7 Ways to Make Your Home a Healthier Environment to Live In

We think that our home is the safest place there is, but is it really so? The Edwardians thought that too, and they were living in properties where asbestos was used for everything from floor tiles to toys. Now we know better, right? Of course, we don’t use anything nearly as deadly as asbestos in our home, but indoor air is still heavily polluted and there are all sorts of hidden dangers lurking around the corner. Since keeping your family safe and healthy is probably the first thing on your list of priorities, here are seven ways to make your home a hazard-free environment.

Avoid chemical-based products

The first step towards a healthier home is knowing what to get rid of and the first unwanted guests in your house should be chemical-based cleaning products which can aggravate asthma, affect the development of cancer and cause allergies and dozens of other health problems. Thanks to the increased awareness of the need for greening up, there are many available toxin-free products you can use, or you can make your own cleaners with ingredients like vinegar, lemon, baking soda and essential oils.

Minimize the amount of dust

Dust mites are one of the most persistent indoor pollutants and it is impossible to get rid of them completely. Prolonged exposure to dust mites can trigger asthma and cause various allergies, so it is important to, at least, try to keep them at a bare minimum. The first step towards that is getting rid of carpeting and heavy drapes. The following steps are boring and permanent, but a must: regular vacuuming, dusting, changing the pillowcases and bedding, and reducing humidity.

Filter the tap water

Buying bottled drinking water can seem affordable when you’re looking at it short term. However, if every family member drinks on average two bottles of water and you multiply that by the number of days in a month, you come to a substantial amount of money. Drinking tap water is a far more economic decision, and even though your local water company probably filters tap water, it can still contain residues of lead, chlorine and other toxins. That’s why it is better to get your own filtration system.

Get an air purifier

We tend to believe that air pollution is something that happens only outside, but in fact, indoor air is just as polluted as the outdoor, and since we spend a lot of time in our homes, it’s even more harmful. This can be solved easily by getting an air purifier, but since the market is packed with various different products, it would be wise to look at various air purifier ratings to get a better insight into top rated products on the market.

Introduce plants

There is also a natural way of contributing to purifying the air inside your home – introducing greenery. Plants have an amazing capability of absorbing toxins from the air and releasing oxygen. You just need to make sure to choose the ones which are the most efficient at that task. Some of the best air-cleaning house plants you can find are spider plant, dracaena, ficus, Boston fern and snake plant.

Use plastic cautiously

If you are still putting your leftovers in plastic containers or using plastic bottles in your home, you should reconsider that. Plastic can contain toxic chemicals which can be harmful to your health and even carcinogenic. On the other hand, glass is reusable and recyclable and it doesn’t emit jeopardizing toxins.

Avoid Teflon

Teflon cookware has been all the rage for the last couple of years and, to give it some credit, it is very easy to use, clean and maintain. However, these non-stick skillets and pots actually expose your family to toxic fumes from synthetic polymers used in producing their coating. Stainless steel cookware may be a more expensive investment, but it pays off by being completely harmless for your family’s health and it lasts a lifetime.

Some of these changes require more and some less effort, time and money, but all of them contribute to the overall quality of the environment you are living in. Furthermore, they are protecting you and your family members from getting sick and preserving your health in the long run.