Earthley Wellness

With the fall breezes finally blowing, and winter just around the corner, we are all stocking up on pumpkins, cough syrups, and even holiday decorations and shopping lists. But is your home ready for the colder months?

We are not talking about the oodles of toys you need to keep your children entertained during a blizzard or gallons of bone broth to keep them healthy, but the preparations that you can do to make your home a bit healthier.

Most don’t think there are actual steps you can take to keep your home healthy outside of using a disinfectant, like bleach or your handy essential oil alcohol spray, to support the health in your home, but there are!

Let’s first look at some of the reasons we get sick more often during the winter.

Why do we get sick in the fall and winter?

Less vitamin D exposure.

Vitamin D, the best source being the good old sun, is increasingly shown to be one of the best supporters of overall immune health. With virtually no sun exposure in the winter months, our system is sorely lacking in vitamin D. Have you tried our Cod Liver Oil or Vitamin D Cream?

Limited exercise.

Let’s face it. Even if you get to the gym often, you are not exercising, touching the dirt, or doing anything that sounds like that when it’s cold. I don’t blame you for choosing some cocoa and a warm blanket. But this also means our muscles, ligaments, blood, and endocrine organs and fluids are also taking a break and building up some less-than-stellar “sludge.”

More movement in the warmer months means more movement of our precious lymph fluid, which cycles and cleans toxins out of our system.

In the winter? Not so much.

We eat fewer fresh fruits and vegetables.

With no farmer’s markets, our gardens frozen over, and produce prices up in the winter, we are simply consuming fewer vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients from raw fruits and vegetables, which normally keep our immune system in tip-top shape. Powdered fruits and veggies are a great shelf stable option when fresh is limited.

Toxic air.

Most of us, especially those in the north, get very little fresh air during the colder months. Our windows are always closed, and our heaters are cycling dusty air through our air vents (yuck!).

These few reasons, along with a host more, explain why we simply are more open to illness in the colder months. Now, there are tinctures and tonics, remedies, and juices which can get and keep you healthy in the winter, and by all means get those brewing or stocked up!

Luckily, there are also steps you can take to make your home and its lifestyle ready to beat the winter bugs, as well.

7 Steps to Prep for a Healthy Home in Colder Months

1. Open the windows!

OK, no, not all the time. But find a day once per month at least, once a week at best, and open up your windows. This allows all the nasties out and some fresh air in. Check the weather to find the warmest and dryest day of the week, and open those babies up for 30 minutes in the afternoon. Yes, it’s chilly. Yes, probably wear two pairs of sweatpants, a scarf, and some coats lol. But huddle together for a bit, turn the heat back on, have that cocoa, and breathe in the fresh air.

2. Switch out the light bulbs.

Those fancy, twisty CFL light bulbs may promise energy savings, but they also promise ill health. CFLs emit electromagnetic radiation, which can cause headaches, fatigue, skin problems, and even cancer. When broken, these bulbs contain enough mercury to poison 6,000 gallons of water, so dispose of them properly!

Go with full-spectrum LED bulbs (disclsure: this is an Amazon affiliate link), which offer a great simulation of natural sunlight. They have some downsides, like no doubt some toxic material in them, but they last longer and usually don’t break. You can also put them on a dimmer to slow dim them as the evening gets closer to better support your circadian rhythm! You can also use a couple strings of LED Christmas lights to use at night for a dimmed light instead of the main room lights.

3. Turn down the heat!

Please keep reading! I know you don’t like the idea of this. Aside from your bill, too much heat can actually breed those germs you are trying to reduce. It takes a lot of energy for your body to acclimate to drastic temperature changes, the energy it could be using to digest your latest meal or fight off a viral bug instead. It’s okay to be chilly in the winter – winter. is. chilly. Your body will acclimate (and so will your wallet) to cooler temps, and you will not suffer such a bone-freezing when you walk outside.

Fifty-five to sixty degrees is the lowest you want to go, so that your pipes will not freeze. Consider turning down the heat one degree or two until you find the temperature that keeps you warm, but not freezing.

4. Use disinfectant only when necessary.

We are over-sanitizing everything today. Studies are showing that more disinfectant we use, the more and worse risks there are to get sick. Opt for natural cleaners, or make your own.

Quick Vinegar Recipe:

4 cups of white vinegar
2 dried orange peels
2 cinnamon sticks
20 drops of your favorite essential oils

If using the oranges and cinnamon, place in vinegar for up to two weeks, then remove. If using the oil, add 4-5 drops of your favorite essential oil (Thieves, lavender, tea tree) to vinegar.

5. Turn off the cell phones and WiFi periodically.

Cell phones and WiFi emit EMF’s, which can cause headaches, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, and even cancer. Turn your cell phone off or in airplane mode when not needed. Consider also getting an EMF blocker on all your technological devices. Also consider putting your internet on cables, or turning off when not in use. Put it on a power strip, and turn it off every night.

6. Replace chemical air fresheners and candles.

Air fresheners and candles contain harsh toxins that have been shown to cause allergies and asthma. You do not want to use them during months when you are shut in! Opt for soy or beeswax candles, use essential oil and alcohol sprays (with water), or diffuse EO blends. Another timeless way to bring good smells to your home is by warming orange peels, cinnamon sticks, or pine needles in a saucepan on your stove.

A good house air filter also goes a long way to help keep the air circulating clean and fresh. It really does make a difference. Check out our What You Need to Know about Air Filters blog.

We also recommend looking into a water filter system: What You Need to Know about Water Filters.

7. Bring in the dirty!

Does your little one desperately want to keep my little one playing in the microbial-rich dirt? Bring in an old sand table with dirt from our garden. Throw a few tractors and trucks in, and you have days of fun, all while keeping those warm, healthy bugs in your life. Keep your houseplants or start a mini indoor garden. Get creative and find ways to still enjoy the outdoors in the colder months.

So, there you have it. While we enjoy all the wonders of fall, we can still look ahead to the colder months, knowing we have the resources to keep our little ones – and homes – healthy!