A clean house is good for your health

By

May 8, 2008

When I was bachelor, spring cleaning meant pushing the dirty clothes pile under the bed and opening a window. Marriage and kids have made me wise, so I now know to at least make the bed first.

With the snow going and the grass showing, many are getting into the swing of spring. That means major cleaning. While it is a lot of work, the good news is that making your house less bachelor-like isn’t just good for your marriage, it also helps with household health.

In case you don’t know where to start, consider giving your home a good dusting. Clean heating filters, air-conditioning and vents to reduce exposure to airborne allergens.

It’s probably not something you wait all year for — but spring is always a good time to check damp areas for mould and mildew. These little critters can trigger allergic reactions in some people so it’s best to get rid of them ASAP.

If your medicine cabinet looks like the local pharmacy, get rid of old prescriptions and expired medications. Do this and you’ll reduce your chances of medication errors and perhaps rediscover enough space to make it a bathroom cabinet once again!

If you have a fireplace, consider getting it professionally cleaned to decrease chances of carbon monoxide poisoning when it’s time to fire it up again.

Spring is also a good time of year to ritually change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. In the metric system we say ‘a gram of prevention is worth a kilogram of cure!’

While you’re busy making Mr. Clean proud, you could also collect up old, toxic cleaning supplies and dispose of them in an appropriate manner.

Sheesh. There really isn’t any bachelor left in me, is there?

Until next time, clean well and be well.

Dr. Bruce Naherniak and his brother, Dr. Scott Naherniak, are chiropractors in Winnipeg. They operate Cornerstone Chiropractic Wellness Centre, 55 -11 Reenders Dr., and can be reached at 777-5433 or cschiro.@mts.net.