People often just think about food and exercise when it comes to being healthy, but there is so much more to it than that, and one of the first places to start when looking at your life and how to make it healthier is to have a look at your home. How healthy is your home? Do you know what it means to have a healthy home? Here are a few tips to get you started:
There are lots of different types of water filters to choose from to suit your needs. There are small, portable filters for drinking water, filters that can attach to showerheads, and larger filtration systems that you can use for filtering water in all areas of the house.
Make sure you open your windows on a regular basis to let fresh air into your home, even if it’s cold it’s good to get a fresh blast. Unless you live somewhere very polluted, indoor air is usually more polluted than outdoor air, so make sure you get the good stuff circulating.
Did you know that 25% of the population is getting ill easily due to mold spores and mycotoxins, which are neurotoxins, released by the mold? Even if you cannot see mold, you need to be aware of it as any musty smell is mold and it can be found behind walls, and in small spaces, so it may not be visible.
Fragranced products such as cleaning products, air fresheners, perfume, laundry detergent, laundry sheets, scented candles, basically anything that has “fragrance” listed as an ingredient on the label can be potentially harmful and can cause severe allergic reactions.
There are many cleaning products which contain harmful chemicals and fumes, so if you are prone to allergies or just want to make your home a healthier space, why not try using baking soda or vinegar and fresh lemon juice when cleaning? This can be just as effective as store-bought products as the granules in baking soda are perfect for scrubbing, and it also absorbs odors too. Vinegar is also good for absorbing odors and can be used to clean coffee machines, kitchens, and bathrooms.
Be aware of the allergies that you or anyone in your household has. It is important to know what products can help to reduce those allergies or aggravate them. While cleaning your floors and surfaces regularly can help don’t forget about other parts of your home, such as rugs and upholstered furniture. According to Chem-Dry, the average home harbors about 200,000 bacteria for every square inch of carpet. As the bacteria build-up, the bacteria lurking in your carpets circulates in the air that your family is breathing unless you clean it. To ensure cleaner indoor air in your home, keep your carpets clean and in good condition with regular vacuuming and having your carpets, rugs, and upholstery professionally cleaned every few months as this will rid your home of common allergens and bacteria.
A healthy home is one with plenty of plant life inside and outside. Plants can help filter the air indoor as they absorb CO2 and as well looking beautiful, houseplants are good for your health because they eliminate harmful toxins and freshen up the air. Research from NASA shows that houseplants can remove up to 87 percent of air toxin in just 24 hours. Indoor plants are also known for reducing stress levels and boosting your mood — which makes them perfect for a happy and healthy home. Plants with broad leaves will help to regulate humidity and will also increase levels of positivity in your home because seeing greenery and nature helps you to feel more relaxed and calm. This means that a few plants in the house can benefit your everyday mood and also means that plants not only serve as a beautiful thing to have in your home but a practical one too.
Make sure you’re breathing in clean air. Fine particulate matter has been linked to both lung issues and heart disease. So investing in the best humidifier can help mitigate the risk. Dry air is also known for causing dry coughs, so when you add humidity to the air, it means that you can get more moisture into your airways, which can make a cough more productive. Increasing the moisture in the air can also help to reduce how much a person snores when they are asleep. If the air in your home is dry, a person’s airways won’t be as lubricated as they could be, which can make snoring worse. Adding humidity to the air by running a humidifier at night may help to relieve some symptoms. Finally, a humidifier can also help to keep your skin and hair moist. This is useful as many people notice that their lips, skin, and hair become dry and fragile in the winter, not just because of the cold weather but because of heating units inside the house which pump hot, dry air through the house and can make the skin dry, itchy, or flaky.
Scented candles are excellent for making your home smell nice. However, petroleum-based paraffin wax candles emit potentially hazardous chemicals that can lead to health risks such as cancer, common allergies, and asthma. However, vegetable-based options such as 100 percent soy candles don’t produce those harmful chemicals, so are a far healthier option.
According to a study published in the Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, pet ownership has very positive health benefits on people such as improved mood and emotional state, lower blood pressure, and reduced cardiovascular risk.
It’s very common for people’s homes or apartments to be hotbeds of dust, whether it’s piling up in little corners of the rooms, under your bed and on your pillows, or on the bookshelves. Long term exposure of dust mites can cause allergies and asthma, so make sure you vacuum often, change your bedding and pillowcases regularly and reduce the humidity in your house.
When putting away leftover food, use glass containers rather than plastic, as plastic containers have toxic chemicals that can cause issues on your hormones and even cause cancer.
Non-stick cookware exposes household members to toxic fumes from the synthetic polymers used to make non-stick. Use cast iron or stainless steel for cooking with instead.
Double-check the ingredients in your makeup, self-care, and cleaning products. Some of the products you think are safe might contain harmful chemicals, so make sure to find products that really list all of their ingredients, look for products that mostly list plant-based ingredients for their product, and avoid using products that contain the following chemicals: Triclosan and Triclocarban which Disrupts thyroid and hormones; Parabens, especially Propyl-, Isopropyl, Butyl, and Isobutyl-Parabens as these can disrupt the thyroid and cause reproductive and developmental disorders. Phthalates are increasingly linked to brain, behavioral changes, cancer, and reproductive system harm. Boric Acid and Sodium Borate as these can be absorbed readily into the body and are unsafe for infants and use with broken skin.
Making these small changes and being careful with the products you use and buy can help prevent you and your family from getting sick as well as protect your health in the long run, so if you’re thinking about the overall health for you and your family then think bigger than just food and exercise.
Full time I'm an ambitious Head of Marketing and Communications in the luxury industry. Part time, I'm an enthusiastic British Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger and YouTuber from Manchester, UK. This blog has been my outlet for the past 7+ years, and as a longstanding, Award-winning blogger I take the most enjoyment from creating content I truly love and believe in. All authentic. Always.