Creating a Healthy Home Environment

Healthy Home Environment

Home is the place where we spend time with our friends and family, where we see how our children grow up, where we share special moments with our loved ones.

Therefore keeping your place healthy is vital and should be your number one priority. Unfortunately, statistics show that many households live in moderate to hazardous conditions.

So here comes the question of how to reduce the risk to which our health is exposed every day. Embracing an eco-friendly attitude might be one of the solutions. The essence, however, is to be fully informed about the potential dangers that your home hides and to take proactive actions to resolve the problems.

As creatures of habit, people usually need time to get used to the change. Don’t rush it. Experts advise starting step by step, with small improvements. Soon you will find that you not only prohibit the negative influence on your health and the environment, but you also save money.

In order to improve the conditions in your home environment, you should follow five basic principles. Your place should be clean, dry, ventilated, pest-free and containment–free.

Reduce the number of poisoning elements. For instance, if you recently went through an interior renovation hire a domestic clearance company to remove all the rubbish left behind. The house clearance professionals will take care of the volatile waste. Give up the typical cleaning products filled with harmful ingredients.

Replace them with green solutions that you can find in every kitchen cupboard. You can clean everything in your house with only three ingredients – baking soda, vinegar, and lemon.

Replace the carpets with a bamboo floor. Rugs and other types of flooring collect dust, dirt, humid and dust mites that become sources of allergies and in more severe cases asthma. Bamboo is a beautiful and easy-to-maintain material. If you don’t want to give away your favourite carpet, try to keep it clean. At a first sight, vacuuming may seem enough but it’s not.

The method works for dirt but doesn’t remove the dust mites. On the contrary, it spreads their waste in the air. From time to time, bring your carpets out on a sunny day. Sunlight kills dust mites. Use vinegar as your primary detergent.

The same goes for your mattress that accumulates an immense quantity of dust mites. In addition, buy protective covers that will keep these annoying microorganisms at bay. Wash your bedding every week.

The furnishing also plays an important role. Take advantage of furniture clearance and leave your old bed to the waste disposal company. Instead, get one with wooden frames. Don’t underestimate the dust mites. They can cause minor reactions such as a runny nose and sneezing to asthma and lungs clogging.

After you’ve accumulated all the items that contained certain risks for your health, don’t remove it by yourself. Instead, hire a professional clearance service. Reduce pesticides and toxic cleaners. If you still use conventional cleaning products, you should never mix them. This will create volatile fumes that will result in allergic reactions or sickness.

Typical paint contains hazardous elements that eventually get into your lungs. This applies strongly to older homes that have lead-based paint. The side effects are disrupted functions of the nervous system, behavioral changes, and problems with hearing.  Use one that is based on natural products.

Be sure that the drinking water at your home is safe. Check your water supply. Purchase a filtering system to minimize harmful pollutants like radium and asbestoses.

Check for radon. This toxic gas is the main cause of cancer among non-smokers. The problem is that you cannot see it or smell it. It is derived from the natural decomposing of uranium. Believe it or not, your house can produce radon. Make a full inspection of your home.

If high levels of the toxic ingredient are found, get a radon-reduction system. This is a cheap and useful tool. On the other hand, there is radon-resistant features in the newer homes. For this and other deadly gases that are difficult to spot, buy a carbon monoxide detector.

Prevent the appearance of pests by cleaning food and water spills immediately. Store organic waste properly, in well-sealed containers. If the problem is already beyond your control, don’t rush into buying pesticides. These products constitute a danger in so many ways. If placed recklessly around the house, your child may find it and get poisoned. Exposure to toxins may alter humans’ development in early-stage or infancy.

Keep the mold to a minimum. It is one of the major indoor sources of pollution. Pay attention to shady and moist areas such as basements and attics. This is the perfect environment for mold evolvement. Check for leaks in your faucets or rooftops. Reduce the humidity and bring more sunlight. These fungi cannot survive in dry, cold, and sunny places.

There are areas, like your bathroom, in which this is impossible. Clean the shower curtains, stall, and tiles with bleach. Consider installing a humidifier. If it’s too late for preventive measures and you need to get serious, then here are a few eco–friendly tips on how to get rid of the mold once and for all. Don’t jump immediately on the expensive detergents.

Vinegar and water solution do miracles. Mix ¼ water and ¾ vinegar and give it a good rubbing. Sealing your walls is an efficient way to put an end to the mold drama, but it’s not exactly the healthiest option.

Take care of the indoor air quality. Try to ventilate as often as possible. Natural ventilation is preferred. Keep your windows open in mild weather, especially after a cleaning session. Buy an air purifier if needed. If you or a member of your family is a smoker, limit the exposure to second-hand smoke. Children are most vulnerable to this bad habit.

The most efficient way to deal with it is just to quit smoking. You or the member of your family will benefit in terms of their health and finances. The alternative is to make your home a smoke–free area.

Get your home clearance, remove all the hazardous items and turn your place into a perfectly healthy environment. Most importantly, try to maintain high hygiene standards and keep your house decluttered and organized.