Is your home Healthy? 5 Tips for Spring Cleaning

March 25, 2022

Spring is rapidly approaching and now is a great time to do some spring cleaning and make your home a healthier place for everyone in it. It’s easy for dirt and dust to accumulate over the winter, and we may not realize that the air in our homes gets stale. We’ve compiled a list of things you can do to refresh your home a little at a time or all at once if you’re feeling ambitious!

 

Deep Clean your house

We all clean weekly or sometimes nightly depending on the level of mess, but when was the last time you really deep cleaned your house? We’re talking about moving the furniture and really getting into the nooks and crannies to get rid of those dust bunnies. 

Did you know that the best way to clean any room is from top to bottom? The reason is that as you dust and move furniture around, dust and dirt particles follow gravity and end up on surfaces lower than they started. Vacuuming or sweeping the floor should be the last thing you clean in a room. 

A few other things you should make sure you clean but don’t always think about-

• Clean under the sinks for mold and mildew. Small leaks in the pipes can cause moisture which turns into mold. Remove everything from underneath the sink and wipe everything down. If you do find a leak, now is the time to fix it and prevent future mold from growing. 
• Bathroom fans and window fans throughout the home accumulate dust, dirt, and pet hair. Cleaning the fan blades and vents provides better air flow, and better air quality. 

 

Air Out

Spring brings in a breath of fresh air, literally. When the temperatures get warm enough, open the windows in your home and let the fresh air flow through the house. This helps eliminates stale air, germs, and even dust. With the windows open, the air will naturally circulate through your home. If there isn’t much of a breeze, you can use ceiling fans or window fans to help circulate the air. An added benefit is the boost of your mental health that you will get from the fresh air, but it can also help your wallet too! When the windows are open, you won’t be using your air conditioning or heating. The less you use- the less you pay for! For more reasons why airing out your home improves air quality, click here. 

 

Declutter

Over time we accumulate a lot of “stuff”. Spring is a great time to clean out old clothing that we don’t wear, toys the kids don’t use, or household items that are old or broken. Donate items in good condition to your local Salvation Army, homeless shelters, or thrift stores. Decluttering not only helps clean up your home, but helps improve your mental health.  

If you have kids, this can be a good learning experience for them in understanding that by donating toys they don’t play with anymore, they are helping kids who are less fortunate than them. 

 

Replace your filters

No, we’re not talking about social media filters! We’re talking about air filters! Having an air purifier in your home helps improve air quality and remove germs, especially when the house is closed up for cold weather.  While air purifiers are great for cleaning the air, they also need to have their filters replaced periodically to continue being efficient. Most manufacturers recommend changing the filter every 3-6 months for the best results. For individuals who suffer from chronic conditions or allergies, you may want to consider changing the filter every 1-2 months.  

Air purifiers aren’t the only things that need to have their filters changed. If you have a furnace, there is an air filter that will need to be changed there too. In most cases, when you have routine service done the service technician will do this for you, but it’s always a good idea to check them periodically! 

 

Pets

If you own a dog or a cat, then you know there will always be pet hair everywhere, no matter what you do. The other common issue that’s harder to see, is pet dander. Just like humans shed dead skin, so do animals and that effects the air quality in your home. Here’s a few things you can do to help combat pet dander. 

• Give your pets a bath frequently to reduce pet dander and keep their fur soft.
• Clean regularly to pick up fur.
• Place an air purifier in the home to reduce pet dander in the air.
• Put covers over furniture that can easily be removed and washed. 

 

Get Organized

Getting organized is something we could probably devote an entire blog post to, but we’re going to give you a few quick tips to get yourself organized quickly. Start by making a list of everything you want to accomplish and then tackle it task by task so it doesn’t feel quite as daunting to finish. 

• Organize the kids toys. Make it a game to organize toys and put them away. Simply having room to move without stepping on legos will help make your home feel more organized. 
• Spend an evening and go through the pile of mail that has accumulated on the kitchen counter or your desk. You’ll probably find that most of it is junk mail and can be thrown away. 
• Organize your closet. Season changes are a great time to get rid of clothing you haven’t worn. 
• Take advantage of the warm weather to clean out the garage and organize tools and storage space

 

Change the batteries

Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This might seem like a simple task, but it’s one that often gets forgotten about in the hustle and bustle of life. Making it part of your routine when the clocks change or when fall and spring hits is a great way to keep you and your loved ones safe. 

For more spring health tips, check out last year’s blog for 8 healthy tips!  

 

The StayWell Health Center Team