Our homes are meant to be sanctuaries where we can feel safe and protected from everything that is happening outside our front door. However, it may be that your home is actually damaging your health without you even realizing it. We spend a lot of time focusing on what we eat and making sure that we exercise regularly, but just as important to consider is the environment we’re living in. When you start to think about all the potential problems in your home, you’ll realize it is time to do something about it. The good news is that, for the most part, there will be a solution to whatever problem you might have.
Purify The Air
One of the most fundamental elements of ensuring you are feeling healthy is that the air you are breathing in is clear. There is no easy way to determine whether this is the case at home, unless you want to place monitors around your property, and a much easier way to make sure the air you breathe is healthy is to have an air purifier. The fine particulates that you might breathe in without ever knowing about it have been known to cause lung and heart problems, so having an air purifier just in case is worth the effort.
Plants also purify the air, so if you prefer to have some greenery within your home, then this might be another option for you. Plants also help people to relax, keeping them focused and more productive, so depending on how stressed you feel it might be an ideal way to combine fresher air with a clearer mind.
Use Soy Candles
Scented candles are lovely, and they can bring some gorgeous scents into your home. The sense of smell is so important in terms of memory and happiness that these scents that remind us of happy days gone by can be utilized to good effect and reduce our stress levels. However, some candles – particularly the paraffin wax based ones – emit potentially dangerous chemicals which could be hazardous to health, triggering asthma and other allergies amongst other negative health conditions.
If you want to have scented candles in your home then opt for ones may of soy or other vegetable-based materials, as these are much safer. Of course, any fire safety hazards that a standard candle would have associated with it still stand, so make sure the candles are set on a flat surface away from animals and small children, and never leave them burning when no one is in the room.
Don’t Use Cleaning Chemicals
When you go shopping in the grocery store it is easy to pick up household cleaners and take them back home with you to use to keep everything clean. Whilst cleaning up is extremely important in terms of your health in your own home, using cleaning products that are full of chemicals is not a good idea – they can cause all kinds of damage, both seen and unseen. Look instead for cleaning products that are made with all natural ingredients. If you can’t find any or you prefer not to buy them, you can make these natural cleaning products yourself. You just need some instructions which can easily be found online, as well as a few household items such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice. These products are not only safer for you, but they’re better for your home too, and they smell divine.
Natural Light
Natural light is hugely important in terms of both physical and mental health. Make sure you can let as much natural light into your home as possible so that, even if you are inside all day, you can still enjoy the benefits of it. If you have rooms where there are no windows, or the natural light barely penetrates, it is possible to buy ‘daylight lamps’ which help to mimic the effects of the sun, and help to keep us healthy and happy.
Light At Night
At night, light is also important. Light pollution can cause you to have a bad night’s sleep, and if that happens over and over, you’ll quickly become unwell. Even if you remain healthy, you will feel tired and miserable, and you won’t be productive at work, or able to engage with people at home in a happy, positive way. If there is any kind of light pollution that comes into your bedroom when you are trying to sleep at night, it needs to be removed. It might be a street lamp outside, in which case you can install blackout blinds or drapes to eliminate it, for example.
If the light is coming from inside the room, such as a standby light on the TV, or your cell phone, these need to be switched off completely. If you can’t, then investing in a sleep mask might be a great alternative. You need to get the right amount of good quality sleep and that means making your bedroom as relaxing, quiet, and dark as possible.
Deep Clean The Carpets
Think of all the times that you walk across your carpets, and about how you can easily leave a trail of dirt and germs behind you. Even if you are wearing slippers or just socks rather than your outdoor shoes, the carpets will still get extremely dirty. Dropped food, pet fur, human hair, dust mites, and all kinds of other things that fall to the floor will get caught up in the fibers. You might not be able to see what is there, but it can lead to health issues when it comes to your breathing and of course any allergies you might have.
Hiring a professional to come in and deep clean your carpet is the best way to ensure that all the little specks of muck and grime are disposed of. The process is a skilled one, and one that will leave your home smelling great and the carpet looking like new. You can click to find out more about what the process entails.
Remove The Bad Food
Take a good look around your kitchen or pantry. Are their cookies lurking? Sugary drinks? Chocolate and chips? If so, they need to be removed. These are items that should only be eaten and drunk as a treat on a special occasion, and are not everyday foodstuff. If they aren’t in your home, you won’t be tempted to eat them, and it will be much easier to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet.
