Your home is your place of comfort. Did you know that our homes also play an important role in our health and happiness? From the mattress that you sleep on to the air you breathe inside, there are many factors that can impact one’s health and well-being.
While renovating certain areas of your home can improve its aesthetics and value, it can also give you a better quality of life. The best part is these renovations don’t have to be expensive; you can update your home to enhance your health with the simplest changes. Read on to discover how you can turn your dwelling into a healthier living space with these home improvement projects.
Add More Natural Light
Natural light not only looks beautiful, but it also offers several health benefits including higher vitamin D levels, better sleep, increased productivity and reduced stress. Getting more natural light can help get your circadian rhythm back on track. It may even help ward off seasonal affective disorder, which is a type of depression that occurs by seasonal change.
Removing heavy curtains is an easy way to allow more sunlight into your living space. Try repainting your walls with a lighter color to brighten up the room, too. If it’s within your budget, you can also maximize natural lighting by adding skylights or more windows throughout the home.
Update Your Mattress
Did you know that mattresses get grimy after a while? It sounds gross but dander, dust, skin cells and other airborne particles can be found inside your mattress. Moreover, many conventional beds contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as flame retardants and benzene. These chemicals can be absorbed into your body as you sleep.
Using a mattress cover can limit your contact with these toxins. You can also buy a new mattress that’s certified chemical-free. Organic mattresses usually contain wool, cotton and latex.
Incorporate More Plants
Adding a snake plant in the corner of your living room is a health hack as much as it is a decor statement. In fact, studies have shown that indoor plants can help boost mood, enhance concentration and reduce stress levels. Seeing greenery around the house can help you feel calmer, happier and more relaxed. Moreover, some houseplants purify toxins in the air that are caused by furnishings, paint, carpet, cleaning products and pesticides. These plants include ficuses, peace lilies, aloe vera, bamboo palms and English ivy.
Try hanging plants from the ceiling, displaying them on wall-mounted shelves and placing them on your desk in the home office. Another useful way to utilize the power of plants is by growing fresh herbs in your kitchen. Use them in your cooking to add more micronutrients to your diet.
mprove Indoor Air Quality
While plants help clean the air inside your home, you can take air purification one step further. Installing a whole-house air purifier can boost the air quality in your home by controlling odors, chemical vapors and other pollutants. If you’re on a budget, a small air purifier can do the job, too. It’s also important to replace your furnace filter regularly and get HVAC tune-ups to prevent costly repairs.
Use Non-Toxic Paint
Paint is one of the easiest ways to update a room. However, did you know that many paints found in stores today are made with VOCs? These toxic chemicals are usually released as the paint dries but some can remain for years, which can affect the health of your family.
When choosing paint, avoid options with high concentrations of VOCs, including formaldehyde, benzene and acetone, among others. There are many eco-friendly paints available on the market that are classified as no-VOC or low-VOC.
Purify Your Water
Have you ever thought about the quality of the water in your home? Clean water is essential for cooking, showering, cleaning and doing laundry. Depending on where you reside and where one’s water supply comes from, unfiltered tap water may contain contaminants such as chlorine, nitrates and lead.
Fortunately, installing a whole-house water filtration system is a great way to remove unwanted impurities from your water supply. This system also allows you to benefit from better-tasting water, as well as healthier skin and hair.
The place where you spend the most time should be clean and safe for you and your family. Whether you make a small change by adding a few plants or a drastic one by replacing all your windows, making these home upgrades to improve you and your loved ones’ health is worth the investment.
AUTHOR BIO:- Joseph O’Keefe is the owner of Revolution Energy Systems. He began installing solar panels in 2011 on the East Coast. He is well-experienced in residential and commercial solar construction as well as servicing of the systems. O’Keefe is an Illinois and Wisconsin state licensed electrician and has been NABCEP certified since 2012.
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