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‘Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends.’- Ancient proverb. A healthy home is where the heart is. It has always been! It’s a safe place for our hopes and dreams- a warm epicenter of togetherness for everything that we hold dear. That said, if the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything- it is the importance of maintaining a healthy home.
A healthy home upholds many facets of wellness. It keeps our family free from illness and diseases so that we may enjoy long years of happiness and laughter. It also keeps our spirits high- after all, our surroundings have can have a lasting impact on our mood and mental health.
After all, the true essence of a home lies in its ability to safeguard the all-around health and happiness of our family.
Healthy Home Tips
In this blog we will explore ten tips that you can imbibe in your everyday life to build and maintain a healthy home and vibrant life:
1. Clean all surfaces
Apart from the novel coronavirus that can stick to and survive on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours, there are many other forms of virus and bacteria that can fester in our houses if we are negligent. In order to sustain a healthy home, you must wipe all the hard surfaces of wooden and glass furniture, as well as door and cupboard knobs, refrigerator handles, handheld faucets, among others, to keep the surfaces germ-free.
You must follow a weekly routine of dusting and wiping surfaces with a damp cloth, if not daily. During the pandemic, you can supplement your water-based cleaning solution with alcohol-based emulsions to achieve superior sanitation.
2. Sanitize devices
All of us occupy a hyper-connected digital world in addition to the physical premises we live in. This means that at any point in time, we interfacing with a variety of electronic devices ranging from smartphones, tablets, a variety of fitness trackers, and/or pre-emptive healthcare devices to a wide range of handheld home appliances. These devices can serve to be a breeding ground for various infections of different degrees of severity.
In order to have a healthy home, you must clean these devices often, especially those in regular contact with your hands and faces.
3. Enable ample sunlight and cross-ventilation
The sun is the strongest disinfectant there is! You must look out for homes that offer direct sunlight into the rooms for at least a few hours every day at the shortlisting stage. Routine exposure to sunlight gives you access to your necessary intake of Vitamin C but it can also kill germs and bacteria that live on the surface of furniture and tapestry in our homes.
Every healthy home needs to be properly ventilated and aired-out. Make sure you open the doors and windows of your home for a few hours every day to let the fresh air in and the contaminants out!
4. Keep your bathrooms dry
The bathroom can be a breeding ground for many water-borne diseases and infections, especially malaria and dengue in places that collect still-water. In addition, many washrooms can take the appearance of dingy and damp cellars during the rainy season, giving rise to moss-formation which can not only discolor your walls but can also hinder the health of your family.
Make it a point to scrub clean the tiles of the bathroom, routinely change the toilet paper, and wash commode areas to reduce any surface accumulations that transmit diseases. A good bathroom cleaner can do the trick!
5. Get pest-control done routinely
Different types of houses are susceptible to different kinds of pest attacks. For example, most wooden flooring and furniture including cupboards and cabinets are vulnerable to a range of termite attacks while closed enclosures in the kitchen areas can fester cockroaches and flies. Although it seems insignificant at first, prolonged exposure to pests can hamper health and well-being.
A healthy home is a pest-free, insect-free environment. You can tie-up with a reputed vendor to perform pest control services in your house once every three-to-six months depending on the unique needs of your house.
6. Pay attention to allergens
Dust and mildew are the banes of existence for many of us with a delicate nose. Many times, the accumulation of dust, pollen, mud, and dirt tends to get heightened in winter months leading to respiratory irritation, especially in young children. If you notice any settlements of dust-mites and/or accumulation of mildew in sinks and cracks you must immediately clear it out. Long-term exposure to dust mites can impair our immunity and resistance to fight serious diseases.
7. Undertake timely repair and maintenance
Even the most exquisitely constructed home requires repair and maintenance over time. There is considerable wear and tear of walls that begin to age causing the paint to chip as is the case with tiles that begin to weather and ceilings and exteriors that may dampen after years of exposure to harsh sun and rainfall.
In order to maintain a healthy home, you must undertake small repairs to your house to reduce larger damages in the future. Household repairs might cost you a tidy sum from time to time, but they will ensure that your home stays in a livable condition for a long time to come.
8. Maintain optimum air quality
For most of us that live in cities and urban centers, deteriorating air quality is a genuine cause of concern. This worsens at the peak of winters since the dust and pollution stay in the air longer due to weak sunlight.
Maintain optimum cross-ventilation in your home whenever possible, to keep diseases at bay. IT might also prove to be a worth-while idea to invest in a de-humidifier and/ or an air purifier to get you through the more difficult months.
9. Rotate the Linen
Linen and tapestry often constitute the most under-stated articles of consideration in our homes! Drapes and curtains often remain unwashed for months on end, while the tapestry of sofas and linen in the bedroom suffers deep neglect, although the latter is routinely washed. Linen can collect dust-mites and lead to several allergies.
You must consider rotating the linen from time-to-time, getting new pillows and cushions every few years, and refreshing the tapestry every few years. This will not only reinvigorate the look of your home but will also ensure it stays healthy and lively for many years to come.
10. Repair and restore the drainage routinely
Since the drainage systems in our washrooms and kitchens are concealed from our eyes, they rarely cross our minds. However, clogged drains and choked plumbing hamper the quality that we come in contact with both for drinking and sanitation purposes.
You must routinely repair and replace broken pipes and plumbing in your home as well as undertake measures for routine cleaning of the water tanks placed atop your house or that of the residential complex. These measures will stave off water-borne diseases and boost your immunity.
Conclusion
In the light of the recent pandemic, taking active measures to maintain a healthy home is more of a priority than ever. Following the above-mentioned points will do just that- make sure you stick this elaborate checklist to your refrigerator door and follow it regularly!
You can also refer to our article “Luxury Houses in India: How to Incorporate Wellness” and
“The Best Luxury House Design and Amenities in Kolkata”
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