Help yourself to a healthy home! You take care of your family by eating healthy and staying active – but did you know your home has hidden dangers to your family’s health? Check out these eight tips to a healthy home and find ways to protect your loved ones in your household:

Keep it dry: Prevent water from entering your home through leaks in roofing systems, rainwater from entering the home due to poor drainage, and check your interior plumbing for any leaking.

Keep it clean: Control the source of dust and contaminants, creating smooth and cleanable surfaces, reducing clutter, and using effective wet-cleaning methods.

Keep it safe: Store poisons out of the reach of children and properly label. Secure loose rugs and keep children's play areas free from hard or sharp surfaces. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and keep fire extinguishers on hand.

Keep it well-ventilated: Ventilate bathrooms and kitchens and use whole house ventilation for supplying fresh air to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the home.

Keep it pest-free: All pests look for food, water and shelter. Seal cracks and openings throughout the home; store food in pest-resistant containers. If needed, use sticky-traps and baits in closed containers, along with least toxic pesticides such as boric acid powder.

Keep it contaminant-free: Reduce lead-related hazards in pre-1978 homes by fixing deteriorated paint and keeping floors and window areas clean using wet-cleaning approach. Test your home for radon, a naturally occurring dangerous gas that enters homes through soil, crawlspaces, and foundation crack. Install a radon removal system if levels above the EPA action-level are detected.

Keep your home maintained: Inspect, clean and repair your home routinely. Take care of minor repairs and problems before they become large repairs and problems

Keep it thermally controlled: Houses that do not maintain adequate temperatures may place the safety of residents at increased risk from exposure to extreme cold or heat.

Which would you choose: to live in a home you could afford, or one that is healthy for your family? Unfortunately, too many families in our community are faced with this decision. The Y believes our community's families deserve homes that are affordable AND healthy. Visit hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes to learn more about keeping a healthy home and what you can do to advocate for your neighbors.

*Tips provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development