Our family lives in one of those older-style two-story Victorian house plans and the last couple of months the weather has been bad so we have been spending a lot of time in our home. We have made a commitment this year that when we spring-clean we are going to throw away items we don’t need or use and make our home a healthier home.  As a family, we will pick a day during the weekend that everyone is free and try to get it done. The perfect day is when the air is still a little chilly and we can open up the windows and let the fresh breeze blow in and push all the stale winter air out. We have made the list and divvied the tasks.

Starting with the chimney it is time to have it checked and cleaned. This will help reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning due to creosote buildup from burning wood all winter. This is something we cannot do ourselves so we will hire a professional.

Then let the dusting begin. We have dusted all winter but now is the time to really clean out the heater and air conditioning filters, ducts and vents. This is the first step in creating a healthy home. So much of the air that is in our home has traveled through the ducts and out the vents. They are filled with particles that pollute the air inside our home and cause allergies and colds.

Along that same line of causing health issues is mold and mildew. By using cleaning products that are safe we plan to clean the bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens and anywhere else that moisture builds up. It is equally important in these damp areas to make sure the floor surface is treated with a non-skid material.  In showers and tubs it’s a safe idea to have a good bath mat or those stick-ons that prevent slipping. Over the years the surface of our bath strips have worn down and it is definitely time to replace them. These are simple and affordable ways to prevent injury.

We are really bad about expiration dates on medicine. We would never drink milk that had expired, but for some reason we have a medicine cabinet full of expired liquids and pills alike. Many of them we can’t even remember what ailment they cure so it is time to get rid of them. I did a little research and the proper way to dispose of them is to remove them from their original container and then mix or crush with coffee grounds, pet litter or dust and place into a jar with a lid or sealed plastic bag and then put in the household trash. You may also check with your local drug store to see if they have a drug take-back program.

Some other possible dangerous items in your home that need to be disposed of are old paints, paint thinners, and various types of dangerous solvents. We have all at some point overbought and have excessive paint that we will never use sitting around. Contact your local sanitation department and find out the proper way to get these out of your home and safely thrown away.

Next on the list for creating a healthy home is to make sure your emergency devices are working properly. We have a drawer of flashlights and over the winter when we lost power we had only one working flashlight. Take the time to replace the batteries and possibly the bulbs in the flashlights in your home. Also make sure the smoke detectors, carbon monoxide units, and emergency weather radios have batteries that are fully charged.

Move to the outdoors and take the time to check the patio furniture and playground equipment. Make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight and nothing has come loose and rusted over the winter months. It is also important to make sure no little creatures have made your furniture their home for the winter. As soon as the weather warms up everyone inside will move outside and it is important to make sure everything is safe and secure.

Since spring-cleaning is somewhat of a tradition in our family and this year is no exception, it is great we are all going to pitch in and help out. Now when the hectic seasons of spring and summer come we will be ready to head outdoors and enjoy the sunshine, knowing that our home and property is clean and safe from top to bottom.

For more great resources on taking care of your home visit the Resource Center at House Plans and More!