7 Areas to Check to See if You Have a Healthy Home

Traditionally, we think of our homes as the safest places on Earth. In fact, for many of us, they are a refuge from the stress of the modern world. Our home is a place where we can relax, be ourselves, and spend quality time with those that we are the closest to. But do you have a healthy home? Tragically, many homes and the things in them are a great deal more dangerous than their occupants realize. In fact, in many cases, our homes can actually be hurting our family’s health. A topic you can read more about in the post below. 

Your clutter could be causing stress. 

You may reason that a little mess in the home never hurt anyone. However, the truth of the matter may be very different. In fact, too much confusion and clutter in your house can be unfortunate for several reasons. 

The first is that it can make a space seem cramped, which when you have a whole family of people living there can easily add to the stress of day to day life. Additionally, if there is no order to your belongings, being able to find them can feel like a challenge in itself. Especially if you need something quickly or you are just on your way out. 

With that in mind, taking some time to get rid of the items that you no longer use or that no longer bring you joy is a great idea. Then, be sure to have a clear system for storing and organizing what remains, and your whole family should feel the benefit. 

Your bathroom could be full of mold. 

You may think that mold in the damper areas of your home like the bathroom is just unsightly. However, this is only part of the story. In fact, some types of mold can be particularly hazardous to health with black mold being the prime culprit. 

In particular, it is this type of mold that is linked to health problems, and it can aggravate those with preexisting breathing issues such as Asthma and COPD. With that mind, doing you bet to get rid of any mold and stop it from growing again is the course of action you should take. 

Of course, you need to be careful here as some products that are labelled for mould removal actually just bleach out mold and mildew.  Rather than getting rid of it completely. That is why where possible you should try to completely destroy the mold and the spores that could be hazardous to your family’s health. 

Nasty bacteria and viruses could be hiding in the corners of your home.

Talking of things that float around the bathroom that can make your family sick, do not forget the particles that can be released by toilet water. After all, the toilet is often one of the most significant sites of bacteria and viruses in the entire home. 

That is why you must regularly clean the toilet. Especially those harder to reach places. Such as in between the seat and the bowl and underneath the bowl. Additionally closing the toilet lid while it’s not in use can help to keep the bacteria when they should be. Something that will stop them from flying around you home and taking up residence in places you would rather they don’t. Like your family’s toothbrushes. 

Of course, there are other parts of the home that are high-risk areas for bacteria and viruses as well. Especially in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, special attention needs to be paid to any surface that is touched regularly. Such places may include doorknobs, stair rails and cupboard handles. All of which need to be wiped down with anti-bacterial spray regularly to keep your family as safe as possible. 

Your home could be full of allergens that are impacting your families quality of life. 

Sadly, even if you conquer all the bacteria and viruses in your home, there could still be things that pose a threat to the well being of your family. These things are known as allergens, and if you or a member of your family is prone to react to them, they can be very bad news indeed. 

In fact, reactions to allergies can range from minor issues like a stuffy nose, all the way through to anaphylactic shock. When your body’s immune system goes into overdrive, causing swelling which can be life-threatening. 

Fortunately, there is a two-step approach that can help eliminate any of these risks from your home and keep your family safe. The first part of this is to identify the substances that the member of your family is allergic to. This being a process that will involve Testing for Allergies with your healthcare provider. Secondly, once you have tested for specific allergies, you can then use this information to reduce exposure. Therefore, significantly reducing the risk of adverse reactions. That is, if a family member has a peanut or dander allergy, you can make sure that your home is free of these things and so keep them as safe as possible. 

Your bed could actually be keeping you from sleeping. 

Many of us see our beds as the most comfortable and safe place in the home. After all, they are the place where we curl up when we are exhausted after a long day, or when we are sick. Unfortunately, sometimes our beds can do us more harm than good, especially if they stop us from sleeping properly. 

In fact, the most common issue with beds that makes them problematic is that they are not the right firmness for the way that you sleep. This is because those sleeping on their backs will need a much softer mattress than side or belly sleepers.  

The reason for this is that your mattress should support your entire body and skeleton as you sleep. Otherwise, it can put undue strain on particular parts of the body. Something that at best will really wake you through the night you change position. While at work can cause long term pain and mobility problems such as issues with your spine and back. 

Happily, this issue is one of the easiest to solve as all it takes is choosing the right mattress for the position you sleep in. In fact, you can even take other actions as well, such as using a bolster pillow to support you if you are a side sleeper. While some people go for a mattress that has a different firmness on each side. This being the perfect solution for couples that need to sleep in different positions. 

Your lighting could be making you sleepy. 

It is a well-established fact that human beings function best with exposure to natural light. Of course, not all homes are flooded with the stuff. In fact, plenty of residences rely on artificial light for the majority of the time. 

Unfortunately, this can create some significant issues. The first is that if your lights aren’t bright enough during the day, it’s easy to feel sleepy and tired and lose your motivation to do anything. Sadly, the opposite is also true. That is if your light is too bright in the evening as it can be far too stimulating. Something that prevents you from winding down when it’s time to sleep. 

The solution to this issue is to try and get your artificial lights to mirror natural light as much as possible. One way to do this is to use a dimmer switch so you can turn up the wattage in the day and lower it at night. Although many people prefer a more high tech and automated option of setting their smart lights to this pattern. 

In fact, when using smart lights, you can even change the shade and tone of your bulbs to give you a more authentic natural light feel. Something that can help you stay in touch with the natural rhythms of the day and can help promote well being for your whole family. 

Your couch is making you slouch.

After a long day, there is nothing better than slumping down on the couch to indulge in some takeout and watch your favorite box sets. However, while it may feel comfortable in the moment slouching on the couch for extended periods may be problematic for your posture and spine health. 

In fact, not sitting in an ergonomic upright position where the tail of your spine is tucked in and your shoulders are back can put a great deal of strain on all the wrong places in your body. Something that can be further exacerbated by using devices like laptops while sprawled on the couch. 

Of course, we are not for a minute suggesting that you and your family spend your evening sitting bolt upright in hard-backed wooden chairs like puritans. Instead, looking for couches with supportive and high back cushions can help, as can using a pillow or a tray for devices like tablets and laptops. Two small changes in the home that can have a significant positive impact on your family’s health.