One way to stay healthy year-round is to ensure your home is clean. If you fail to dust and disinfect your home regularly, the risk of your family getting ill increases due to the indoor air quality being compromised and the household surfaces being contaminated with germs and bacteria. Here are a few things you can do to keep your home safe and healthy throughout the year.
Use Green Cleaning Products
When it comes to keeping your home healthy through cleaning, it begins with the products that you use. You will want to use eco-friendly products, as this will help to prevent contaminated indoor air. Chemical products tend to have harmful ingredients that can cause health issues, including asthma and allergies.
Dust on a Weekly Basis
To reduce your household's exposure to germs and improve the quality of the indoor air, you should dust all suitable surfaces on a weekly basis. Dust will harbor allergens and bacteria like pollen, mold and mildew spores, animal dander, insect remains, and rodent excrement.
Vacuum Regularly
Your carpet and rugs should undergo a vacuuming at least once a week, and you should focus on areas that get a lot of traffic like the foyer and hallway. Dirt and allergens tend to sink into the fibers of the carpet, irritating the respiratory systems of your family. In addition, you may want to consider having the family and guests remove their shoes when they enter the home, as this will help to prevent the tracking of contaminants into the home.
Replace Towels and Sponges Routinely
Many homeowners do not realize the importance of replacing towels and sponges regularly, but these items collect germs quickly and you do not want to be drying off your hands or washing your dishes with towels or sponges that are laden in germs and bacteria. If you are worried that you will replace your sponges too frequently, you may want to consider popping the sponges in the microwave to kill the bacteria and/or using reusable dish rags.
Disinfect the Home on a Weekly Basis
Once a week at a minimum, you should disinfect all of the items in your home that are used frequently, such as door handles and knobs, banisters, electrical switches, computer keyboards, telephones, remote controls, and frequently used appliances like the coffee maker. High-touch areas like these will collect bacteria unless you disinfect them regularly with an all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner.
If all of this just seems like too much for you to handle on your own, you should consider contacting a house cleaning service in your area for professional help.