Baby Girl with Messy Spaghetti Image, thanks to Shutterstock |
Think fast! Where does your child spend most of their free time? The answer is your home, right?
Did you know that people spend 90 percent of their lives indoors? Putting two and two together, your child's health depends on the cleanliness of your home. Here's a guide that explains how good health begins at home.
Get Rid of Candles and Air Fresheners
You may use candles or air fresheners as a way to give your home a lovely fragrance. Unfortunately, the term air freshener isn't quite true. The indoor air quality (IAQ) of your home depends on the volume of pollutants in the air. In a strange twist, air fresheners do the exact opposite of what their name implies. These aromatic devices have volatile organic compounds that make your home's IAQ worse.
To improve your IAQ, you must stop using candles and air fresheners. Instead, you should switch to natural fragrances such as flower bouquets and ripe fruits. These changes will help your child's breathing.
Clean Your Vents
How often do you change your air filters? These devices have one express purpose; to trap pollutants in the external air before they get in the vents and ultimately in your home. If pollutants are in your vents then your heating, ventilation or air conditioning system will spread the gunk each time it turns on. The pollutants will wind up in every room of your home, making the problem much worse.
You can improve your IAQ by changing your air filters regularly. You should also think about switching to a filter with a higher MERV rating. These filters are better at trapping pollutants and protecting your vents even more. You should also have a service professional clean your vents as even if you make the suggested improvements, previous pollutants are currently in your vents. A professional will be able to get rid of all that nastiness and your child will be able to breathe cleaner air each day.
Hire an Exterminator
Do you hate bugs? I do, they're nasty little pests, but their physical appearance isn't why they should bother you. No, these critters are unsanitary; they crawl all over your food, nest in your walls, and breed constantly. They also have short lifespans, and that creates another problem.
Bugs are so small that you barely notice them at times and when they die, their husks are some of the worst pollutants. Pests can trigger asthma attacks in children, which is a scary situation. Your child doesn't have mature lungs yet and any major asthma attack can have serious long-term consequences. For these reasons, you should hire an exterminator to perform regular maintenance. Frequent spraying of your home will prevent pests from causing your family problems.
Keep the Garbage Clean
Once an exterminator gets rid of the bugs, you have the responsibility of keeping them away. The disgusting truth is that your garbage is what will attract pests to your home. You must get in the habit of taking out the garbage frequently. Any time it's full or contains fragrant, sugary food, you have to change it. Otherwise, you'll undo all the good of hiring an exterminator. Taking out the trash is a key step in practising good health for your child.
Of course the steps listed here are only starter steps as cleaning your home is a job that requires constant vigilance.
Just think of the hard work as a way of showing your love for your children!
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