12 Steps Toward a Healthier Home

Does the environment in your new home support healthy living?  When we think of places impacted by air pollution and dangerous contaminants, most of us wouldn’t consider that new homes may be at risk.  But the Environmental Protection Agency cites indoor air quality as one of the greatest threats to our health.  

Essentially, our homes are their own self-contained ecosystems, and our job is to keep the indoor environment as clean and pure as possible, for the welfare of all that live there.  So take a look at some simple steps that will help keep your new house a healthy home.

How to Make Your Home a Healthier Place

1. Disinfect contact points.  Anyone with young children is especially keyed in to how quickly hands can spread bad germs.  Anywhere we touch becomes a potential contact point for contamination including light switches, door knobs, cabinet pulls, refrigerator handles and faucets.  Disinfecting these surfaces on a regular basis (weekly) will go a long way toward keeping your clan healthier.  Be sure to rinse any surfaces that come in contact with food after disinfecting.  Instituting a “wash hands upon entry” policy for children and adults alike will help keep germs at bay between cleanings.  See point #11 for a link to green alternative cleaners that disinfect.

 

2. Separate the meats from the vegetables.  Use separate cutting boards for meats and veggies.  Wash with hot water and dish detergent after every use and run through the dishwasher every two or three uses.

 

3. Hands-off.  Technology brings us touch-free trash cans, faucets and soap dispensers.  Simply put, the fewer items we have to touch, the fewer germs we’ll spread around.  (And reducing the number of contact points we have to disinfect means less work!).

 

4. Ban the dishrag.  Use natural cellulose sponges (without added chemicals) to eliminate spreading bacteria onto dishes and countertops.  If your dishrag is growing bacteria, then you’re actually contaminating your dishware and surfaces that come into contact with your food as you “clean.”  Sponges treated with Microban (a chemical bacteria inhibitor) can actually do more harm than good.  Just pop your cellulose sponge into the dishwasher to sanitize it and kill any germs between uses.  Or rinse it well, squeeze out the excess water and pop it into the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

 

5. Keep the moisture down.  Run the bathroom fan for 15- 20 minutes after a shower to dissipate the humidity from the air.  If you don’t have a bathroom exhaust fan, install one.  Where there are high levels of humidity in the air, mold thrives.  Monitor the humidity in your home year-round, and strive to keep humidity levels at or below 50% inside your home.  If your levels are much higher, invest in a dehumidifier.

 

6. Circulate the air.  Keep your AC unit’s fan in the “ON” position to more effectively filter and remove particles from the air.  Just be sure to check the filter every couple of weeks; you’ll need to replace it more often.

 

7. Upgrade the filter.  The latest and greatest air filters are more effective at removing all sorts of allergens from the air, like pet dander, pollen and mold spores.  They may cost a bit more, but what’s a few dollars when you’re talking about your family’s health?  Especially if reducing allergens means fewer trips to the doctor! 

 

8. Leave shoes at the door.  Consider what you may be tracking into your home on the bottom of your shoes…animal scat, fertilizers and herbicides and who knows what else.  Instituting a no-shoes policy will cut down on the contaminants that find their way into your home.  Keep a pair of flip-flops, slippers or canvas slide-ons for indoor only use.

 

9. Arm yourself with effective tools.  Does your vacuum cleaner have good suction and filtration?  If not, it may be spewing dust and allergens back into the air as you vacuum.  Did you know that the Carpet and Rug Institute actually certifies vacuum cleaners?  Check its website (www.carpet-rug.org) for a list of approved vacuums.  And don’t forget to change the bag or empty the canister often.  The vacuum does a much better job if the bag or canister is less than half full.

 

10. Lower the VOC levels.  Many materials and finishes available for our home’s interiors, including carpet, tile, resilient flooring, paint or other wall coverings, and furnishings - have the potential to emit gas chemicals that can be hazardous to our health.  These gases, called Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs, can become trapped within our homes and continually recirculated through the HV/AC system, stressing our respiratory systems.  VOC exposure has been linked to asthma. Investigate the options before you purchase or replace any of these items in your home and safeguard your indoor air quality.

 

11. Purchase or make ”greener” cleaners.  Many cleaning products also emit VOCs and are detrimental to our indoor air quality, especially bleach and ammonia.  Research healthier alternatives for cleaning your home.  This article from Grist - Environmental News and Commentary titled “Good Clean Fun” lists sources for green cleaning products that are both healthier for you and our environment.  Or make your own non-toxic cleaning kit from just five natural ingredients; besides the benefit of better air quality, it’ll save you money too!

 

12. Bring in nature’s air purifiers…plants!  Did you know house plants can clean the air in your home?  Many common house plants that have adapted to low-light conditions are especially efficient in processing gases needed for photosynthesis.  These traits also make them effective in removing VOCs emitted from paints, varnishes, insulation, pressed wood and adhesives. So stop at the local nursery and put a few natural air purifiers to work in your home.  The list includes palms, ferns, corn plant, dragon tree (dracaena), rubber plant, weeping fig (ficus), English ivy, peace lily, florist mum, gerber daisy, dumb cane (dieffenbachia), schefflera, orchid, spider plant, philodendron, arrowhead plant, pothos, dwarf banana and Chinese evergreen.

As first inhabitants, homeowners moving into brand new homes have a unique opportunity to create and maintain a healthy home environment.  Choose products with low-VOC emissions, use non-toxic cleaning products, bring in house plants to purify the indoor air, change the filters and keep the HV/AC system clean and well-maintained, and stop contaminants and allergens at the door.  Your family will be healthier for it! 

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