Bulletproof Tips For a Healthy Home
You would think that in your house, you control the air quality. The truth of the matter is that all sorts of pollutants can infect the air of your home and increase your risk of respiratory problems and asthma. It used to be possible to feel like you were keeping out all of the world just by keeping the doors and windows closed in your home – but not anymore!
Today’s modern double paned windows and ultra-sealed doors have kept cooling and heating costs down. Unfortunately, these energy saving devices are also increasing the pollution inside of the home. Here are a number of ways that you can keep the air within your home clean and healthy.
Tip #1 – Don’t pick up your dry cleaning as soon as it’s finished. Let it stay at the dry cleaner for a few days. The chemicals used by dry cleaners can be very harmful to humans. Some of them have been shown to cause neurological damage and even cancer. Before you bring your clothes home, ensure that they are 100% dry and free of any cleaning chemicals. When you don’t let the clothes dry, those chemicals are transferred onto your skin and into your lungs. It’s also a good idea to try and use an all-natural dry cleaner. These dry cleaners use non-toxic and ecologically sound dry cleaning methods.
Tip #2 – Leave your shoes outside of your house or in your entrance way. When you walk around outside, your shoes come in contact with many contaminants – even in “clean” places like hospitals. Your daily activities cause the bottom of your sneakers to get coated in dirt, germs and bacteria. Every time you walk around, these particles get mixed into the air that you breathe. If you take off your footwear outdoors or inside the entry way of your house, you lower this risk significantly.
Tip #3 – Maintain proper ventilation in your home. It’s ironic that installing modern doors and windows to give you better control over your home’s temperature can also cause problems. Leaving the windows sealed forces you to breath in many contaminants every day. After you dust or vacuum, the dust mites that get kicked up can’t escape. Smoke and fumes from cooking food and frying on your stove float around your house for a long period of time. Steam from a hot shower can cause mold to form on your walls. You can then breathe it in and get sick. Make sure to open your windows and turn on the exhaust fans when cooking, cleaning or bathing. Give all of the bad stuff a chance to leave your home.
There are many ways to make your house healthier. Remember, coming home to a clean house doesn’t mean that all of the challenges of the world get shut out. Take several steps each day to make your house a healthy, pollution free zone.