There’s never been a more important time to keep your home healthy. From your indoor air quality to your surfaces, the first line of defense is making sure you have the right healthy home products to get started.
Let’s take a look at the basics of keeping a healthy home and then check out my list below of the top healthy home products you should consider using.
Learn what you should be looking for in each category along with my personal favorite brands!
Before we dive into healthy home products, let’s start with the most basic question: Why do you need a healthy home? Simply put, your home is the place where you spend most of your time. It’s where you relax after a long day and rest your head at night.
By keeping your home health—from your surfaces to your indoor air quality—you’re supporting your own health and wellbeing along with your family’s and even your visitors.
In fact, studies have shown that living in an unhealthy physical environment causes stress within the body that negatively impacts children’s immune system.
Specifically, researchers found that children living in unhealthy homes experienced higher levels of inflammation, which was measured by c-reactive protein. Moreover, the younger the child, the stronger the effects. [1]
But that’s not all. The researchers also found that children living in unhealthy homes were also at an increased risk of developing obesity, which isn’t surprising given that we know obesity is directly linked to systemic inflammation.
The researchers suggested that, based on their findings, future research is needed to assess how the health of home environments could impact and/or improve the health of children.
Other research has also shown that the existence of toxins in the home, such as dust and mold, as well as cluttered floors are all linked to problems with development, behavior, and even overall physical health. [2]
Some of the top symptoms of having an unhealthy home and, more specifically, poor indoor air quality include: headaches, nausea, respiratory issues, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and even heart disease and cancer.
When it comes to having a healthy home, it goes far beyond just keeping your home clutter-free. Here are a few tips to help you make sure you’re hitting the big points.
Make it a point to regularly vacuum and clean places where dust and other allergens can hide. After all, not all dust falls onto the floor.
So, in addition to cleaning your floors, regularly launder and/or vacuum your curtains, bed comforter, shower curtains, bath floor mats, throw pillows, and more.
From minor kitchen spills to water spills on the floor to post-shower wet tile, it’s important to keep as many surfaces dry as possible to avoid mold build-up.
If you have an indoor bathroom fan, turn it on during and after your shower to help circulate more air and dry the walls faster. Likewise, opening a window in your bathroom will help as well.
Alternatively, you can dry your shower walls with your towel after you’re done drying off or use a squeegee to remove excess water. This will help to prevent any mold and mildew from building up.
Likewise, check your refrigerator regularly to make sure no liquids are leaking and creating toxin exposure inside.
Finally, don’t forget to consider the importance of having healthy home products and kicking those toxic-laden cleaning products to the curb.
Fortunately, there are many all-natural cleaners available to replace those that actually put more harmful chemicals in the air. And there are many other healthy home products you can use to keep toxins and airborne allergens at bay.
Keep reading to learn more about these products and how you can use them to help keep your home as healthy as possible.
Here are some of the top healthy home products you should consider having in your house to support the health of you and your family.
As we begin our list of top healthy home products, I want to discuss a more obvious one: a water filter.
While it’s ideal to have a whole-house water filtration system, those can be quite costly (typically at least $1,000). So, let’s focus on using a drinking water filter.
You have a few options here, from one that fits onto your kitchen sink to a pitcher with a filter that you can keep in your refrigerator for as low as $15 to $20.
The benefits of having a water filter? Not only do they filter out harmful toxins such as arsenic, mercury, copper, and more, but studies have also shown that drinking filtered water can actually reduce your risk of illness by 12 percent! [3]
When we discuss healthy home products, odds are that cleaners immediately spring to mind, so it’s important that we take a moment to discuss them.
Using cleaners is important for keeping your surfaces free of not only dust but also clear of bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. But you don’t have to depend on bleach and Clorox products in order to effectively clean your surfaces.
Personally, I love to use all-natural cleaners free of chemicals and strong, harsh ingredients. Instead, they use ingredients that have been shown to contain anti-microbial properties.
As I mentioned above, lemon oil is a great option to look for as a major ingredient, since it contains powerful anti-microbial properties. Other oils that are also effective include peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, and more.
Check out my list of top anti-viral oils as well for more suggestions.
In terms of brands, I personally love 9 Elements, Rebel Green, and Ecos Clean.
If you live in a humid environment, you may find that one of the top healthy home products you need is a dehumidifier.
Here’s why: By removing excess moisture from your indoor air, you can help to reduce the likelihood of mold and/or mildew developing on your furniture and other cloth materials, including your curtains, sheets, and even your clothing!
Another perk? Dehumidifiers can help to reduce dust, which is known to attract dust mites and cause allergic reactions.
Alternatively, if you live in a dry climate, you may find that you’re waking up with a dry nose and perhaps even some congestion. If that’s the case, consider purchasing a humidifier for your bedroom. By putting a little excess moisture in the air, you can help to cut down on this congestion.
Moisture in the air can also help to keep mucus thin, which not only reduces congestion but can also provide some relief during times when you’re experiencing symptoms of seasonal allergy.
Stay mindful of your local environment and any symptoms you may be experiencing to help determine if purchasing a dehumidifier or humidifier deserves a spot on your health home products list.
One of the top healthy home products is a quality mattress protector. Not only does it keep your mattress free of dust mites, dead skin cells, and other allergens, but also helps protect against stains, which protects the mattress warranty.
Studies have shown that using mattress protectors significantly reduce allergy symptoms related to dust mites and pollens. [4]
Fortunately, mattress protectors don’t have to be that expensive. I recommend one that covers the entire mattress and zips to help seal out all allergens. To help you get started, here’s a list of the top-rated and recommended mattress protectors.
As we’ve discussed before, poor indoor household air quality is responsible for approximately 3.8 million premature deaths each year. The cause? A mix of outdoor air pollutants coming inside and indoor pollutant sources. [5]
While there are companies who will come and test your home air quality, I recommend not only using a high-quality HEPA filter for your whole house but also consider purchasing individual room air purifiers, especially for your bedrooms and main living spaces where you spend the most time.
For a list of some of the top air purifiers, click here.
Finally, when it comes to healthy home products, I’d be remiss not to mention an essential oil diffuser.
The fact of the matter is that there are several essential oils that are known to help both purify the air as well as fight allergens.
According to a 2019 study, diffusing both lemon and silver fir essential oils into the air in hospitals reduced airborne bacteria by approximately 40 percent in just two hours after the oils. Additionally, the airborne fungi were reduced by up to 60 percent! [6]
Peppermint oil has also been found to contain anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-allergenic properties, making it a great oil to diffuse. [7] Plus, research has shown that inhaling peppermint oil also helps to relieve many bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. [8, 9]
