When people talk about improving their health, they often think of ways to sleep better, eat nutritious food and find time to exercise.
Many people forget that they spend a lot of time indoors when at home, and the home environment affects their health too, from the colors on the wall, to mirror barn doors, to blinds and curtains. Below are ten ways to create a better living environment for yourself and your family.
Table of Contents
Add Greenery Indoors
Not only do houseplants add natural greenery indoors, but they can also help purify your home’s air. These plants include Barberton daisies, English ivy, spider plants, Chinese evergreen, peace lily, and more. If you have dogs or cats, make sure that the plant you choose isn’t toxic to them if they chew or lick the plant.
Air Purifier
While you have plants that help purify the air, you can also have an actual air purifier. The EPA states that indoor air quality is often two to five times worse than outside air. Since people spend most of their time indoors at work, school, or home, they are exposed to indoor air pollution more often than outdoor pollution.
Central Vacuum System
A central vacuum system is a great way to help keep your home cleaner. You can have the vacuum unit installed in the garage, basement, or someplace out of the way but still accessible.
The vacuum then pulls air through the hose and pipes, capturing anything in the hose’s path. It keeps everything in a filter, which you then replace every three months. You can even install a port into your baseboards, and all you have to do is sweep everything toward the port.
Change AC/HVAC Filters Regularly
Every HVAC technician will tell you that you need to change the filters in your HVAC unit every three months. Not only does this improve the energy efficiency of the unity, but it improves your indoor air quality by preventing dust, spores, bacteria, and allergens from escaping into your home’s air.
Control Humidity Levels
Humidity also plays a role in indoor air quality, so ventilation is essential. It’s recommended to keep humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent in the home. Too high, and you trigger allergies, asthma and allow mold and mildew to spread. Too low, and you have static electricity, dry and cracking wood, dry skin, and other issues.
Once Per Season
You’re likely prepping for Halloween and Thanksgiving and getting ready for winter during the autumn months. This is an excellent opportunity to go through your summer clothes and spring items and donate those you don’t wear or use. Decluttering is essential for your mental health and helps you keep your home cleaner and better organized.
Bring Fresh Air Inside
Earlier in this list, we talked about indoor air pollution and ventilation. Our homes often become stuffy, but we don’t realize it until we go outside. Combat the stuffiness and flush out stale indoor air by pulling back the drapes and opening a window or two.
Install Carbon Monoxide and Radon Detectors
People are more aware of carbon monoxide and its symptoms, but not about radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when radioactive metals break down in the soil and rocks. Carbon monoxide and radon are both invisible killers as they are odorless and colorless.
Leave Your Shoes at the Front Door
Leaving your shoes by the front door, whether on a mat, a shoe rack, or a shoe caddy, does a lot for keeping your home healthier. You likely watch where you step when you’re outside. However, your shoes still pick up and carry microbes, bacteria, pollen, viruses, and even lead. If you wear shoes inside your home, you transfer all that everywhere you go.
Change Out Your Doors
When we talk about a healthier living environment, aesthetics are also important. A mirror barn door slides back and forth, which means that you don’t have to worry about swinging doors open and hitting something. These can be used for any door in your home.
Whether it’s switching to plant-based cleaning products, switching out your plastic cutting boards, or using water filters for your drinking water, there are many ways we’re all making our homes a healthy living environment. We believe that everything else becomes more manageable when there’s a healthy living environment.
