When it comes to your home, you look at it as your safe haven, a place of peace, and for many people, their home is indeed that. But what if your safe haven, your “safe zone” all of a sudden turned into an unexpected danger zone?
Many people don’t even realize it but the very place you call home can indeed turn into the very place that’s having a negative impact on your overall health. Everything from stress to allergies, your home may very well be the culprit of the health issues you’re having and you not even know it.
And that’s the thing… A lot of people don’t realize just how much their home environment is impacting their health. And to be honest, it’s understandable because it’s not so easy to tell when your home is the cause of your health issues.
According to healthline.com, a decline in health, especially when at home, is likely due to having an “unhealthy home.” Sickness resulting from your home is called Sick Building Syndrome. This is caused by poor air quality in your home.
People have always thought that air pollution only existed in the world around us outside, but there is a very real thing called indoor pollution that causes breathing issues for many people. In fact, UNICEF conducted a study and found that 300 million kids are breathing toxic air, not only from outdoor pollution but also in their homes as well.
Again, it’s not so easy to tell when your home is unhealthy, but prevention is key. There are things you can look for and changes you can make in your home to create and maintain a healthy home. But first, you need to know exactly what to look for.
Take a look at certain areas of your home that could be negatively impacting your health and preventive measures to take in keeping a healthy home.
How Your Home Could Be Making You Sick
Having a Cluttered Home
Clutter is simply “stuff” that’s sitting in your home with no particular use… also known as “dust collectors.” Clutter can be anything from junk mail sitting on the counter to dirty laundry just laying around on the floor. But regardless of the type of clutter you have, it can have a negative impact on your health.
There are some people who are completely okay with clutter and will simply look past it or step over it. But there are others who just can’t stand it and if their home gets too cluttered, it can cause stress and anxiety, taking a negative toll on your mental health.
Preventive Measure
The solution here would be to simply put things where they belong. In your home, everything has a place, and if you make efforts to put those items where they belong when you’re done using them, it would reduce the clutter in your home tremendously. For example, put your dirty clothes in the hamper; If you have junk mail, throw it away, don’t just leave it sitting on the counter; Put your groceries away.
Running Your Heating and Cooling System
This may sound a little odd because it’s something you need to do, but in running your heating and cooling systems, you could be negatively impacting your health in two different ways.
The first way is your mental health. By running your heat and A/C, you’re running your electric bill up. In the hot summer months and cold winter months, this is very necessary to bring your home to a comfortable temperature, but it can wreak havoc on your stress levels.
The second way is your physical health. Many people run their heating and cooling systems without thinking to check the air filters. Neglecting to do this can cause indoor air pollution in your home because when your air filter is full, running your heat or A/C is simply re-cycling dirty air in your home.
Preventive Measure
For better air quality in your home, a good rule of thumb is to change your filters every 90 days, if you don’t have pets. If you don’t have pets or allergies, every 6-12 months will work. If you have pets, you need to change your filters every 60 days.
To relieve stress with your electric bill, you need to switch to alternative electricity because it will lower your bill significantly. For example, you can lower your energy rates in CT simply by switching to an alternative energy supplier. You just enter your zip code to compare rates.
The Cleaning Products You Use
There have been cleaning products on the market you’ve been using for years but these products could also be causing eye irritation, breathing issues, and headaches. In our minds, the stronger the smell, the deeper the clean, right? Well, that may very well be the case but those strong smells also are signs of hazardous chemicals as well.
Preventive Measure
Look up recipes to make your own homemade cleaning solutions. Simply mixing things like water and vinegar or baking soda are great alternative cleaning solutions without the harsh chemicals. The best part is that these are ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
