Two Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Safe and More Comfortable At the Same Time

Want to improve your home’s safety and comfort at the same time? Without getting in over your head?

November is “comfort month” around here, at least this year. That’s because I’m running a Homemaker’s Club at my church and our “curriculum” (also known as monthly themes) is based on The 12 Principles of Home Management. We’re on principle #2 (Comfort) in November. Last month was Safety (so I’m still thinking about both). I figure I can accomplish more on the home front, the job front, and the church front if I’m not trying to focus on so many completely different things. So it’s comfort all around!

Here are a couple of ways you can improve both the safety and comfort of your home.

Air It Out

Air that is stale isn’t comfortable to breath. It can actually make you feel bad. Fresh, clean air is safer and more comfortable to breath. From a safety perspective, it’s important to note that you can’t feel all are quality issues. However, if the air outside your home is good, then airing out your home will improve the air quality inside your home from both a safety perspective and a comfort perspective.

Airing Tips

1. Leave your bedroom windows open a crack, at least at night, even in winter. Pile on the blankets and quilts! If it gets too cold to do that, then definitely air our the bedrooms during the day.
2. Air out bedrooms, and the rest of the house too, during the day, by opening the windows for 10-15 minutes. Set a timer, especially during colder months. You want to let in some fresh air but you don’t want to lose all your heat! Choose the warmest time of day.
3. In hot seasons, choose the coolest time of day.
4. Turn on a ceiling fan to help circulate the air faster.

Dust and Vacuum

Actually keeping up with all the dusting and vacuuming may not be simple (I haven’t found it so). However, any dust you remove will improve the air quality, and contribute to both safety and comfort.

Do what you can, with the time and energy you have.

Tips for Simple Dusting and Vacuuming

1. I’ve heard that dust contributes to mold growth. Focus on areas most likely to grow mold (anywhere there is dampness or wetness).
2. Especially vacuum around your bed, because you spend a lot of time there.
3. Focus on dusting/vacuuming where dust is most likely to be “stirred up” by activity.
4. Set a time for 5, 10, or 15 minutes and go around the house dusting. If necessary, focus on what you can dust without having to move anything.
5. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and vacuum whatever you can get done in that amount of time.
6. Make dusting and vacuuming a part of your daily/weekly cleaning routine even if you can’t get a lot done with the time and energy you have. You don’t have to have awesome cleaning routines and stick two them like glue, to make a difference.

Do both of these things at the same time (air out and dust/vacuum) and make a big difference in your home in as little as 15 minutes!