(818) 784-2929 [email protected]

Three Steps to a Healthier Home

Cleaning your home doesn’t have to be hard. There are some natural, effective ways to clean your home. If you want to drastically improve your health, your family’s health and your pets’ health, you need to implement some changes within your home, but they’re a lot easier than you think. With just three changes, you will be feeling much better.

 

Indoor Air Quality

The home’s air quality is often worse than the air quality outside the home. This is primarily caused by the lack of ventilation in the home. Allergens and other substances become trapped in the home, and they build up. The home needs proper air flow to evacuate allergens and other pollutants. That said, it’s good to open up the windows and doors every once in a while. Using a fan within the bathroom and other parts of the home helps to lift out air along with allergens from the home. If your home doesn’t have an attic fan, now would be a good time to invest in one. However, check with a contractor whether this is a smart solution for your particular roof style.

 

To avoid toxic fumes, it’s best to build a home with “green” materials. An open layout of the house helps to improve air flow. HVAC systems, ceiling fans and floor fans can also help to increase air flow within the home. Using these methods, along with opening windows, will help to expel poor air, allergens and mold. Mold growth significantly decreases using this method of air ventilation as well because it reduces humidity in the home, and it provides an exit point for mold spores.

 

Cleaning the home with natural products also reduces the amount of toxic fumes and chemicals within the home as well. Baking soda can be used to scrub the tub, remove burnt-on residue from pans, serve as a laundry booster and effectively deodorize many parts of the home. Distilled white vinegar helps to remove stains from laundry, kill germs, clean glass, and it helps to clean a variety of surfaces.

 

Professional Cleaning

Keeping the home clean helps to prevent illnesses and help boost the immune system. There are many places for dirt and dust to hide. Within dust, dust mites gather, and they leave their fecal matter behind. People are allergic to this, and they are allergic to other substances if they’re immune systems are not strong. Pets and people track in dust and debris, which get trapped in the carpet. Another issue in the home is mold. Mold spores cause numerous problems for people, and it tends to hide in porous surfaces, like grout. When people suffer from weak immune systems, they’re more susceptible to illnesses. This means that an endless supply of people walk around tired, thinking they need coffee or sugar to keep them going, when they really just need their homes deep-cleaned. Hiring a professional company for carpet cleaning, tile cleaning and duct cleaning can make a drastic difference in the home.

 

Sunlight

 

Sunlight has an amazing ability to kill microorganisms that could otherwise cause problems for the family. Some of the sun’s ultraviolet rays help to kill certain types of bacteria. Sunlight also prevents mold growth, so where you’re able to allow for sunlight to permeate your home, take advantage of it. Sunlight is also helpful in killing viruses. While you’re opening up windows, keep curtains and blinds drawn. Take advantage of the sun throughout the day. You’ll say on lighting costs as well. Certain health industries have started taking advantage of using ultraviolet light to effectively kill a host of germs as an extra step in sanitizing everything.

 

You can’t eradicate everything harmful from your home, but you can give your immune system a fighting chance by naturally cleaning your home. Implement the steps above, and take time to boost your immune system internally as well. Eat well, drink water, exercise and get full sleep cycles in to help your body stay healthy.

 

5 Fun and Simple Ways to Save Money for the Family

Saving your family money is nowhere near as difficult as many people think, which means you can lower your family’s bills and save a little money in more than one place. Saving is the easy part. It’s figuring out how to do it in your own family’s budget that makes the concept a little more difficult. With these five money saving tips, you’ll be on your way to more savings and a more fulfilling life in no time.  

Get Quotes

The first thing you need to do is go over the budget and see where you can save money on your expenses. You can get free insurance quotes for your car as well as your home, you can ask your credit card companies to lower your interest rates, and you can call the cable company and tell them you’re paying too much. Most are happy to lower your bills for you if they suspect you might leave for another company.  

Make a Meal Plan

You don’t have to sit down and plan every single meal for every single day of the week, but you should have enough meals on the menu for the entire week. You can eat them any night you want, but pick seven meals you’re going to eat this week and make a list. Now you can go to the store once and buy everything you need rather than a dozen times to pick up that one extra thing you forgot. You’ll end up spending far less the fewer times you go to the store.  

Take Some Time

Impulse buys are difficult, but you don’t have to live with regret each time you make a purchase. Is there something you love more than anything, and you really want it? Put it in your online cart and leave it there for 24-hours. If you still can’t stop thinking about it at the end of your 24-hours, it’s for you. If you still aren’t sure you want it or not, don’t buy it. The key here is to really decide you want it. If you do want it, you’ll know at the end of the day. If you don’t, you just saved yourself a lot of money and regret. If you’re worried about regret after making the decision to buy something, perhaps the decision isn’t the right one for you and your family.

 

Find Local Deals

Did you know you can take your kids out without blowing the budget? It’s easy to spend $100 at the movie theater on just tickets and popcorn for the average family, but you can find a better way to do it. Most movie theaters offer $1 movies for families all summer. Bowling alleys have $1 bowling night, and even skating rinks offer family packages to save money and encourage people to visit. Take advantage of those when they are offered.  

Lower Your Utility Bill

One of the biggest wastes of money in most all households is the energy bill. Start shutting the blinds during the hottest part of the day to keep it cool inside and the air from running over-time. Cook outside during the summer to prevent heating up the house. Light a fire instead of turning up the heat. Turn off lights, set timers, and invest in a smart thermostat. The more you save on utilities, the more your family can save elsewhere There are hundreds of ways you can save your money, and it all starts at home. Start paying your credit card balances in full each month to avoid paying interest charges. Start filling up your gas tank rather than putting a little in here and there. Eat at home more often, and be sure to only buy things you need. You can negotiate with just about anyone, and that’s what makes it easier to save on things you need the most for you and your family.