How Healthy Is Your Home? 10 Tips For Joining the Healthy Home Revolution

SUMMARY:

In this post, I discuss the top 10 ways you can improve the health of your home (inexpensively and quickly). I discuss the importance of having the right plants in your home, removing BPAs, PCAs, formaldehyde, getting the right filter, have your home tested for mold/lead/radon, pursue minimalism, clean regularly, remove all VOCs, etc. I even include a FREE resource of a cleaning schedule to help you stay sane as well as my personal cleaning recipes

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome back, my fellow lifestyle enthusiasts. If this is your first time visiting this channel, I’m Dr. Linne. It is my firm belief that your health, your time, and your energy are your true wealth. By helping you to supercharge your health and simplify your lifestyle (think less stress and less distraction) I aim to help you make room for your God-given mission in this life; that dream that is on your heart that only you can fulfill because it is unique to you. By serving you, I believe you can be better equipped to serve others. So, if you are on a similar journey as I am, then buckle up, and let’s start living and loving our best life, together. 

Have you been struggling with being stuck at home, staring at clutter spaces, feeling overwhelmed by the constant messes to clean up, and feeling stagnant? In this post, I will be discussing my top 12 obvious and not so obvious ways you can improve the health of your home and do so rather inexpensively. Stick around to the end as I have a free bonus for you. 

The truth is, I don’t have my home in pristine order. I have a routine for staying on top of ---wait, let me clarify, help me FEEL like I’m not going to go crazy, and feel a little more in control. But because we spend SO much time in our homes, we owe it to ourselves to ensure that we are not slowly killing ourselves with pollutants, irritants, chemicals, inhalants, toxins, allergens, pests, and the list goes on. So, as I go through this list, be thinking about which one you are going to start applying today. 

OLD WORLD VS NEW WORLD WAY OF THINKING:

We used to think that if you avoided lead paint, lead pipes, changed our air filters and vacuumed one and a while that it is enough to keep our environments safe. However, our toxicity burden is much higher now than it was a hundred years ago. The massive amount of toxins we bring into our homes, use in our homes, keep in our homes, is slowing burdening our detoxification pathways and the build-up is pushing up against our body’s threshold...to the point that we are seeing an entirely new rise in a disease that could be preventable. 

TOP 10 TIPS:

So let’s start the healthy home revolution by reviewing some things that you can start doing today.

1. Get plants (Draecana, Caribbean tree cactus, bromeliad, spider plant, jade plant). These gems are known for their ability to take carbon monoxide and formaldehyde and remove them from the air. 
2. Stop using VOCs aerosol cans (volatile organic compounds). Stop using plug-in air fresheners, personal care products, and cleaners that contain these. benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and 1,3-butadiene. Sources of these chemicals include paint, varnishes, culks, adhesives, air fresheners, cleaning, smoking, carpet, vinyl flooring, cosmetics, dry cleaning, photocopiers, composite wood products, fuel oil, gasoline, upholstery, and foam. 
3. Have your home inspected for mold, lead, and radon. Go to the environmental protection agency’s website (epa.gov) to get resources for testing.
4. Avoid formaldehyde products; only purchase furniture that is “fermaldehyde free”.
5. Avoid all furniture with flame retardants. as the Consumer Federation of California notes, “Studies on environmental health have associated the use of these toxics with adverse health effects in both humans and animals, including hormone disruption, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and fetal and child development.”
6. Go minimalistic - less dust, less cleaning. A minimalist trend is hardwood floors and no carpet. This simplifies life with less maintenance and less opportunity for harboring of unwanted toxic guests. 
7. Remove your shoes - lawn pesticides, molds, bacteria. Studies show that lack of shoe removal is a higher source of pesticides in children than eating non-organic fruits and veggies (Environmental Protection Agency). So start the no shoes tradition, today. 
8. Clean regularly. Dust particles hold lead, fire retardants, pesticides, etc.). Vacuum frequently and make sure to get under furniture, in nooks and crannies. Replace carpet with hardwoods, if possible. Clean the vacuum filter and bag regularly. Use air purifiers and get a HEPA filter system.
9. Avoid BPA in plastic bottles and in canned foods. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical commonly used in plastics, food cans, and thermal paper (like that used for some receipts). BPA is present in many consumer products and in the environment. Studies show that high levels of BPA harm laboratory animals and have potential to harm human health. Purchase food cans and containers labeled “BPA-Free.”
1. Switch to fresh or frozen foods when they are available. Avoid microwaving plastic food containers. Try to use glass, porcelain, or stainless steel containers, especially for hot foods and beverages. This information was taken directly from the State’s Department of Health.
10. Get a good water filter. Tap water is highly regulated by the EPA requiring yearly public reports, whereas bottled water is regulated by the FDA with no such requirements. Visit your state's department of health website to help you determine what contaminants you should be aware of so that you can choose the right kind of filter. 
11. Stop using Teflon (Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) ). Safer choices: stainless steel, anodized aluminum, copper-coated pans, cast iron, or enamel-coated iron. Silicone baking molds are also safe to use. some studies in humans have shown that certain PFC/PFAS may be associated with developmental delays in the fetus and child, including possible changes in growth, learning, and behavior decreased fertility and changes to the body’s natural hormones,  increased cholesterol, changes to the immune system, increased uric acid levels, changes in liver enzymes, and prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer. More research is needed to confirm or rule out possible links between health outcomes of potential concern and exposure to PFC/PFAS. (assistant secretary of the navy’s website)

BONUS FREEBIE:

So to help you out, I have a FREE resource for you. To assist with a regular cleaning schedule and the exact recipes I use to clean my home.  By doing a little every day to stay on top of your cleaning requirements, you will find that you feel less overwhelmed and you have more time on the weekends for things you would rather be doing. Cleaning more regularly also helps you to stay on top of your health--not just mental, emotional; but your physical health as you are more regularly removing dust and particles that may be negatively impacting you. I have created a daily, weekly, monthly schedule that you can use as a template and adjust according to your needs. The idea here isn’t to have the same schedule as I have with just my husband and I and our dog. You may have four kids and three cats and your schedule will look differently. Try this schedule out for a week and let me know what you think! If you make my all-purpose cleaner, then let me know! 

CONGRATULATIONS:

Congratulations, you have just taken the time to educate or remind yourself of some simple things you can do to start improving your home health, now! Your home is your sanctuary and should reflect peace and promote productivity. Don’t forget that if you need help minimizing and decluttering, I have resources for you. If you are overwhelmed with stuff or you have a few areas that need your attention, you can start my 5x5 Decluttering Method, today. This method is life-changing! 

Don’t forget to share this video with a friend or family member you think will benefit from this information. If you liked this information, make sure you have subscribed to this webpage if you would like more health, wellness, and lifestyle tutorials, and please send me a comment at [email protected].

Can’t wait to see you in the next post!

XO,

Dr. Linné