Home tips to keep you healthy
It’s that time of year again: Cold and flu season has arrived, spreading sniffles and sore throats throughout school hallways and office boardrooms. You can’t keep your kid out of class, but there are ways to dispel sickness in your home. Use these upgrades to keep your space a healthy one, 365 days a year.
1. Banish bacteria: If you frequently cook with raw meat, eggs or other products that facilitate bacteria growth, consider installing engineered quartz countertops in your kitchen. Engineered quartz is a nonporous, man-made material that doesn’t allow for mold and mildew growth and doesn’t absorb bacteria. Engineered quartz also is crack-, chip- and stain-resistant, and it doesn’t require the type of maintenance that other materials do. Curious about cost? Homeowners report paying an average of $2,920 for countertop installation, according to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide.
2. Upgrade your HVAC: You rarely think about it, but the air quality and temperature in your home can contribute to illness. Stagnant air, dirty filters and frigid cold spots can make it easier to catch communicable diseases — and all of these problems can be fixed with the help of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning professional. Prices range between $164 and $550 for HVAC work, homeowners report via HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide.
3. Level up your tech: Updated technology allows you greater control of your life and health. Self-cleaning toilets keep your bathroom spick-and-span. Smart refrigerators and ovens allow you to plan and cook healthy meals while reducing food waste. To get a good night’s rest, consider a smart bed that can adjust temperature and position to make you as comfortable as possible throughout the night. Need assistance with an install? A home automation pro can sync all of your devices and systems for you, so you can spend less time troubleshooting and more time enjoying the benefits. Homeowners report paying an average range of $381 to $1,764 for this type of work, according to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide.
4. Check pipes and plumbing: Take a peek at the damp, dark parts of your home: under sinks, through crawlspaces, inside your AC vent. These are places that can harbor mold, according to Jim Schuelke, co-founder of Twin Home Experts. Especially if there’s been a leak — even a small one. Most importantly, mold can make you sick for months before you realize the cause.
“If you’re not feeling well — maybe itchy eyes, respiratory issues — things of that sort are indicators and symptoms of mold toxicity in the home,” says Schuelke. And if you do spot mold, it’s important to call a plumbing professional to remove it, because trying to do it yourself can make the problem worse. When you disturb mold without proper chemicals and precautions, the spores can travel to another location in your house — known as “secondary damage.” Homeowners report paying an average of $2,224 for mold remediation, according to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide.