What Is a Healthy Home?

What Is a Healthy Home?

Most of us spend at least half of our lives inside our homes without realizing there is a connection between our housing and our health. This slide show will explore that connection, along with ways to make your house a healthy home.

Hidden Dangers

Our homes can make us feel safe, but they can also make us sick. Some homes may have health hazards including lead-based paint, mold, rodents and insects hiding in clutter, secondhand smoke, and pesticides. Other health hazards are invisible and can be deadly such as carbon monoxide and radon.

Many Homes Have Unhealthy Conditions

• One in 16 have high radon levels
• One in 10 have water leaks
• One in six have structural problems
• One in four have lead-based paint
• One in four do not have a working smoke alarm

  For Bedrooms, Living Rooms, and Family Rooms

• • Install smoke alarms on every floor and near all bedrooms, test these smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries every year.
  • Install carbon monoxide alarms near bedrooms.
  • Do not smoke or allow anyone else to smoke in the home.
  • Clean up clutter so insects and rodents don't have a place to burrow
  • Keep your floor clear of electrical cords and other clutter such as shoes, toys, and clothing
  
  
  If your home was built before 1978:
  • Have your home tested for lead paint.
  • Fix peeling or chipping paint using lead-safe work practices.
  • Use safe work practices when painting, remodeling, and renovating to prevent spreading lead dust.          

    For Kitchens   

  • There are also ways to ensure your kitchen is healthy:
  • Never use the stove or oven to heat the house.
  • Use a range hood fan or other kitchen exhaust fan. Idealy it will vent outside; fans that do not vent outside keep poisons and moisture in the house.
  • Install a carbon monoxide alarm.
  • Never leave food unattended on the stove.
  • Avoid wearing clothes with long, loose-fitting sleeves when cooking.
  • Use safe cleaning and pest-control products (keep them locked away from children, follow label directions, and dispose of these products safely).

    For Kitchen Pests

    • Seal openings to the outside and between rooms to keep pests out.
    • Put away food, clean up, and cover the trash and garbage to starve pests.
    • Fix leaks and wipe up spilled water so pests have nothing to drink.
    • Use closed baits, traps, and gels only if necessary.
    • Never use bug bombs or foggers.

    • For Bathrooms

    • • Keep all medications away from children by locking them in a medicine cabinet and using childproof caps.
      • Clean up moisture and mold safely.
      • Open windows and doors to get fresh air.
      • Use a bathroom exhaust fan that is vented outside; a fan that is not vented outside keeps moisture in the house.
      • Install grab bars on the wall of the bathtub and shower and next to the toilet if anyone in the house has mobility challenges.  
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      •                             Your Healthy Home
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