(BPT) - Winter can be a cozy, magical time that allows families to spend quality time together. However, cold weather can keep you indoors for most of the day. When you're in close quarters with each other and constantly breathing in stale air, your family's health and well-being can suffer.
Luckily, parents can take steps to instill good hygiene habits and improve their home's indoor conditions to support their family's health. Read on to discover simple tips that can reduce germs, improve air quality and protect your family's well-being all winter long.
Install an air quality monitor
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the indoors has two to five times higher concentrations of some pollutants than typical outdoor conditions. Everyone, regardless of age or health, can be affected by pollutants, but children, older adults and people with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases are especially susceptible to the negative effects of pollution. They're also more likely to spend more time indoors.
If you have babies and young children, maintaining good IAQ is keeping them healthy because their lungs and immune system are still developing. Children's breathing rates are also faster than adults', so they're exceptionally sensitive to airborne hazards.
To keep your whole family healthy, consider installing an air quality monitor, so you can detect pollutants like allergens, dust, mold and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and take action.
While you may associate humidity with the warmer months, the colder weather can also cause too much moisture to accumulate indoors through condensation and poor ventilation. When the indoor humidity level passes 60%, there's a good chance that mold and mildew will grow in your home, negatively impacting your IAQ.
The bathroom is susceptible to excess humidity. During the winter, the extreme temperature difference between the cold air and your hot shower increases condensation, creating the ideal condition for mold to thrive.
To keep your bathroom's moisture under control and mold at bay, consider installing an exhaust fan like the Whisper Symphony Exhaust fan. This energy-efficient solution improves your airflow, so you won't have to worry about humidity and mold impacting your IAQ — and your family's health.
In addition to keeping moisture under control and your indoor air fresh, the Whisper Symphony also features a crystal-clear dual speaker system, so you, your partner and your kids can bop along to favorite tunes while getting ready in the morning or relaxing in the bath in the evening.
Increase ventilation throughout your home
Ventilating your home during the winter can be a challenge, but it's an incredibly important part of winter wellness. By moving the air into, out of or within a room, you can keep the air fresh, improve air flow and help reduce virus particles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During warmer seasons, you can easily improve ventilation by opening windows and doors, but that's often not possible during winter. To keep your home ventilated during the winter and year-round, consider installing a whole-home solution like the BalancedHome ERV. Built with the industry's most versatile energy recovery ventilator, the BalancedHome ERV series offers flexibility to choose the perfect air quality solution for your home.
Don't worry about your utility bill. The BalancedHome ERV is built to deliver high-performance ventilation, improved air quality and energy efficiency at a cost-effective price point for a single-family home.
Whether or not someone in your family is sick, it's a good idea to frequently wipe down high-touch surfaces to stop the spread of germs. Make it a daily habit to use a disinfectant to wipe down doorknobs, light switches, remotes, counters and plastic toys.
Because kids — especially young children — constantly touch their faces and put things in their mouths, frequent hand-washing is key to keeping them healthy. Frequent handwashing can help remove germs to prevent colds, flu, stomach bugs and other symptoms.
Set a good example for your kids by washing your hands after using the bathroom, before eating and after being outdoors. Encourage them to wash their hands with you and make it fun! Sing a song while you both wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water. It's a fun way to teach kids good hygiene habits, and help prevent the spread of germs and illnesses.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Staying hydrated during the winter can be a struggle. However, staying hydrated keeps your body in tip-top shape to fight off germs and illnesses.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should aim for eight cups of water per day. If your kids aren't thrilled about drinking plain, cold water, never fear. Offer them warm or room-temperature water, herbal teas, broths, soups and water-rich foods to improve their water intake.
While you can't control the weather or illnesses, you can adopt healthy habits and create indoor conditions that support your family's health. Using these tips, you can practice good winter wellness, so you can spend more time enjoying the season and less time battling a cold or flu.
