dust The more you have in your home, the more you have to dust. Furniture, knick-knacks, shelves and other surfaces require constant cleaning and removal of dust. The fewer things you have out on shelves, the less dust collects and the easier it is to clean.
Dust often contains chemicals from cleaners, viruses, bacteria and even pesticides from outside. It’s important to keep dust to a controlled minimum in order to avoid these contaminants from floating around our air and throughout our home.
The fewer items you have cluttering your house, the less dust you’ll have overall. This is why when you declutter your home you ultimately eliminate places dust can settle. By figuring out how to declutter surfaces and minimize soft goods that trap these particles, you eliminate the “landing pads” for these contaminants.
Fragrances: Fragrances are in MANY home products — many you may not have even realized. Obviously, air fresheners, scented candles and room sprays contain fragrances, but even things like sheets, plush toys and other home items have fragrances added to them.
Synthetic fragrances are essentially a grouping of chemicals that are mixed together in order to replicate a scent. They also serve as a way to cover up a foul smell from other chemicals used in the product. Synthetic fragrances are most often linked to disruption in healthy hormone production as well as burdening the liver.
Getting rid of anything that contains synthetic fragrances is going to help lessen the load on your body and allow your body to begin functioning as it should, filtering out toxins and performing at a higher capacity. (After you declutter your home, this article is perfect for learning more about synthetic fragrances).
HOW TO DECLUTTER: WHAT TO PART WITH AND WHY
Old Cleaning Products: Cleaning products can contain formaldehyde (for increased shelf life), harsh antibacterials (to kill good and bad bacteria around our home), synthetic fragrances (to mask the smell of other chemicals) and other man made chemicals. Removing whatever you don’t use on a regular basis will help your home by reducing your exposure to these chemicals. Try to pair down your cleaning cabinet to just the essentials in order to keep chemicals to a minimum.
Leftover Paint and Solvents: Paints and solvents will off-gas for their entire life, even when stored in a container. If you don’t need the paint or product anymore, safely dispose of it. You’ll be clearing up space in your home or garage, and you’ll be getting rid of harmful VOCs that can be affecting your indoor air quality.
Unused Linens & Towels: Not only do many linens and towels contain perfluorochemicals (to protect from stains) and formaldehyde (to reduce wrinkling), but they are also homes for dust mites. If you can pair down what you use to JUST the essentials (for our house that means two sets of sheets for each bed and one set of towels for each bathroom), you’ll be eliminating not only those toxins, but a huge source for dust mites (which can cause problems in terms of respiratory health).
Candles: Scented candles are filled with chemicals from synthetic fragrances. These toxins are not only released into the air when you’re burning the candle, but they’re also being released into the air just sitting in your home. I encourage you to ditch the candles this year and try essential oils in a diffuser instead. Trust me when I say you’ll enjoy the scents more and you’ll be doing your indoor air a HUGE favor. It’s also the time to ditch any scented room freshener you use and opt for a healthier solution.
Decor You Don’t Love: If you don’t love it, don’t keep it! I’ve been so guilty of this in the past. I used to keep everything (remember how I mentioned my daughter’s attachment to gifts and creations — she gets that from me, sadly). I couldn’t part with gifts, things I’d made or something I’ve just had for a really long time. It made for a messy hodge podge of clutter that collected a whole lot of dust in my house. Decor often times is a dust magnet, and we know that dust contains chemicals, pesticides and dust mites which affect your health. If you can pair down what you have to JUST what you love, it will be easier to clean and you’ll be creating a healthier environment.
Unused Toys & Stuffed Animals: If you have a child like mine — I’ll be praying for you as you attempt to donate toys and stuffed animals. Stuffed animals are notorious for being the home for dustmites as we can’t wash them as frequently as we probably should. Keeping JUST what your child plays with or absolutely needs is going to reduce the dust, potential formaldehyde and dustmites in their play space. Getting rid of toys no longer played with will also help minimize the amount of plastic and heavy metals in your home as well.
Clothes You Don’t Love: Clothes that don’t get worn can be donated to a shelter or sold. If you’re not wearing it, it’s cluttering up your closet and collecting dust (which we already know can reduce the quality of your indoor air). Some clothes can also contain perfluorochemicals (stain blockers) and formaldehyde (anti-wrinkle), which are off-gassing in your closet as well. If you don’t wear it, simply get rid of it and you’ll be reducing the number of VOCs in your closet and home.
