Healthy Home Hacks

Keeping your home healthy can be just as important as keeping yourself healthy.

You may be eating better, exercising, reducing your sodium. But you could get sick from your house! There are 8 principles of a Healthy Home – how are you doing with them?

Keep your home dry. Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents, and molds, all of which are associated with asthma. In addition, moisture can damage the building materials in your home.
Keep your home clean. Clean home help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants. And who wouldn’t love a self-cleaning home? Need some cleaning tips with green cleaners? Ask about our Clean & Green publications!
Keep your home pest free. Exposure to pests such as roaches and rodents can trigger an asthma attack.
Keep your home safe. The majority of injuries among children occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.
Keep your home contaminant free. Chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon gas, carbon monoxide, and second-hand smoke are far higher indoors than outside.
Keep your home ventilated. Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health.
Keep your home maintained. Poorly-maintained homes are at risk for moisture and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning, which affects some 240,000 U.S. children.
Keep your home temperature controlled. Extreme temperatures inside and outside of your home can impact the physical materials the home is built with and create a welcome environment for mold.

But what if I don't have time to check all that?

Put each one on your list, and work through the list slowly. You CAN take 5 minutes to make your home healthier and safer using these quick tips:

Test your smoke alarm
Wash your hands
Keep poison control phone number handy, especially if you have small children
(1-800-222-1222)
Do a 3-minute "clean sweep"
Check your locks

If you want to read more about specific ideas to make your home safe & healthy, try this guide from HUD. It has checklists for each area.

Inspired to make your own cleaners?

Watch this video from Mississippi State Extension for an all-purpose cleaner

Check out our green cleaners page for recipes!

Now, I'm going to go make a green cleaner!