The Gen XY Lifestyle
7 Quick Tips to Maintain a Clean and Healthy Home Environment
There is no denying that cleaning is integral in maintaining your home. Doing so helps beautify your house, ensure that your belongings are in tip-top shape, and keeps your family healthy.
Luckily, having a clean and healthy home does not have to be expensive.
Keep on reading to learn seven tips on how you can maintain a clean and healthy home environment:
Improve Indoor Ventilation
Ventilation is merely replacing stale air with good.
“Bad air” contains dust, pollen, and other pollutants. It also has unhealthy substances like formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
To improve your indoor ventilation, all you need to do is open up your house. Doing so allows the natural and fresh air to flow in.
Another thing you can do is use exhaust fans. This is ideal to use in the kitchen and bathroom, as it can draw out the greasy smell and prevent mold-causing moisture from building up.
Add Indoor Plants
Another way to improve indoor ventilation in your house is to add indoor plants.
Plants add a pop of color and serve as decor. Lately, many are starting to take care of indoor plants as it relieves stress and anxiety brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, we all know how plants take in carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen. There are even plants that are known to remove toxins in the air.
We also recommend growing herbs and veggies to help lessen your food cost.
Let the Sunlight In
Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D, and it plays a crucial role in calcium absorption. Hence, it is vital to maintain healthy bones.
But did you know that sunlight can also help prevent the spread of diseases at home? That’s because it can reduce the production of bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms.
Here’s how you can let the sunlight inside your home:
- Open the shades and pull the curtains back
- Do not place thick and dark furniture near the window
- Hang a mirror on the wall opposing the window
- Consider replacing your clay roof with “solar tile”
- Think of installing tubular skylights
Prevent Mould Buildup
From stuffy nose to skin rash, mould can cause many health issues. More so, if you have chronic lung disease or immuno-compromised.
If you see mould build-up in your home, we suggest removing it using water and vinegar.
To do it, pour equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture in an affected area, and let it sit for an hour. Wipe it with a clean, dry cloth afterwards.
The key to prevent mould build-up is to maintain the humidity in your home.
Dust Your Home Often
Like with mould, dust build-up can compromise your health. That’s because it is home to bacteria and fungi. Plus, it is not ideal if you or one of your family has allergic rhinitis.
Removing dust can lessen allergens in your home. But to do it effectively, here are some things that you need to do:
- Open windows and doors to air out the house while you are dusting.
- Clean from top to bottom so you will not miss a spot and move the dust around.
- Use a lightly damp cloth or duster with an electrostatic charge
Get Rid of Pest and Bugs
Critters and vermin do not only destroy your belongings and steal your food. They also carry diseases inside your house.
If you want to have a clean and healthy home environment, it is imperative to pest-proof your house.
Here’s the thing: What you do inside and outside your house can prevent rodents, bugs, cockroaches, and other insects from pestering you.
From sealing up the holes in your house to calling an exterminator, there are natural and useful ways that you can do to keep pests and vermin out of your home.
Know When to Declutter
There is no crime in owning a lot of items. Still, it is vital to ensure that they are functional and clean. And it should not cramp your house.
The moment your belongings start to pile up and take away space from your other items, it means you should purge your stuff. Otherwise, it is not helpful for your mental well-being.
It does not matter whether you want to do the KonMari method or the Swedish Death Cleaning. What’s important is you keep the items that you can still use, donate what’s useful but no longer of value to you, and get rid of the rest of your stuff.
There is more to a clean house than looking spick and span
It can also affect your physical and mental health. Therefore, it is essential to keep the following tips in mind:
- Improve your indoor ventilation
- Add indoor plants
- Let the sunlight in
- Prevent mould build-up
- Dust your home often
- Get rid of pests and bugs
- Know when to declutter
Doing so ensures that you have a clean and healthy home environment.
Article contributed by Jacky Xu. Jacky is the Chief Operating Officer at Maid Sailors Cleaning Service Chicago. Maid Sailors takes pride in providing unparalleled cleaning services at affordable prices and will help transform your house into a home.
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
