Your home should be the place you take refuge in that keeps you safe from the dangers of the outside work. However, there are certain areas that can make them sick, which in turn, makes the people living in them sick.
What's Making Your House Sick? + 4 Changes You Should Make Now
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My husband and I do many checks on many aspects of our home. With both of us working at home full-time, we breathe in the same air day after day and know that if it’s not truly clean, our health can be at risk. As I type this, it reminds me that I need to schedule our HVAC bi-annual maintenance…
Here are some of the things that make our homes sick and what we can do to make these areas better for our long term health and wellbeing.
1 - Abandoned AC Units
What's Making Your House Sick? + 4 Changes You Should Make Now
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Most homes enjoy the benefits of an AC heat and air system to regulate its temperature throughout the year. However, did you know that not taking proper care of it can be damaging to your health? The biggest example is mold. If you live or work near a broken, moldy air conditioner, you could increase your chances of getting a respiratory infection. Mold may also cause other symptoms such as wheezing, congestion, or throat infections. Call a 24 hour AC repair company if you’re worried about your broken AC causing you health issues.
What's Making Your House Sick? + 4 Changes You Should Make Now
Graphic via Carolyn J. Braden, Image and project via Carolyn and Tommy Braden
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Mold can sneak itself into numerous household objects (especially washing machines!) so do a full check of all household appliances while you are checking on your AC unit. We recently replaced the rubber door gasket in our washing machine as I could not remove the mold from the old one. This was an easy DIY for us, but call someone to do this if you don’t think you can do this yourself.
2 - Not Taking Care of Leaks
What's Making Your House Sick? + 4 Changes You Should Make Now
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Similarly to broken AC units causing mold, other leaky areas of our homes can cause a spread of bacteria, fungi and black mold throughout the home. Mold needs to be taken care of as soon as possible- likewise finding the cause of it. Check to see if you can find the root cause of the mold. The spread is likely to start at the source of any leaks or excess moisture.
The best and most effective way of dealing with mold is to take a mixture of water and bleach. Wear protective gloves to scrub down places where mold grows. I’d also wear a respirator mask, goggles and open a window as the fumes can be harsh.
3 - Poor Air Quality in the Home
What's Making Your House Sick? + 4 Changes You Should Make Now
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Poor air quality can be a haven for allowing allergens in since they get to travel more freely in the air. This can cause a wide range of symptoms if not taken care of properly. This is another reason to keep a close eye on your AC units, especially the filtration systems that can help to improve the air quality. It’s also important to ensure that you open any windows regularly to allow for fresh air to flow. This is particularly important for those who may suffer from respiratory illnesses to improve the air quality. Also try adding some plants! They are not only beautiful to look at, but they can help with indoor air quality.
4 - Uninvited Visitors
What's Making Your House Sick? + 4 Changes You Should Make Now
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You can tell if there’s some uninvited guests in the home in the form of pests if you see some of the traditional signs- nesting materials, animal droppings, musty smells which are all telltale signs.
Pests can spread sickness through their urine and feces, which can cause some respiratory issues. Call pest control to help to eliminate the issue if traditional methods such as setting traps fail to work. The longer this issue is left, the bigger the issue becomes- especially if they start to breed!
Can’t afford pest control? Google “DIY pest control ideas” and see what comes up. My grandmother always had pennies around during ant season. She placed them along any cracks where she thought ants came into her home and swore it kept them out. I thought she was crazy until I tried it myself and it worked! I think it’s something about the metal they don’t like. She also believed in placing cucumber slices around ant infested areas too. She thought that kept them away too. This is one I haven’t tried, but it’s worth a shot.
The best way to maintain a healthy home is to make sure that you keep an eye on all corners of the home. Cleaning regularly and checking appliances and water sources will sure help to limit any potential health risks.
This is a sponsored article. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post are based on my personal point of view.