Your home should be your safe space – a place where you can relax and unwind after a busy day. However, this is easier said than done if you aren’t maintaining your home properly. After all, it’s difficult to kick back and relax if you’ve got 101 things to do before you even step through the door.
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With that in mind, here are some top tips for maintaining a happy, healthy home!
- Get rid of clutter.
Not only does getting rid of clutter make your home interior more relaxing, but it can also work wonders for your health. After all, if you’re surrounded by clutter, it’s highly likely that you’re also surrounded by dust and other allergens, which can quickly take its toll on your overall health and well-being.
As such, now is the perfect time to declutter your home from top to bottom. Remember, if you come across an item you no longer need or use, then you should not keep hold of it just for the sake of it!
- Clean for 10 minutes a day.
Cleaning is often the last thing you want to spend time doing after a busy day at work. However, ignoring these tasks only makes them more difficult to deal with in the long run. This does not, of course, mean that you have to spend hours cleaning each night either!
Instead, write down a list of all of the cleaning tasks that you need to complete within a week, then spend ten minutes a night working on this list or ticking off one of these tasks. For example, you could spend your Monday evening doing your laundry, Tuesday polishing, Wednesday vacuuming and so on. By the end of the week, you’ll have worked your way through the entire list!
- Maintain your HVAC System.
Your HVAC system is one of the most essential appliances within your home – as you’ll use it throughout the year to heat or cool your home. As such, you should make maintaining this system a priority moving forward. For example, you should clean the filters regularly to prevent a build-up of dust.
If you encounter any problems with your HVAC system or believe that it is faulty, be sure to reach out to a hvac repair specialist as soon as possible. This ensures that the problem is resolved right away!
- Inspect & maintain your roof.
Your roof is your home’s primary defence against the elements, which means that any damage to this should be rectified right away. After all, something as simple as a missing roof tile could lead to a range of maintenance challenges, such as internal moisture damage, flooding and even the presence of pests within your home.
As such, you should also make maintaining your roof a priority moving forward by carrying out regular inspections of your roof, cleaning out your gutters, and bringing in the experts for assistance when necessary. You should also remember to take proper precautions when working at height.
- Bring the outside in.
Not only can houseplants elevate your interior design choices or introduce a splash of color into a room, but studies have also shown that they can improve indoor air quality.
Not only could this be great for those with respiratory conditions, but caring for a house plant (and working to keep it alive) also has many mental health benefits! As such, now is the perfect time to bring the outside in. If you’ve been known to kill your fair share of house plants in the past, focus on those that are known for being low-maintenance. This way, they’ll continue to thrive even if you do not water them as often as you should.
- Buy eco-friendly cleaning products. Many of the cleaning products sold in supermarkets contain harsh chemicals that damage not only the environment but also your overall health. For example, according to the American Lung Association, many contain ingredients that can “irritate the eyes or throat, or cause headaches and other health problems.” Switching to eco-friendly products can, therefore, make a huge difference.
- Make your own cleaning products. If you’re looking for a way to save money while maintaining a happy, healthy home, then you may want to try your hand at making your own cleaning products. For example, lemon, vinegar and water make an excellent stain remover, whether this is used in your kitchen or bathroom!
- Seal any gaps in windows, walls and door frames.
If you find that you’re constantly getting a cold or that your immune system has weakened, it could be because your home is simply not as warm as it should be. While there’s not much you can do about the weather, you should ensure that your home is as energy-efficient as possible. One way to achieve this goal is by sealing any gaps in windows, walls and door frames, as even the smallest of cracks allow cold air to enter your home. Thankfully, this is a task you can handle yourself using caulk or sealant bought over the counter or online.
- Hire a cleaner.
If you don’t have enough time in your schedule to dedicate to cleaning, there is no shame in hiring a cleaner. After all, they will be able to do a lot of the hard work on your behalf, making routine house cleaning a lot easier. Remember, you don’t need to hire them to clean the entire home, either. For example, you could ask them to focus on communal spaces or hard-to-clean areas, such as your bathroom or kitchen. When you consider the amount of time, energy, and stress a cleaner can save you, it is well worth the investment.
Final Thoughts.
If you’re looking to get on top of household maintenance or want to ensure that you maintain a happy, healthy home, then the above list should come in handy.
Whether you’re refining your cleaning schedule, calling a handyman, or making your own cleaning products, this guidance can help you start 2024 on the right foot!