Keeping your home clean and tidy is fairly simple; putting things away after you use them, regularly sweeping hard floors and changing bedding every week are great ways to stay on top of your household organisation – some people even find it helpful to have a cleaning schedule to follow. But making sure your home is healthy is more difficult – toxic chemicals, rising damp and hard-to-clean carpets can all create an environment that can be more harmful than homely. We’ve got five top tips to help you make sure your home is safe, healthy and positive living space for your whole family.
Tackle Mould
Mould is caused by excess moisture – this can come from leaking pipes, bad insulation, and a damaged roof, and can cause serious health problems. If you suspect you have a mould problem, it would be wise to get someone like this company offering air quality testing in Tucson, AZ out to assess the situation and give you a definitive answer. If you do have mould, you’ll need to first address the problem of the moisture, then add some insulation, have your roof checked, and reseal any nearby windows. Your next step will be to treat the problem with a specialist anti-fungal product, which is designed to repel any new mould spores that might occur. For extra security, you could also consider using paint which has anti-mould properties and resists moisture and steam.
Change Your Flooring
While you might love the warmth and comfort of carpet, it’s not the healthiest flooring option around; as well as being easy to stain and damage, it can also become a trap for dirt and dust mites – and hardwood floors can have similar problems. Replacing your current flooring with a polished concrete floor can help – the floors are polished, which means they’re not porous and don’t soak up bacteria, allergens or moisture, and they’re a great alternative for anyone who suffers from asthma or other respiratory issues.
Consider DIY Cleaning Products
You probably think your shop-bought cleaning products are helping to keep your home clean and safe, right? Wrong. Commercially produced cleaners are full of toxic chemicals that can play havoc with your health; they can burn skin, cause severe heart and lung problems, and are also terrible for the environment. Try switching them for some DIY products; there are plenty of detailed recipes online, which make great products from simple ingredients such as white vinegar, soda crystals, and even vodka!
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Add Some Greenery
Adding plants to your home is great for several reasons – not only do they look great and brighten a room, but they also help to purify the air and make your home cleaner. Snake plants and Spider plants are both great at battling toxins, and the Chinese Evergreen can even cleanse the air of ultra-harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde. As well as making the air kinder to your lungs, plants are also great for your mental wellbeing – they can improve your mood, battle anxiety, and even increase reaction times and productivity!
Filter Your Tap Water
You might think that by drinking plenty of water, you’re being extra healthy – but unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily the case. Tap water can be full of hidden nasties such as chlorine, chemicals, pesticides, and bacteria – and while the levels might not be high enough to cause serious damage, it’s still something you should try to avoid. Rather than buying bottled water, which can be pricey, add a filtration system to your kitchen – a simple water filter is fairly cheap, and if you’re keen on all things sustainable, charcoal water filters absorb impurities and can be recycled for use around the home when they’re finished with.
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Couldn’t agree more, cleaning products have a damaging impact on our health, not to mention environment. I buy natural ones but would love to make my own. Thanks for sharing this.