With 2013 now officially here, the annual rite of making resolutions, and often breaking them, is in full swing. All across the country people are trying to sweat, starve or deprive themselves to a reach a healthier place, and those selling gym memberships couldn't be happier! I noticed a few new faces at the gym yesterday, but instead of pledging to punish yourself on the treadmill or starve your way to a new pants size, there are a couple, simpler ways you can make big improvements in your health.
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Spend One Day Cleaning Things You Normally Don't – This shouldn't take but a couple hours, but focus on things like washing your drapes or dusting areas that need it but rarely receive it (top of door frames, ceiling fans, ceiling corners that often get winter cobwebs, vents and registers, under furniture, etc.). Wipe down handles or knobs that get used every day but cleaned only rarely.
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Check and Replace Filters – In many modern homes there are an increasing amount of air filters. From a furnace or air purifier to the water in your home, there can be a variety of filters that are often forgotten. Spending more time indoors can really take its toll on furnace filters, so replacing them is the natural starting place. From here, replace air purifier and vent filters, and don't forget to replace those water filters (whether they are above or below the sink, in your refrigerator or in your Brita). Being out of sight, filters are easy to forget.
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If You're Going to Clean, Do It Right – We all clean our homes, but most often we simply clean for appearances – removing splatter on the countertops but not thinking about actually killing the germs that are likely forming plaques there; vacuuming up dirt tracking in on the carpet but forgetting that the most damaging particles to our lungs are the ones we cannot see; disinfecting the bathroom but ignoring the damage that harsh chemicals like ammonia and chlorine are going to your skin, eyes and lungs. We too often clean for appearances but fail when it comes to cleaning for our health. (Personally, I've had my best luck with the Vital Oxide Disinfectant. It's food safe, non-toxic and works on mold, mildew, and kills bacteria and viruses.)
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_Now, here is the reason why these things are important. The EPA and other organizations have found that the indoor air quality in many homes can be far dirtier than the air outside. Secondly, with modern homes being so tightly sealed, allergens, once in the homes tend to stay there. So the same dust can literally continually circulate through your home. And when it comes to surfaces, while the cleanest place in the house is most often the toilet seat, some of the dirtiest, most bacteria ridden places can be where you actually prepare your food! Health can't be defined as a simple logic statement, if a then b, but the effects of poor air and water quality or exposure to bacteria like salmonella or Listeria can have a cumulative effect – effects that can be reduced or mitigated with slight changes in everyday habits.
_Of course, it never hurts to cut down on the sugary drinks and potato chips or eliminate tobacco, but there are enough people out there harping about those things. Besides, my focus is on small, quick habits or ways you can improve the health of your home and how you feel when you're there. With little time and money you can help to make sure your home is healthier and that the air, water and surfaces inside it are healthier for you!
_Author: K. Gilmore