Old Personal & Beauty Products: Beauty products that contain fragrances and a variety of other chemicals should be removed whenever possible. If you have old products you no longer use, this is a great time to get rid of them. Often times the chemicals found in beauty products do not lose their potency as the age, but the toxicity increases over time. Decluttering may be a good time to swap out or even pair down your beauty and product routine. (Make a toxin free daily routine your new normal)
Plastic Kitchen Storage: Storing food in plastic containers is not only a big no-no when it comes to your health, but all those plastic containers are often making your cabinets cluttered. I know for us it wasn’t just food containers, but plastic water bottles that were taking over. The realization that each of us needs a MAXIMUM of two water bottles was like taking a breath of fresh air. Not only was I getting rid of plastic in my house, but I was also able to create a clutter free environment in our kitchen. If you’re in the midst of decluttering, swapping out plastic for a few glass containers is THE way to go. (This post will walk you through cutting out plastic in the kitchen as you declutter your home).
How to Shop for a Healthier Home
As you begin to curate a more intentional space, you can use these simple pillars to choose materials that support a low-toxin life, whether you are at a thrift store, Target, or shopping online:
- Prioritize Natural Fibers: Reach for organic cotton, linen, wool, or hemp.
- Look for Solid Wood: When thrifting, prioritize solid wood over pressed wood or particleboard to avoid formaldehyde-based glues.
- Choose Inert Materials: Glass, stainless steel, and ceramic are safe choices for the kitchen and decor.
- The Smell Test: If an item has a strong “new” or chemical smell, it is likely off-gassing. Trusting your senses is a great way to screen products quickly.
Creating Your Sanctuary
Learning how to declutter is a journey of small, intentional choices. Every item you remove is a step toward a space that supports your physical health and provides a calm environment for your nervous system to rest.
If you are ready to take the next step in detoxing your space, I invite you to download my free ebook. It offers a science-based look at how to identify and remove the hidden toxins in your home so you can feel confident you are providing the safest possible environment for your family.
Once you declutter your home, here are more ways to make it a healthier space:
References and Further Reading
If you’re interested in the science behind how your home impacts your health, here are the studies and resources mentioned in this post:
- On Clutter and Cortisol: Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. (2010). No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate With Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. This study highlights the link between a stressful home environment and higher cortisol levels in women. View Study
- On Toxic Chemicals in Dust: Mitro, S. D., et al. (2016). Consumer Product Chemicals in Indoor Dust: A Quantitative Meta-analysis of U.S. Studies. Environmental Science & Technology. A comprehensive look at the “toxic trio” found in 90% of household dust samples. View Study
- On Indoor Exposure and Health: Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. (2016). Potentially Harmful Chemicals Widespread in Household Dust. This report breaks down the health risks of phthalates, flame retardants, and phenols in our homes. Read the Report
- On “Forever Chemicals” (PFAS): Yale School of Public Health. (2022). Study identifies potentially harmful substances in household dust. An investigation into how PFAS from carpets and clothing accumulate in our living spaces. Read the Summary
I have been focusing on this a lot recently! I like to keep my house relatively simple just because it makes cleaning everything so much easier. I think the only thing you didn’t address is what to do with the stuff you want to get rid of – don’t always throw it in the trash! There are many ways to pass along toys, clothes, and even beauty products to other people. I wrote a whole blog post about ways to get rid of stuff – the zero waste way 🙂
I had to learn how to declutter and get rid of things I didn’t need. In one phase of our lives we moved 5 times in a span of 6 years. That is a lesson with 3 small kids you just don’t think twice.
I love the idea of using decluttering/New Year cleaning to get rid of toxic products!
My husband used to think I was kind of crazy with how I’m against so many conventional things. I consult the EWG database before buying virtually anything and drive him crazy with how I don’t want any of us to touch receipts at the store. He still thinks I’m crazy with the receipts, but after not being around chemical-laden home products, he’s realized how overwhelming they are when he comes across them elsewhere.
This is the time of year where I want to purge as well! It is a great idea to have health in mind when decluttering. We just cleaned out our barn. Every year I can’t believe how much ends up in there. We really need to do a better job of watching what we are taking into our house.
We went through an extreme minimalist phase several years ago and it was so refreshing to take an extended break from “things”! Now, we are very purposeful about anything new that comes into the home. I’ve often reflected on the mental benefits but I never really considered the health benefits of getting rid of so many harmful products (or not bringing them home at all!). Thank you for this insight – one more reason to go (and stay!) minimal!
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