How to make your home a healthy and safe place at low cost? (Healthy & Safe Home)

We all think of our homes as places of comfort and safety. But unknowingly, our home environment may be hiding things that can be harmful to our health. But don't worry. You don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home a healthy and safe place. Let's see how we can improve the health of our homes, that is, yours and your loved ones, with a few simple, small changes.

1. Let's control dust in the house

Dust in your home is not just a little bit of dirt. It is a major cause of allergies. It can also contain many more dangerous chemicals than you think. For example, lead from old paints, pesticides, and fire retardants can be mixed with this dust. Even though these may have been used decades ago, they can still be found in your home.

What should I do?

The best solution is to remove all carpeting if possible and replace it with something like tile, wood, or non-vinyl linoleum. Carpet is a major dust collector. However, since it is expensive, if that is difficult to do, it is best to vacuum the house thoroughly.

• Vacuum thoroughly at least twice a week . Be especially careful around the corners of walls, along baseboards, and under furniture like chairs and tables.
• Make sure your vacuum cleaner has a good (HEPA) filter . This will ensure that even the smallest dust particles are not re-circulated into the air and end up in the bag.
• Clean the bag and filter after each vacuuming.

2. Let's quit smoking completely.

If you or someone in your household still smokes, now is the best time to quit. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of asthma in children, especially young children.

If you need help quitting smoking, talk to your doctor . He or she can help you choose the method that's right for you.

3. Get your home inspected for hidden hazards.

Lead in old paint and radon gas from the ground are two serious hazards that we cannot easily forget.

Lead

Lead can be found in paint used on walls, especially in older homes (usually built before 1978). When this paint peels off, the dust that forms when it is broken down can be inhaled, or it can enter the body of young children, causing lead poisoning . This can seriously damage children's brain development. If you have any concerns, you can ask your local Public Health Inspector (PHI) about this.

Radon

This is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. It is produced by the natural decay of the soil and rocks under your home. It doesn't matter if your home is new or old, or if it has a basement, any home can have this problem. Breathing radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). If you are a smoker and have high levels of radon in your home, your risk is much higher. You can also get professional help to get tested for this.

4. Stop using pesticides.

We use pesticides to kill insects like cockroaches, rats, and ants. But these can cause asthma, learning disabilities, and brain development problems in children if they are absorbed slowly and over a long period of time.

Simply put, the solution is prevention.

• Wash the dishes thoroughly after eating.
• When there are leftovers, keep them well covered.
• If there are any holes or cracks in the house where insects can enter, seal them.
• Pulling weeds by hand is a better exercise for the body than spraying pesticides in the garden.

5. Be careful with plastic bottles and canned food.

Some plastics (water bottles, baby bottles) and the inner lining of canned foods may contain a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) . Its safety is still debated. Some studies suggest that it may affect the brain, development, and hormones of children.

Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk:

6. Filter your tap water and drink it.

Filtered tap water can be better than bottled water. No matter how much our water supply company cleans the water, it is likely to contain small amounts of contaminants (lead, chlorine, bacteria) when it reaches your home. A simple water filter can remove most of these things. It can also help you reduce plastic bottle waste.

7. Be careful when using non-stick cookware.

If you use cookware with non-stick coatings like Teflon, you need to use them properly. The chemicals used to make these coatings, called perfluorocarbons (PFCs), can accumulate in the body.

• Do not overheat empty containers.
• Cook at as low a temperature as possible.
• If possible, switch to stainless steel or our traditional clay pots .

8. Wash your hands often.

Washing hands not only protects against germs that can cause illness, but also prevents chemicals in dust from getting into the mouths of young children. Things that are not caught in a vacuum cleaner can end up on a child's hands playing on the floor.

9. Use non-toxic cleaners

Many of the cleaning products we use are labeled "Warning" and "Poison" for a reason. The chemicals they contain, such as ammonia and chlorine, not only pollute the air in your home, but are also bad for people with asthma.

Alternatively, choose products labeled as "chlorine-free," "biodegradable," etc. Alternatively, there are simple things you can do at home:

• Use vinegar instead of bleach.
• Use baking soda to scrub the tiles.
• To clean windows, use lemon juice or vinegar diluted with water.
• Borax can be used to control mold growth and remove stains.

10. Choose organic and healthy foods

Choosing organic foods can reduce the amount of pesticides you put into your body. But organic foods can be more expensive. So follow these tips:

• Buy seasonal vegetables and fruits . They can often be found at cheaper prices at your local weekly market.
• If you can't buy everything organic, buy things like strawberries and spinach, which absorb the most pesticides, organically. It's okay to buy regular things like bananas and papayas that have skins.
• Choose organic foods that you regularly eat.

Special advice for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers:

Omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish and walnuts) can help protect the fetus's brain from toxins. It's also important to take vitamins that contain iodine. But when choosing fish, ask your doctor for advice on choosing fish that are low in mercury (e.g. salmon, shrimp, canned light tuna).

Healthy Home, Safe Home, Lead poisoning, Pesticides, BPA