What do you do to keep your family and yourself healthy?
If you are like most people, you probably watch what you touch when you are outside. And, you take every opportunity to either wash your hands or slather on hand sanitizer. There is a good chance that you purposefully avoid strangers with germs and diseases too.
While these are certainly excellent precautions, many don’t realize that the biggest threat is inside their own homes.
From dirt and dust to toxins, there is quite a bit in your household that can make you fall sick! Fortunately, though, you can get rid of these sources and keep your home safe and healthy for your family.
If you are curious about just what it is that you need to do, check out these helpful guidelines:
Check Your Household for Toxins
Did you know that lead, radon, asbestos, and other materials may enter or be built into the very foundation of your home?
These are all things that can make you and your family incredibly sick. This is especially true if you are exposed to these substances for long periods of time.
The trouble is that few people are actually aware of these substances, are in their homes. As such, they will not get rid of them either.
Luckily, there are various home kits available that can do the testing for you. Simply use these to check for any toxic substances. If you do realize that these are present, you can then find the right removal service.
This is something you should do regardless of how long you have been living in your house. At the same time, you should pick up this habit when moving to new locations as well. Make sure to test the house before you buy it so that you can take the necessary precautions.
Leave Shoes Outside the Home
Most people feel rather odd about leaving their shoes outside or asking guests to do the same. This is why you probably allow people to traipse across your floors with their shoes still on. Well, this is a habit you need everyone to change.
Let’s face it, you’re not aware of what you step on when you go out. This is because, for the most part, these surfaces can seem rather harmless and commonplace. If you were to look a little closer, though, you would find that this isn’t the case.
See, shoes pick up dirt, herbicides, toxins, and bacteria without you even realizing it. So, when you wear shoes inside your house, you are bringing all these disease-causing agents indoors as well. This, of course, can increase the chances of your family members getting sick.
All of this can be easily prevented if you just stack your shoes outside the house. Place a rack outside to keep shoes on and make sure to provide family members and guests alike with their own pair of slippers so that they feel less awkward about this.
Switch to All-Natural Cleaners
As you may know, the best way to keep your home spotless is to clean it on a regular basis. However, it is a good idea to take another look at the products you are using to scrub and cleanse your house.
If you were to do this, you would discover that many of these ingredients are either harmful or allergic to people – children, in particular.
Before you get too alarmed about this, you will be relieved to know that there is a solution. There are numerous natural ingredients and substances you can use instead of these typical household products.
This includes vinegar, baking soda, salt, and even toothpaste. All these products are completely safe to use and you can rest easy knowing that your home isn’t just sanitary, but also healthy for everyone as well.
Improve Indoor Air Quality
For the longest time, people simply assumed that it was only the air outside that was polluted. However, experts now know that there can be indoor air pollution as well.
This can be due to heating appliances, household products, carpets, dust, and more. As you can imagine, such sources can cause a number of lung or respiratory-related diseases.
Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do about this situation. To start with, make sure that your home is well ventilated.
When possible, keep the windows open and let fresh air circulate through the house. This allows all of the toxins and stale air to go out as well.
Of course, it isn’t possible for you to live with your windows and doors open all the time. So, you may want to install a good HVAC system. This will ensure that your home is properly ventilated and that all of the floating dust and dirt is trapped as well.
Sanitize Certain High Traffic Areas
Did you know that one of the easiest ways for germs to get into your system is through your hands? Every day, your hands touch a wide variety of surfaces.
So, it stands to reason that someone who is sick will leave germs and bacteria on anything they come in contact with. Then, when you touch this surface, the germs are passed onto you.
To prevent this from happening, it is a good idea to start sanitizing surfaces that people touch the most. You should start with doorknobs and faucets, as these are things that multiple people will grasp.
Then, you can move onto your cellphone, which can also be surprisingly grimy.
If you have kids in your house, make sure to wash their stuffed animals and favorite blankets regularly as well.
These can be excellent breeding grounds and you can keep the germs at bay by cleaning them often.
As you can see, there is a lot you can do to keep your household sanitary and healthy. Sure, it can seem like a lot of effort but just remember that the rewards you reap will be worth it. So, whenever possible, make sure to implement these practices.
Hi, I’m the Founder and Developer of Paramedics World, a blog truly devoted to Paramedics. I am a Medical Lab Tech, a Web Developer and Bibliophiliac. My greatest hobby is to teach and motivate other peoples to do whatever they wanna do in life.