8 Principles of a Healthy Home

June is National Healthy Homes Month, and was created by HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) as an outreach campaign to help people connect the dots between their health and their home. After all, we do spend 90% of our time indoors! Here's their list of eight principles for a healthy home:

1. Keep it contaminant-free: Levels of contaminants such as lead, radon, carbon monoxide, asbestos, secondhand smoke, and other chemicals are often much higher indoors.

2. Keep it temperature-controlled: Homes that do not have balanced and consistent temperatures may place your family at increased risk from exposure to extreme heat or humidity.

3. Keep it dry: Damp homes provide an environment for dust mites, roaches, rodents, and molds. All of these can cause or worsen asthma. In addition, moisture can damage the building materials in your home.

4. Keep it clean: Clean homes reduce pest infestation and exposure to contaminants.

5. Keep it safe: Injuries such as falls, burns and poisonings occur most often in the home, especially with children and seniors.

6. Keep it well ventilated: Having a good fresh air supply to your home is important to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants and to increase respiratory health.

7. Keep it pest-free: Exposure to pets such as roaches and rodents can trigger an asthma attack.

8. Keep it well maintained: Poorly maintained homes are at risk for moisture, pest problems, and injury hazards. Deteriorated lead-based paint is the primary cause of children being harmed by lead.

Learn more about National Healthy Homes Month.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development