Make Sure Your Family Has a Healthy and Safe Home to Live in

As we all know, there’s no place like home. What you might not know is that the home has an impact on physical and mental health. So it should be free from hazards  such as pest infestation, poor ventilation, or water leaks. Your home should be a place of safety – in other words, the one place where you and your kids are protected from harm.

When it comes down to improving health and safety, we tend to focus only on diet and exercise. We don’t even take into account our immediate environment, which is a huge mistake. Since you and your family spend a great deal of time in the home, do your best to make it lively and safe. By lively, we mean it’s full of life and energy, and promotes good health. Here’s what you need to do.

Prevent Scald Injuries from Hot Food and Drink

Kids below the age of 5 are at high risk of burn injuries. More often than not, these burns are the result of scalding from hot liquids. Your child can spill hot cocoa on themselves. The hot drink burns the skin just like fire. The body can even get into shock due to the heat. In serious cases, scalding injuries can even be life-threatening. You need to ensure that your family isn’t exposed to hot tap water and similar sources of hot fluid, like hot food and drink.

Supervise the youngsters in the kitchen and dining area. Plus, create a kid-free zone when you serve hot foods and beverages. Youngsters shouldn’t have access to the stove, fireplace, curling iron, space heaters or radiators. If one of your children gets burnt, apply immediate first aid. Place the burnt area under cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Never use ice or creams made of greasy substances. Actually, don’t use anything that can get stuck to the skin.

Get Dust Under Control

The average home collects about 40 lbs. of dust in just one year. Just imagine what allergy problems and health problems that dust can cause. Breathing in high concentrations of dust reduces lung function, not to mention that it can aggravate asthma, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The point is that you still need to dust electronics and furniture so as to prevent dust buildup. Dust is a risk for the entire family.

• Vacuum regularly
• Run an air purifier
• Upgrade your furnace filter
• Change the bedding weekly

This might come as a surprise to you but dust comes frequently from the inside. You generate part of that detritus by smoking. Dust is also made up of food debris, decomposed insects, fibers from carpets, and particulates from cooking. Needless to say, it’s not something that you can afford to take lightly. Given that your home is a magnet for dust, regular and efficient cleaning is of the essence.

Be Prepared For Fire

You may think that it will never happen to you, that you’re the only person in the world protected against fire. Yet the likelihood that a house can catch fire and burn to the ground is high. No matter how careful you are with fireplaces, smoking, and so on, your home can easily catch fire. So it’s a good idea to install a smoke alarm and take out home insurance. The homeowner’s insurance will pay for fire damage to your humble abode if it’s necessary to make repairs.

Speaking of property insurance, search for the best policy. Shopping around will save you lots and lots of money. States generally offer information on typical rates. So, if you’re interested in taking out home insurance in Florida, you can get an idea of the price range and the number of insurers. Nevertheless, prevention is better than cure. It’s better to stop a problem from happening than to correct it. Besides adding a smoke detector, you’ll want to maintain the electrical cords and get a fire extinguisher.

Think About Getting a Pet

Every family needs a pet. Feeding and caring for a pet encourages kids to be more responsible. Also, it boosts their self-esteem and social skills. A dog or cat provides unconditional love. You’re never lonely and get to stay healthy. Animals like dogs need daily exercise to stay healthy. And they make you feel safe. You can go out for a jog in the middle of the night if you like. No one is likely to target you if you have a dog by your side.

How to get a pet:

• Decide what animal you want
• Learn everything you can about the pet you’ve chosen
• Be prepared for the responsibility

If you still need a reason to adopt a dog or a cat, keep this in mind: pets improve the immune system. A pet acts like a probiotic in the sense that they help you develop healthy bacteria that can elevate the immune system. So you are less likely to get sick or have to spend your time swallowing pills. Most importantly, pets can smell cancer. Some studies suggest that dogs have the ability to detect melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and more. Their senses are incredible.

Be Cautious About Vacations

It may seem like the only time you get to relax is when you’re on vacation. Yet it’s difficult to chill out when you are worrying about what might happen back home. Burglars wait for the right opportunity to break into your home. If you’re far away, they won’t hesitate to try something. So be sure to secure the doors, lock the windows, and add some security cameras. This will give you peace of mind. And it’s better not to let everyone know that you’re on holiday on Facebook.

Last but not least, if you’re gone for about a week or so, put a temporary stop on deliveries such as mail. Make the request at least 30 days in advance. The postal service will hold the mail and have it delivered to you as soon as you get back. As well, you might want to invest in a home monitoring system. Maybe it will be helpful, maybe it won’t. There’s no way of knowing.