5 Tips for a Healthier Home This Winter
Happy New Year! January isn’t always the best season for an intense diet or deep body cleanse, winter often calls for warmth, nourishment and time to slow down, just like nature does.
It's a great time to “detox” your home because we spend most of our lives indoors, especially in the winter and indoor air can be significantly more polluted than outdoor air. The U.S. EPA notes Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors and concentrations of some pollutants are often 2–5x higher indoors than outside. US EPA+1
Below are five, high impact upgrades we walk clients through (room by room) during our Healthy Home Design Consultations.
1) Improve Indoor Air Quality
- The EPA recommends basics like opening windows/doors (when weather and outdoor air quality allow) and using kitchen/bathroom fans that vent out, which remove contaminants at the source and increase ventilation. US EPA+1Try this:
- Run a vented kitchen fan while cooking + a bathroom fan while showering.
- Open a window for a short “air exchange” when you can.
2) Upgrade Your Drinking Water
- Before you buy a filter, start with your data. Your water utility is required to send a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) each year by July 1, which summarizes what’s detected in your local water supply.
Try this:
- Read your CCR (or search your water supplier online for it) first.
- Then choose a filtration system based on your goals. Different water filters have different functions and what they remove depends on the filter type.
- Look for third party standards and testing.
3) Reduce Dust Mites
- Dust can include everything from animal dander, to house dust, cockroaches, pollen and salt + dirt from the outdoors.Try this:
- Dust regularly with non toxic cleaning products such as Branch Basics Cleaning Essentials Kit, sweep, vacuum and open your windows frequently (yes even in the winter, even just a few minutes)!
- Aim for ~30–50% indoor humidity (especially in bedrooms). US EP
4) Cut Synthetic Fragrance (laundry, candles, and sprays)
- A key issue with fragrance is transparency. FDA notes that fragrance formulas may be treated as trade secrets and “fragrance” can be used as a general term on labels. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
- Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) exposure can cause symptoms like irritation and headaches and some VOCs are suspected/known to cause cancer in humans. US EPA+1
Try this:
- Start with laundry. Switch your detergent and dryer sheets to fragrance free.
- Remove plugIns, aerosols and synthetic sprays.
- If you want ambiance, consider unscented options such as beeswax candles, or diffuser pure essential oils while still ensuring ventilation.
Essential Oil Combination to Diffuse
Cinnamon
Pine
Nutmeg
Orange
Lavender
Use a drop or two from each scent and diffuse throughout your home.
5) Reduce “forever chemicals” (PFAS)
- PFAS are commonly called “forever chemicals” because they’re highly resistant to breakdown in the environment. Farmers.gov.
- They’ve been widely used since the 1940s, including in stain/water resistant applications. We also commonly see them used in non stick pans, waterproof clothing, personal care products and even our water.Try this:
- Prioritize a water filtration system that can reduce PFA's if your drinking water. US EPA
- Be mindful with “stain resistant” or “water-repellent” product categories, and choose simpler materials when you can. Farmers.gov
- Choose Stainless steel or cast iron cookware over "non stick".
To dive deeper into healthier living, book a healthy home consultation with us!
catherine@designedforwellness.com
Be well ( or we could say, with gratitude)
Monique & Catherine
Balanced Interiors soaking up the warmth a winter fire has to offer us.
