Your home should be a haven where your children can be protected from harm.
However, a recent study has revealed that over 3 million children still get hurt at home every year. Because young children spend most of their time indoors, it is important that you maintain a healthy home environment. Creating a healthy means ensuring the indoor air is clean, reducing the use of toxic products in your home, and choosing safer products.
Steps to a Safe and Healthier Home
Test for radon
According to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately one in every 15 homes has been found to have high levels of radon. Radon is a dangerous gas that is released when uranium breaks down, and it is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, especially in nonsmokers. This gas is even more dangerous because it cannot be seen or smelled, but you can test for radon by buying an inexpensive radon test kit at your local home-improvement store.
Install a smoke alarm
Also referred to as a smoke detector, a smoke alarm can sense fire and warn you of impending danger before the worst can happen. You can buy a smoke alarm at a home-improvement store, hardware, or supermarket. When it comes to smoke alarm installation, a smoke detector tucked in the furthest corner won’t be able to detect smoke coming from the other end of your home. Therefore, you may want to install smoke detectors on each floor of your home, including the basement. Additionally, ensure that they are strategically located, especially if they have a lot of square miles to cover. Ideally, smoke detectors should be installed near sleeping areas and high up on walls since smoke rises quickly.
Consume less chlorine
The tap water you consume is most likely chlorinated. This is important because chlorine is effective in killing germs. However, chlorinated water has been found to cause some nasty ailments, including cancer of the rectum and bladder. You can easily dechlorinate your tap water by using a water filter. You may also consider installing such a filter on your shower head to minimize the toxic compounds in chlorine that you inhale as you shower.
Protect your children from scalding
You know that your child can drown in the bathtub, but maybe you don’t know that she can also get seriously burned. According to the University of Utah, hot water can burn the skin just like fire. Therefore, when a young child is exposed to hot bathtub water, they can be scalded in seconds. Therefore, ensure that you set the water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and always confirm that the water is at the right temperature before placing your baby or toddler in the bathtub.
Bottom Line
Your home should be a haven for you and your kids, which means it should be safe and secure. Because you spend most of your time in your home, it is also important that you clean up more, protect your children, and remove harmful toxins. Paying more attention to your living environment will affect your long-term health.
