Green your home and health for the new year

Poor indoor air quality, chemicals, dust, nasty germs and more can affect your home and health; getting you sick and bringing the eco-quality of your home down a notch or two. All of these issues can also seem overwhelming to fix. Where should you even start?

improve indoor air quality

Luckily, not all changes to improve your home and health are hard, too time consuming, or even expensive. This year vow make some simple changes that will improve your home’s health and greenness factors at the same time.

Learn to love plants: Plenty of indoor house plants actually fight indoor air pollution and improve your overall air quality. Plus, plants look great so it’s a double perk.

Dust smarter: Polluted dust is one of the major ways people are exposed to indoor pollution. Luckily dust is an easy fix. Dust often and use a wet cloth. Anytime you dust with a dry cloth or worse a feather duster you’re just mixing the air up. Don’t use chemical laden products like furniture dusting spray just use plain ol’ water on a cloth. For floors vacuuming is good to grab up dust on carpets (see below) but hard floors like other areas need to be cleaned often to remove the dust. Plain water and a mop works fine.

Vacuum with a filter: Traditional vacuums tend to stir up dust just like when you dust with a dry cloth. However vacuums with HEPA filters do help remove toxins, allergens, and dust much more efficiently. Something to keep in mind when shopping for a HEPA filter vacuum is to check the price of refill filters. Some brands cost more than others and if you don’t change them when recommended the vacuum won’t work as well.

Skip the shoes: Inside the house you shouldn’t wear shoes. Shoes drag in tons of icky pesticides, chemicals, dust, and more and then deposit said gross stuff all over your home. Get a nice big mat, set it outside your door, then wipe your feet and remove your shoes in an entry area.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Green your home and health for the new year