5 Habits to Add to Your Home Health Routine

If you’re using your bath towels once a day, toss them into the washing machine after the third use. Hand towels are another story. Since they’re used more frequently and may often be drying hands that are less than perfectly clean, hand towels should be replaced daily.

Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep every night to enhance our overall health and well-being, according to the National Sleep Foundation. School-age children need nine to 11 hours. You can make the bedrooms in your home restful sleep sanctuaries by thinking of them as caves—they should be quiet, cool (the optimal sleeping temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit), dark and gadget-free. Leave your tablets and smart phones in the kitchen at night so you can focus on relaxing and getting a good night’s rest.

Feel like you’re missing a limb when your smart phone is out of reach? You’re not alone—the average smart phone user checks his or her phone 150 times a day! Digital eyestrain can be a very real result of all that time spent staring at our gadgets. Give your eye muscles a much-needed break with the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to stare at something 20 feet away.

Taking care of your teeth means taking care of your toothbrush. Always rinse it in tap water and let it air dry after ever use and store it in an upright position. For deep cleanings (a smart idea every week or so), you can soak your toothbrush in mouthwash or in a solution of half water and half hydrogen peroxide—then rinse it thoroughly before using. But after three months of use, it’s time to give your brush the heave-ho. The American Dental Association says that if your bristles wear out quickly, toss it even sooner.

Indoor air quality matters—after all, we take about 20,000 breaths every day. According to the EPA, indoor air pollutant levels can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. You can help improve your home’s air quality by simply installing a high performance filter in your heating and cooling system unit. Filtrete™ Healthy Living Filters have exclusive Filtrete™ Brand 3-in-1 technology from 3M to pull in and trap unwanted particles while letting cleaner air flow through.

Get smart about your home environment and remember to replace your filter at least every three months. Join the Filtrete™ Club for free customized filter change reminders and personalized home tips.