Your home is a safe haven from the outside world. It’s the place you retreat to at the end of the day, and where you rest and play. When we think about improving our health, we focus on eating better and getting enough exercise, and while those are important, it’s good practice to take care of your environment as well. After all, your home is filled with precious people and memories; keep it happy and healthy by putting a few of the suggestions below into practice.
Filter Your Drinking Water
While most of us probably aren’t drinking tap water anymore, the cost of bottled water to your pocket and the environment isn’t good for anyone. Invest in a water filtration device you can attach to the kitchen faucet, or purchase a jug that filters the water as you fill it. If your refrigerator dispenses water, set reminders to swap the filter out regularly. Or consider a point of entry (POE) filtration system for the entire house to filter both cold and warm water.
Avoid Chemical-Based Cleaning Products
When it’s time to clean, look twice before reaching for your favorite cleanser. Some products might contain pesticides or might be caustic to lungs and skin. If you can’t pronounce half of the ingredients, consider natural products that do the job without causing undue harm. Or go old school and use vinegar, baking soda, and lemon for a fresh, healthy home.
Take Off Your Shoes
When you wear shoes indoors after being outside, you’re likely to track in everything you walked through on the way to the door. Even if you wipe or scrape your shoes on a mat, you still might not remove all the particles that attach to the bottoms of shoes. Make a habit to remove your shoes when you come inside or designate certain pairs for indoor wear only. Be sure to let guests know about your new no-outside-shoes-in policy. Limiting the dirt and grime that tracks into your house keeps it cleaner overall.
Dust Everything
Dust accumulates faster than we want to think it does. Keep your home and bedding free of dust particles and allergens by wiping down surfaces frequently. Change your HVAC air filters regularly and schedule maintenance for your system to clean out ducts so dust isn’t pouring out of your vents when the AC or heating system kicks on.
Replace Wall-To-Wall Carpeting
Remember those shoes? Particles and debris tracked in with your shoes have filtered through and embedded in your wall-to-wall carpet. Consider swapping carpeting for tile, wood, or laminate so you can better control the cleanliness of the surface. Even the best vacuums can’t reach below carpet padding where sand and dirt find their way in.
Your home is the place where you live your best life. Take care to keep it clean and healthy by changing habits and performing regular maintenance. Your home will thank you with plenty of healthy years to breathe, sleep, play, and make more memories.
All images from Zara Home Autumn Winter 2018 collection – discover more.
