The home should be a sanctuary for you and your family. It’s where you feel your most comfortable and can be yourself and where you invite cherished friends and family in to spend time together.
However, your home environment might not be as healthy as you think it may be. There are some specific tasks you should be doing every so often to make sure that the place you live in is in the best condition possible for you and your family.
These are some of the items you should be adding to your to-do list every so often to maintain that great habitat.
1. Clear up your living room
Most of us spend at least half our lives in our homes, and there is a connection between our houses and our health. For places such as living rooms and family rooms, there are some tasks you can undertake to make them better for you.
- Keep your floors clear of electrical cords, as well as clutter, including toys and shoes. Clearing up clutter means rodents and insects don’t have a place to burrow into, either.
- Don’t smoke or let anyone else smoke in your home.
- If you have a home built before 1978, then check if there is any lead paint in it.
- Fix any chipped or peeling paint with lead-safe work practices. You should also take the necessary precautions whenever you do any work such as remodeling, renovating or painting, so you can prevent spreading around any lead dust.
- To improve air quality and humidity levels in your home, you should consider buying a cool mist humidifier that will help you to cover those essential features.
2. Tidy your kitchen
To stop pests such as ants, cockroaches, and rodents coming into your kitchen, then you should make sure that you put your food away, clean up and cover your trash. Make sure you seal any openings to the outside and between other rooms, to keep those pests out. Fix leaks and clear up spilled water, too. If you do see any pests, then search for pest control near me and find an expert. They will then be able to get rid of your unwanted guests.
There are other tasks you should carry out in your kitchen, as well. These include using a hood fan or exhaust fan (which, ideally, should vent outside so moisture and poisons aren’t kept in the home), and never leaving food unattended on the stove.
3. Keep things dry
You should prevent water from entering your home at all costs. Check for leaks in your roofing systems, so rainwater doesn’t come in because of poor drainage. Also, have a look at your interior plumbing system to see if there are any leaks, too.
4. Make sure your home is safe and contaminant-free
As well as checking for lead paint in older homes, you should also ensure your floors and windows are clean. Test your home for radon (a naturally-occurring, yet dangerous gas), which can get into your home through crawlspaces, soil, and foundation cracks.
Make sure any poisons you may have in the home are out of the reach of children and are properly labeled. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and also have fire extinguishers to hand.
