Want to create a healthy home environment for your family? Learning how to keep a healthy home? Here are thirteen easy ways to create a healthy home.
I am always looking for tips on how to keep a healthy home. If that sounds familiar, this is for you!
How do you live cleaner when you’re on a budget? When I was newlywed, I had to learn how to keep a house.
As much as my mother had tried to teach me important housekeeping skills, there was still a big learning curve.
While I knew how to cook and clean, learning to balance my time and keep up with household chores was hard.
I became a mom about a year and a half after getting married and that made keeping house even harder.
If you’re new to managing a household or you’re a new mom, maybe you know that it takes some time to figure it out.
It took me several years to feel like I “had it down” and keep my house semi-presentable most of the time.
But keeping house is one thing – and learning how to keep a healthy home is another!
This is something that I still have to work on all the time. New healthy home ideas keep me going.
Keeping your house from looking like a dump is a superficial thing, and it doesn’t always mean your home is healthy. Creating a healthy home environment is more.
There are many other aspects that contribute to creating a healthy home. As a stay-at-home-mom, I feel like it’s primarily my responsibility to make consumer decisions that are healthy, too.
That means that what I feed my family, and what I put on them or expose them to is also my responsibility.
As I’ve mentioned before, while I believe that while exercise is really important, so are the many other health factors.
That includes nutrition and reducing chemical exposure, as well as being self-aware when it comes to mental health.
Related Reading: 23 Best Gifts For Stay At Home Moms
But since “healthy” is such a big word with so many different meanings and contributing factors, you can’t expect to get healthy overnight.
You especially can’t expect to flip a switch and wake up to a healthy home either.
So today I’m bringing you 13 fairly easy ways to move towards a healthier lifestyle and home.
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They are things that will improve the quality of life for every member of your household and help in various ways.
I suggest implementing one or two things at a time to make the transition to a healthier home easier on everyone. Here we go!
Struggling to keep your home and family healthy? Learn how to keep a healthy home with these tips!
1. Stop Buying Juice
I know, it can be hard. But one of the best things you can do for your family is reduce sugar intake.
Especially if anyone is trying to lose weight. I personally have made a few big “rules” about juice in our house. Firstly, my daughter gets no more than 6 oz of juice in one day.
It’s almost always watered down so her sugar intake is reduced. If someone in my family is sick and needs to get more fluids, I’m more lenient. However, I try not to buy juice regularly so that it’s not a habit to drink it.
2. Switch to Plant-Based Cleaning Products
You don’t have to go throw out all of your cleaning products. But next time you’re at the store, consider making the switch.
Opt for safer laundry detergent, dish detergent, bathroom cleaner, countertop spray, etc.
3. Sanitize Your Kitchen Garbage Can Often
If your kids are anything like mine, they are touching the garbage can all of the time. But other than that, your garbage sees a ton of waste and spatter from that waste is everywhere.
They might be invisible and odorless, but there are germs everywhere! Use a germ-killing cleaner on your garbage can (especially the lid, in and out) regularly to keep germs from spreading.
4. Invest in Reusable Water Bottles for Everyone in Your Family
Most people don’t get enough water every day. Use a good water filter (I have the pitcher). Then keep reusable water bottles handy for each family member and sip all day.
I love my stainless steel Camelbak and wide-mouthed Nathan Bottles because they are easier to clean than bottles with straws.
Pro tip: Sometimes cold water is easier to drink and feels more refreshing. Keep enough ice ready for everyone.
5. Ditch the Plastic Food Containers
You don’t have to ditch all of your plastic containers right away, but start eliminating plastics that aren’t safe to heat.
You want everything to be BPA-free, or even better, glass. You can find better quality plastics with SnapWear brand, or if you want really nice things, opt for glass containers.
Then they can be used at varying temperatures and last a lot longer. (They won’t melt or warp in the dishwasher, either!) I started slowly phasing out cheap plastic containers (like Ziploc brand) and will never go back!
6. Find Some Good Multivitamins
Most people don’t get a wide-enough variety of vitamins and minerals from food alone. Adding a daily multivitamin can help make up for nutrient deficiencies.
You do get what you pay for, however, with most vitamins. I personally usually buy good kids vitamins and that’s it – everyone takes them – I just take more than the kids’ dose.
This is simple enough to do, so why aren’t you doing it already?
7. Open the Curtains Daily
If you can’t get outside daily, it’s still important to let some natural light in. Your body will soak up at least a little vitamin D, even if it’s cloudy outside.
Plus, letting in the light can boost your mood and brighten your day by waking up your brain a little more.
I personally find that when I’m cleaning the house, opening the blinds makes everything a little more cheerful and bright. 🙂
8. Offer Fruit &/or Veggies at Every Meal
For a while I stopped attempting to give my daughter veggies at dinner because she just wouldn’t eat them. (She’ll eat fruit all day if I let her.) But then I realized that it’s up to me to make sure that she tries new food and is at least given the opportunity to eat veggies.
She still only eats raw carrots and plain salad, but I’m hopeful that someday soon she’ll discover something new she likes.
Plus for us big kids, it’s important that we model healthy behaviors and get our veggies, too.
Related Reading:5 Easy Ways to Get Kids to Eat Vegetables
9. Start Buying Organic Foods
Again, don’t go throwing out all of the stuff you already have. Simply buy one or two organic things here and there as you run out of groceries.
There are some things that are more important to buy organic than others (fruit and veggies being at the top of the list) because of pesticides and such.
So if you’re only going to buy a few organic things, be selective. The Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen is a good place to start.
This will tell you what fruits and veggies have the most pesticides and which are safe to buy conventionally grown.
10. Replace High-Sugar Foods with Healthier Options
Yogurts, coffee creamer, and cereals are just a few foods that contain extra added sugar pretty often. Take a look at your food labels and try to switch to lower-sugar foods.
For example, I recently switched my daughter’s yogurt. She was eating your standard Go-Gurt tubes daily, and I switched to Chobani tubes.
They have 25% less sugar, plus since it’s Greek, it has more protein. Making healthier choices that you actually like might take some experimenting, but it’s worth it in the long-run.
Related Reading:15 Healthier Food Choices To Make When Grocery Shopping
11. Consider Some House Plants to Improve Air Quality
Did you know that adding some houseplants to your kitchen or bedroom can help improve your home’s air quality? (It makes sense since plants put out oxygen, right?)
However, there are some plants that eliminate more than just carbon dioxide. This article can help you pick houseplants according to your needs and chemical concerns.
12. Sanitize Doorknobs Monthly
I forget to do this all the time, even though it’s obvious that doorknobs can harbor a lot of germs.
Think of how many times a day someone opens and closes the bathroom door after using the restroom!
To clean your doorknobs without harsh chemicals, spray a rag with some white vinegar and wipe down.
This can kill up to 70% of germs. Otherwise, opt for Lysol wipes or something similar to keep your doorknobs clean.
13. Limit Screen Time Before Bed
This is a tough one, and our family has to readjust all of the time. If you want to make an impact on sleep quality for your family, it’s recommended that there is no screen time at least half an hour before bed.
That’s because your brain waves are still very active (after turning a screen off) when exposed to blue light. This article provides more information about sleep and technology.
Related Reading:21 Easy Ways To Become Environmentally Friendly
That’s it friends! Hopefully these tips will help you learn how to keep a healthy home!
What other easy tips do you recommend to those of us trying to create a healthy home? Tell me below!
-Chantal
