When is a house a home?
Well, when it’s a relaxing and safe place to return to after a hard day of working. It will be a place of comfort and security for your family that will act as a safety blanket from modern life. Home is after all, where the heart is.
You’d look after and protect your heart, right?
It’s time to give your home the love and care it deserves. Protect your home so it can protect you! That involves keeping it clean, warm and secure.
Photo credit via flickr.
The first idea you should consider is that of physical threats. Unfortunately, burglars and robbers exist, and they will look to take advantage of any access you allow to them. Don’t make your house a target and certainly, do not make it easy for criminals to access your property. Keep the front door locked and your windows shut. Your home shouldn’t have to be a fortress, at all, but if you are worried about a break-in, look into getting an alarm system so you can sleep easy at night. Of course, you could also install closed circuit television or CCTV, but the basic options are usually the best deterrent. If you’re always out and about, an automatic light that turns on when you leave your house is a great idea to give the impression that someone is home. If you’re on vacation, ensure you have a solution to all the mail that will build up on your doorstep and offer an invitation to thieves. Finally, if you have a vehicle, make sure it’s secure and covered if not being used in the long-term; don’t advertise your valued possessions or they may be taken from you before you are aware.
Once your home is secure, you want to consider how clean it is. Dust is a major problem and can cause all manner of illnesses. Get a good vacuum cleaner and duster and be prepared to put some elbow work in during the week to ensure that your home isn’t getting dusty. Leaving a window, or two, open is a good idea, but make sure to close it if you’re leaving the house. Polishing your surfaces is an excellent way to stop the build-up of dust, and if you want to take it to another level, an air purifier can suck in dirt and grime from the air to ensure that less dust settles around your home. Dust can be a pain in the backside, but it’s imperative that you don’t let it win.
Moving on from dust, there are some more sinister forms of dirt and grime that can invade our homes. Mould and damp are true homewreckers and can release spores and toxins into the air which can certainly give you a reason for a hospital visit. Damp and mold are caused by excess moisture in the air, which points to a ventilation problem in the house. Ensure that rooms have a good airflow and that damp and mold are removed on sight. Be careful of messing around with it too much, as mold can release harmful spores into the air if you clean it too aggressively.
Cleaning the outside of your home shouldn’t be taxing either. If grime and dirt are building up on the exterior of your property, there are plenty of solutions for you to consider. Giving a patio or outdoor surface a good pressure washing every so often will rip apart the build-up of dirt that comes from the environment. Not only that, but it will leave your porch or patio surfaces looking as good as new and leave brickwork looking fresh. If you’ve got decking to clean, a pressure washer can help out there as well. But please remember, pressure washers are powerful things, so don’t play around with them!
Photo credit via flickr.
Keeping a clean property can prevent pests from breaching the limits of your home, but sometimes an infestation can naturally occur. A great way of fighting back against this is to own a pet. Many rodents won’t settle in a house where they can sense a natural danger and can prevent things from getting nasty. As for bugs, if something serious is buzzing away in your household, call the exterminators and don’t allow your home to host anything unwanted or harmful. Be careful of dealing with infestations yourself because many solutions call for the use of poisons and toxins. An inexperienced hand could end up hurt or worse.
As for poisons and toxins, many household products that we use day-in and day-out are very harmful to not only the environment but the humans using them. There are plenty of eco-friendly options on the market so you can protect your house, and yourself!