Did you know that one of the most popular new year’s resolutions for 2022 was to live healthier?
The two lifestyle changes mainly associated with achieving this goal are exercising more and eating better. Yet, if you prioritize keeping a clean home, you also prioritize your physical health.
How much can falling behind on different housekeeping tasks affect your physical health and that of your loved ones? Here are a few different ways:
- Cleaning the Kitchen
When focused on physical health, it is common to think about the foods we eat. However, how often do you think about the appliances you use to store or cook those foods? We use many kitchen appliances daily, which makes finding the time to clean them difficult. Yet, while this might be a challenge it is still necessary.
For example, mold doesn’t only grow on old food in your fridge, but can grow in dirty microwaves and other places in your home. While not as easy to see, salmonella and E.coli can also survive inside microwaves.
Daily kitchen clean-up is a must – meaning the floor should be swept and the stovetop and countertops wiped. Crumbs and spilled food can attract bugs and mice that can trigger asthma episodes and transmit different diseases.
2) Cleaning the Bathroom
We all know how germ-filled bathrooms can be – but it’s not only the toilet, sink, and tub that could use a good scrubbing. While mold can grow in the bathtub, shower, and on bathmats, that isn’t all the bad news about dirty bathrooms.
When it comes to cleaning it is all about the details, as even smaller objects in your home need attention. For example, one study of toothbrush holders found a majority had mold and yeast. The same study found 27% had coliform (an indicator of potential fecal contamination), and 14% had staph.
Proper handwashing after using the bathroom can also reduce the spread of germs throughout your home. A recent study found that 25% of people don’t wash their hands at important times such as after blowing their nose.
3) Dusting the House
As dust seems to build up regularly, it can be easy to ignore until it becomes embarrassing and company is coming over. Yet, while dust particles are small, dusting your home regularly isn’t only best for good looks.
House dust contains everything from hair to dirt to parts of dead bugs – and can have a variety of negative health effects. To start, dust can cause respiratory problems, asthma, and allergic reactions.
If those health effects aren’t concerning enough to change your habits, it gets much worse. Dust can also expose you to chemicals linked to cancer, other serious illnesses, and more.
When cleaning, be sure to dust beyond regularly reachable items. For example, fan blades are a great spot for dust to hide.
4) Washing the Sheets
When was the last time you washed the sheets on your bed? At first, this might not seem to be much of a concern especially if your bedsheets look clean.
However, what you aren’t able to see is the high amount of dead skin cells you shed per night. If thinking about that doesn’t keep you up at night, you are providing an easily accessible feast for dust mites.
Those allergic to dust mites could experience a stuffy nose, cough, and postnasal drip. Dust mite allergies can also trigger asthma, which can affect quality of sleep, cause chest pain, or result in breathing problems.
5) Mopping and vacuuming
One of the obvious benefits of mopping is it keeps the floor looking clean. Yet, how much does a clean floor affect physical health?
Throughout the week, shoes become covered in oil, antifreeze, animal waste, pollen, and more. If you don’t have a shoeless house policy, all of this will be tracked into your home. If you have small children or pets that spend a lot of time on the floor, this is a top concern. Mopping not only sanitizes your floor but can reduce allergies as well.
Also, we’ve shared how dirty homes attract dust mites and support mold growth – but what can be done? Vacuuming regularly can actually reduce the amount of dust mites, mold, and fungus in your home.
Our team hopes that everyone has a very happy and healthy year ahead. If keeping on top of the cleaning tasks in your home seems impossible, we’re ready to help. Start prioritizing your family’s physical health by requesting a free cleaning quote here.