To know if your home’s air is toxic, look for physical symptoms (like persistent headaches, allergy flare-ups, or nausea that worsen indoors) and check for environmental clues (like lingering chemical odors, visible mold, or condensation).
Toxic or poor indoor air quality typically manifests through frequent headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat. Respiratory issues like persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and aggravated asthma are also common. Notably, symptoms often improve when you leave the house.
Yes, your house can absolutely make your family sick, a phenomenon often called "sick building syndrome". Common culprits include mold from water damage, poor ventilation trapping toxins, carbon monoxide leaks, lead, and chemical vapors. Symptoms often include chronic headache, fatigue, itchy eyes, coughs, or allergies that improve when you are away from home.
To test your home’s air for toxins, use a continuous smart indoor air monitor (e.g., Airthings) for broad tracking, use single-use DIY kits for specific hazards like radon, and hire a licensed professional for complex or dangerous issues like mold, asbestos, and high volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
If you feel sick, congested, or dizzy primarily while at home but feel better when away (like at work or on vacation), your indoor air is likely the cause. Common symptoms include persistent, non-cold-related headaches, itchy eyes, dry throat, fatigue, and increased allergy or asthma issues.
5 Tips for Detoxifying Your Home
Indoor air pollutants are airborne contaminants trapped and concentrated within buildings, often reaching higher levels than outdoor pollution. Five of the most common and hazardous include:
Mold toxicity (or mycotoxin illness) occurs when you are exposed to mold spores that produce toxic byproducts. These symptoms can mimic other conditions and often range from mild respiratory irritation to severe neurological and immune responses.
Detoxing your home's air requires minimizing the source of pollutants, increasing fresh airflow, and actively filtering the air.
Here are 10 warning signs to watch for when checking out a house.
Many everyday items contain hidden toxins like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, and heavy metals. The most dangerous culprits—along with healthier swaps—include:
Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
Symptoms of negative energy at home typically manifest as an atmosphere of constant tension, unexplained chronic fatigue, and frequent arguments. You may experience persistent sleep disturbances, an unexplainable feeling of dread in certain rooms, or even physical ailments like headaches and digestive issues that improve when you leave the house.
In specific rooms:
Signs of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) generally manifest through recurring physical symptoms and observable environmental red flags. Because the signs mimic common colds or seasonal allergies, the biggest indicator is that symptoms tend to improve or disappear when you leave the building.
Lungs are self-cleaning organs that heal once exposure to pollutants stops, but you can support this process by quitting smoking, using air purifiers, and drinking fluids to thin mucus. Key actions include deep breathing exercises, consistent aerobic exercise, eating anti-inflammatory foods (berries, nuts), and using steam therapy to flush toxins.
Air is naturally purified primarily through rain, plants, and sunlight.
Research has shown that English Ivy can eliminate up to 78% of airborne mold within 12 hours. This makes it particularly useful in humid areas like bathrooms and basements where mold growth is more common.
Sanitizing indoor air requires a combination of filtration, ventilation, and targeted disinfection. To eliminate airborne viruses, bacteria, and allergens, maximize airflow, run a HEPA air purifier, and consider EPA-approved air sanitizing sprays.
Some of our go-to suggestions include:
Although symptoms can vary, the most common symptoms seen in people exposed to mold indoors include: Nasal and sinus congestion. Eye irritation, such as itchy, red, watery eyes. Wheezing and difficulty breathing.
Black mold is a fungus that may cause your immune system to react. Common symptoms include sneezing, coughing, congestion and eye irritation. It rarely causes serious illness or death but may worsen asthma symptoms.
Testing your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ) yourself is easiest with a multi-pollutant electronic monitor. Alternatively, you can use specialized mail-in test kits or look for physical warning signs like persistent musty odors, dust buildup, and humidity issues.
Yes, opening windows generally improves indoor air quality by diluting indoor pollutants with fresh outdoor air. However, it only helps if the outdoor air is actually cleaner than your indoor air.
The top three most widespread and hazardous outdoor air pollutants, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. EPA, are: