Top Tips For Building A Healthy Home Environment For Your Kids
A healthy home is one that is designed, constructed, maintained and rehabilitated in accordance with its occupants’ health, according to the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH). The truth is that investing in the health of your home makes particular sense if you're a dad, considering the fact that Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors. What are the key principles behind healthy homes, and how can you do your best to adhere to them?
A Healthy Home Is A Dry One
The NCHH reports that homes should be completely free of damp, since humid environments are well-loved by rodents, mites and mold. Toxic or black mold can be particularly threatening to your family’s health, since it is linked to chronic fatigue and respiratory difficulty. The ideal relative humidity for health and comfort hovers between 40% and 50%, so measure your home’s levels and ensure they remain within this safe zone.
Keeping Air Quality Optimal
As a parent, it is pretty shocking to hear that the Environmental Protection Agency claims that air quality indoors can be two to five times worse than the quality of the air outside. The reasons are manifold, and include the use of harsh toxic cleaning products (think bleach and anti-grease products), soft furnishings containing flame retardants (which contain formaldehyde) and pressed wood panelling and particleboard furniture (which also emit formaldehyde). Creating a 100% clean and pure air environment involves many steps, including replacing toxic furniture and turning to simple yet effective methods to clean homes - such as steam vacuuming.
The Use Of Filters
There are many different types of filter you can use to improve air quality. These include HEPA filters (which trap particles as small as 0.3 microns). This type of filter is ideal if your kids have allergies to dust, dander and other tiny particles that can be difficult to clean because they are invisible to the eye. Air and furnace filters purify air before it makes its way into your home. Without proper filtration, the air that enters can contain pollutants, allergens and dust, so it's important to ensure that the filters are the correct size for the device. This type of filter should be used with AC units and any other gap or machine that encourages air into your home.
The Green Life
Plants improve the quality of the air in many ways. According to researchers conducting a review published in Trends in Plant Science, “They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, they increase humidity by transpiring water vapor through microscopic leaf pores, and they can passively absorb pollutants on the external surfaces of leaves and on the plant root-soil system.” If you have a small home, there is no reason why you can’t introduce a touch of green life into it. Try vertical walls or even aeroponic towers. These require little over a square meter of space and can grow beautiful heads of lettuce and other vegetables.
In order to have a healthy home, it is important that flooring, furniture and décor pieces be non-toxic. There is no reason to throw away existing furniture items, but you could, perhaps, think of how to replace pressed wood or sofas with flame retardants, little by little. Also, aim to reduce your home’s toxic overload by using steam vacuum cleaners to efficiently eliminate bugs while keeping the air pure and clean.