Having a clean house is very important for one’s health and wellness, as it means the number of germs and allergens is reduced as much as possible. There are hundreds of lifehacks to help you clean your house, but how easy it is for you to embrace these hacks depends on your house’s interior design. There are materials and designs which allow a quick and deep cleaning, while others are prone to make your life harder.
How many germs are there in your house?
A research conducted at the University of Colorado concluded that there are over 9.000 different species of bacteria, fungus, and microbes in the average household. The amount of species of these depend on the gender of the people who live inside the house, the geographical location, and if there are any pets in the house. Generally speaking, your house is filled with germs, but some of them are meant to be there and they are harmless. Others are dangerous for the humans, leading to allergies, and other ailments.
Your house can harbor small leaks from the water pipes, which makes up the perfect medium for mould. Then you have the carpets and furniture which are the breeding grounds for dust mites and are usually clogged with dead skin cells. The bathroom rug where you dry yourself off after taking bath can become an yeast manor. On top of these, you have the HVAC system, which is spreading all these dangerous germs around the house. All of these can and will cause respiratory problems, asthma, and problems related to the yeast and fungus. There are definitely many ways your house can make you sick, but if you are diligent about your cleaning routine, you can successfully minimize the risks.
However, because we are talking about lifehacks, you can take the shortcut and make sure your very interior design helps you to stay away from diseases.
Here are inspiring tips on how to choose the best finishes, materials, and fabrics for your house, so you can minimize the time you spend to clean the house and stay away from ailments triggered by your own house.
1. Floors: less carpets, more concrete
The biggest surface you must clean is the floor and it’s also the largest area where germs can build up. People are walking around the house, the pets are lounging on it, and the kids are spilling food: the floor has a lot to endure. Having carpets or a porous surface is going to make cleaning hard as the germs will manage to stick to the surface. To avoid this problem, pick non-porous surfaces, such as concrete. You can go for stained concrete, which can be enhanced with a sealer. Lack of seams and cracks will make the floors easier to clean and more hygienic.
When it comes to carpets, the less is more, so minimize the areas where you install carpets. A good option is installing carpet tiles, which come with more advantages when it’s cleaning time.
2. Countertops: sealing is the keyword
The second biggest area you need to clean in your house are the countertops. Because they are used to work on, cook on, and do a lot more activities on the countertops can easily become the main source of germs in your house. To avoid this, choose countertops that can be sealed, to avoid grout. Another option are stainless steel, laminates, and quartz countertops which don’t require sealing, come in one big piece, and are easy to clean.
3. Backsplashes can help
In your kitchen, there are going to be spills and stains on the walls, so you can protect them with an easy to clean surface. That surface is called backsplash and there are multiple options when it comes to materials. From the cleaning perspective, glass splashbacks are the best solution, as they are easy to clean, easy to install and there are no seams, cracks, or porous surfaces where germs can nest. Another big advantage of glass backsplashes is the fact they come in one large piece. Plus, you can choose from a wide array of designs!
4. Rollout storage
Dust is one of the main allergens in the house, so minimizing the areas where dust can deposit is a good plan to prevent ailments and ease the cleaning. Rollout storage and even a rollout pantry are great solutions to reduce the amount of dust in your house. They also make wiping and dusting easier, as you only need to take out the drawers and wipe them.
Casters are another good option: moving your furniture around when you are mopping helps you to reach the most inconvenient spaces, which could remain untouched otherwise. However, make sure the casters have breaks, otherwise, your furniture might ride the house at the worst moments.
Featured photo credit: Oyvind Solstad/Flickr via flickr.com
