5 Ways to Clean Up Your Health and Your House
5 Ways to Clean Up Your Health and Your House
We’ve all been brought up with the basics of why it’s important to keep your home reasonably clean – the eradication of gastro and the likes. But did you know there are a billion other health benefits for keeping your home in top shape? Okay, maybe not a billion, but at least five! Here’s our pick for five of the best. These are the 5 ways to clean up your health and your house.
Eradicating Dust Mites Keeps Your Home Allergy-Free
Dust mites, too small for the human eye to see, dwell in our soft furnishings including carpets, bedding, curtains and cushions. Although they cannot, unfortunately, be one hundred percent eradicated, they can be severely minimised. Wash all bedding in a minimum of 60°C on a weekly basis and if hot water is not an option, use eucalyptus or tea tree oil. Of course, using the dryer for 10 minutes will also kill the mites. Dust-mite resistant covers are recommended. Sadly, those comfy woollen underlays are a paradise for dust mites. In other areas of the home, if you can, go carpet-free, but if you do have carpets, vacuum regularly and get them steam-cleaned by professional cleaners – the heat from the steam kills dust mites.
Asthma-Causing Mould is Sent Packing
We all have it even in the cleanest of houses! It shows up unannounced in bathrooms, wardrobes, fridges, leaks in the roof, under wet areas in laundries and kitchens, particularly in humid coastal places. It can cause allergies and asthma, let alone stink if it gets into walls or under floorboards. Obviously keep your bathroom as clean as possible. Experts suggest using diluted vinegar as this causes the mould to “overeat and die”. Some household cleaners don’t eradicate mould, but merely bleach it.
You Sleep Better
Ever wondered what gives you the best night’s sleep? Apart from fresh air and exercise, clean sheets! The human body apparently sheds more than 1.5 million skin cells per hour and invites dust mites and bacteria in to sleep with you. Feet bring in an assortment of dirty goodies, as can pets, body oils and food particles. A recent poll in the United States, reported 78% of people sleep better in clean sheets with fresh scents.
Your Immune System Benefits
Open those windows! Fresh air boosts your immune system. Why? Plants produce what we need – oxygen. But more than that, they also have the astonishing ability to remove pollutants from the air. Fresh air is also filled with negative ions which helps us feel rejuvenated and relaxed. Being cooped up in stale air can lead to bronchial issues, asthma and sore throats. While it’s true some people are allergic to pollen, a garden of trees will reenergise you and your space. If you can’t open your windows freshen the air through aromatherapy – rose and lavender oils for relaxation and pine, juniper, or tea tree for re-creating clean mountain-air.
Indoor Plants Help Deter Pollutants
If you are particularly allergic to pollens and mould, indoor plants may not be the answer, however, just like the idea of opening windows and bringing the goodness of nature indoors, plants naturally clean the air inside of your home, in particular, the spider plant and the peace lily. Certain plants also help with breathing, even when the sun goes down! Orchids, succulents and epiphytic bromeliads release oxygen at night, helping us sleep so they’re perfect for reenergising the air in your bedroom.
Clean air, sheets, carpets, soft furnishings, kitchen and bathroom surfaces all lead to a more productive, energetic you, by reducing irritants and introducing natural re-energisers. Although not every solution is applicable to all people, these ideas will give you a great head-start in combating common flues and colds, allergens and tiredness this coming winter. By following these simple tips or by doing more research into how to keep your home clean naturally, you’ll be jumping out of your skin.
