This was a non-exclusive, performance only article that I wrote for as an assignment in 2009.
http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-improve-health-4847112.html?cat=5
Tips to Improve the Health of Your Home
Improving Your Surrounding May Have Health Benefits...
Sometimes when we are looking to improve our lives we need to look at more than just our own physical health needs.
Sometimes it is really our homes that are sick. Perhaps some of you can understand what I am talking about.
A cluttered, messy home is not only stressful to the occupants but it is also an unhealthy home. The reason it is unhealthy is because the clutter creates hiding places for all kinds of things, from insects and mold to rats, and possibly even other health hazards.
So what do you do if you just so happened to have a cluttered, messy environmentally unhealthy home?
Well first off look around and see just exactly what is causing the most problem first. Or if you have a very big mess or are overwhelmed by a lot of clutter it may be a good idea to start in the smallest area of your home.
For most people this would be the bathroom, if you have more than one bathroom start with the smallest bathroom. Also if you have more than one bathroom in my opinion you have an advantage. Because you can completely clean it, organize it and lock that door so no one messes it up before you get the next area done.
Ok, so as I was saying take the smallest area in the house, or maybe even outside, if you prefer. Because the idea is to get started working on improving your home's health, and it needs to be healthy on the inside and outside.
If you start outside, the first thing to do is look all around your yard and find all trash or litter that can be removed, then bag it up and remove it. Make a trip to your local landfill for instance.
After you have removed all trash from all around your yard, next take a good rake and lightly rake over your whole yard, if you don't have too many leaves, if you have a lot of leaves you may need to do some more serious raking. Bag up everything you have raked up, then take this all to the landfill or if you have a compost area place it in your compost area, make sure there is no trash in what you have raked up, because you do not want a compost pile with trash in it.
After you have raked your yard clean, sweep any and all walkways, porches or driveways. Now look around again.
If you have bushes that need trimming or flowers that need weeding to this now, don't put weeds into your compost pile because it will cause you to have to have to do more weeding later on, if you use this compost in any gardens.
You will want to take all trimmings and clippings off, either to the compost pile or landfill depending on what it is. Weeds I would not put in compost I planned to use for gardening because it creates more work later on.
Something else to do on the outside of your home, would be to clean any and all gutters, and also use a water hose or pressure cleaner to clean outside walls. Clean off any cobwebs or wasp nests etc. This will help the outside of the home to be cleaner neater and in my opinion healthier.
When you have finished with the outside I would start in the smallest area first and clean it top to bottom, if possible remove every single item from the room you intend to clean, if not possible try to at least clear one wall completely, then clean it, and every item that you will be putting back clean it, first.
Get rid of any broken items all trash, any worn out items.
If you have started with the bathroom as soon as you have it sparkling clean, stock it with needed supplies, like toilet paper, Kleenex, etc. Just remember to put it in there neatly.
What I like to use to clean the bathroom best with is "Lysol Scrubbing Bubbles" because it kills so many diseases and viruses. The benefits outweigh the negatives in my opinion. It also leaves behind a clean fresh scent. And also shines up the surfaces that you clean, I do like to rinse the surfaces cleaned with a hot water, and then dry with a clean dry cleaning rag.
The next area that I would work on to ensure that my home was clean, neat and healthy would be the refrigerator. The reason to clean and keep your refrigerator clean should be self-evident but just in case it is not to someone, it is because that is where you store your foods, in my personal opinion where you store your food needs to be kept clean as possible.
Removing everything from the refrigerator at least one a week, and then cleaning the walls, shelves etc. Keeping your refrigerator clean is a good idea to help you stay healthy.
Starting in one small area and just working through that area until it is clean neat and orderly, is in my opinion a good way to get started on having a clean uncluttered and healthy home.
A healthy home is a happy home.
sources:
http://www.lysol.com/
http://www.flylady.net/pages/begin_babysteps.asp
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY786
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