8 Healthy Homes Principles

home, house
Healthy Home

We spend a lot of time in and around our homes and yet not everyone enjoys of living in a safe and healthy home.  Fortunately there are some really simple ways to help make your home a healthier place for you and your family. By following the Eight Healthy Homes Principles below, you can help make your home a healthier place to live in.  

Source: hud.gov/

1. Keep it Dry
Prevent water from entering your home through leaks in roofing systems, rain water from entering the home due to poor drainage, and check your interior plumbing for any leaking.

2. Keep it Clean 
Control the source of dust and contaminants, creating smooth and cleanable surfaces, reducing clutter, and using effective wet-cleaning methods.

3. Keep it Safe
Store poisons out of the reach of children and properly label. Secure looe rugs and keep children’s play areas free from hard or sharp surfaces. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and keep fire extinguishers on hand.

4. Keep it Well-Ventilated
Ventilate bathrooms and kitchens and use whole house ventilation for supplying fresh air to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the home.

5. Keep it Pest-free
All pests look for food, water and shelter. Seal cracks and openings throghout the home; store food in pest-resistant containers. If needed, use sticky-traps and baits in closed containers, along with least toxic pesticides such as boric acid powder.

6. Keep it Contaminant-free 
Reduce lead-related hazards in pre-1978 homes by fixing deteriorated paint, and keeping floors and window areas clean using wet-cleaning approach. Test your home for radon, a naturally occuring dangerous gas that enters homes through soil, crawlspaces, and fondation crack. Install a radon removal system if levels above the EPA action-level are detected..

7. Keep your home Maintained: 
Inspect, clean and repair your home routinely. Take care of minor repairs and problems before they become large repairs and problems

8. Thermally Controlled
Houses that do not maintain adequate tempatures may place the safety of residents at increased risk from exposure to extreme cold or heat.

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