You Can Make Your Home Healthier with These Cheap Fixes

For most people, home means a cozy and inviting space that is always safe and comfortable. But the truth is that many of our homes are unhealthy. Between poor air quality, surface germs, and even mold and mildew, there’s a lot that can contribute to illness and discomfort. Fortunately, making your home healthier doesn’t have to cost a lot or take much effort.

Address Allergies with an Air Purifier

Living with allergies is often frustrating, especially in the springtime when pollen (and tons of other allergens) are in the air. Even people without allergies might notice unhealthy air conditions like high humidity, visible mold or mildew, and heavy chemical odors. Either way, you should consider an air purifier to help cut down on toxins.

The most effective air purifiers use HEPA—High-Efficiency Particulate Air—filters to remove small particles from the air, CNET explains. Everything from pet dander to pollen to dust bunnies gets sucked in, helping you enjoy clearer and healthier air.

Air purifiers can be expensive, but ridding your indoor space of irritants doesn’t have to bankrupt you. To save money, look for savings on deal sites like Rakuten, where you can earn cash back on air purifiers and other purchases, and even apply special discount codes to your orders.

Minimize Allergens Indoors

While an air purifier can help with allergies and overall air quality, it might not be enough. Especially if you have pets, there will be hair, dander, and more all over your carpet, rugs, and furniture. One way to reduce allergic triggers—and eliminate one yuck factor—is by replacing your home’s carpet. Researchers have confirmed that carpet serves as a “repository for pollutants”—and vacuuming only does so much.

You can tear out carpeting and replace it with linoleum, wood, or other flooring. Carpet alternatives can help make cleaning easier and prevent the buildup of dust, dirt, and germs. Another cheap fix is to steam clean regularly to remove as much buildup as possible.

If you have pets, routine cleaning with pet-safe products is essential. Many pet owners swear by cleaning with vinegar, which is safe if ingested, and vacuuming often. Choose a pet-specific vacuum filter to get the most animal dander and other particles out of your floors and upholstery (especially if you have carpet or rugs). Vacuums also come with HEPA filters, and models with bags are preferable since you don’t create a dust cloud when emptying a bagless canister.

Make Space for Relaxation at Home

You probably get into work mode in your office and chef mode in the kitchen, but what about relaxation? Creating a soothing home environment can help you reduce stress, which contributes to your overall health.

And you don’t have to redo your entire home to achieve relaxation. Think about making a few changes to a spare bedroom or empty area so that you have a reading nook or room. Incorporating inexpensive changes like adding a scented candle and updating the paint color can go a long way toward making the area cozy.

Add Green Spaces

You might not think that what’s outside your home can impact your health. But green spaces are healthier overall than living in the middle of a concrete jungle. Even if you live in a city apartment, you can incorporate greenery into your environment.

If you have limited space, consider affordable window planters for herbs and other small plants. A few indoor plants can help brighten your space and enhance your mood, too, says NBC News. For homeowners with larger properties, installing low-water landscaping helps conserve energy and adds to the ambiance of your living space.

Spending time outdoors is also beneficial, so be sure to include spaces for relaxation among your garden plants and trees. Growing your own food can add to the health factor, too, as well as save money on your grocery bill. Choosing local plant varieties is also a certifiably green way to go about gardening.

 Staying healthy is about more than eating right and getting enough exercise. Making healthy changes to the home like reducing allergens and making your living space more relaxing can go a long way toward stress-free and super healthy living.

For questions about how Beryl Project Engineering can help with making your home more green through solar design, contact us at (818) 616-3301.