January 2020 Newsletter
Submitted by RonHanson on Sun, 01/19/2020 - 12:46
Happy New Year from Sterling Home Services! Being indoors for the winter can raise awareness of the state of our homes. January is Radon Action Month, and we're here to tell you all about what it is and how to prevent it from impacting your health. In this month's news, we’re also giving you some tips for decluttering and organizing your home. It’s New Year’s Resolution time, and we’re here to help set you up for success in reaching your home goals this year!
January is National Radon Action Month
Radon gas is a serious health risk, causing around 21,000 deaths each year. You read that right, 21,000 deaths! Further, it is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. To help reduce those numbers, the EPA and U.S. Surgeon General designates January as National Radon Action Month each year to raise awareness of the dangers and educate on testing and reducing radon exposure.
So, what is radon? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released from rock, soil, and water. It is found in new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and in homes with or without a basement. You can’t see, smell, or taste this colorless, odorless, and invisible gas; the only way to know if your home has radon is to test for it!
Here are some facts about radon that you should know:
- Breathing radon in your home can cause lung cancer.
- Radon has been found in every state – radon levels can vary greatly from home to home even in homes next to each other.
- Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air represented as pCi/L, a measurement of radioactivity. Average indoor levels are 1.3 pCi/L - outdoor levels average 0.4 pCi/L. If your indoor level is between 2.0–4.0 pCi/L you should strongly consider fixing it, and if it is at or above the maximum “acceptable” level of 4.0 pCi/L it is recommended you fix the issue.
- Radon tests are easy – they last between two to seven days and are non-intrusive.
- You can fix a radon gas problem. There are professionals available to implement measure to reduce the radon in your home. New homes can also be built with radon-resistant features.
- For more information about radon action month, check out the EPA’s website: https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-month-information
Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk, and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. Sterling Home Services can help, as we have qualified testers who can administer radon tests for your home. Reach out to us today to schedule an inspection to keep you and your family safe!
Decluttering and Organizing Your Home
Do you sometimes feel like you don't have enough room? What if the problem is actually that you’re holding onto too much stuff? Or that your stuff isn't organized properly? January is a popular month for decluttering and organizing all aspects of our lives, and having a clean and organized space to call home often sets us up for success in other areas of our lives.
Especially around this time of year, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people boasting techniques for decluttering your life. Diving headfirst into a 2020 organizing challenge might sound like an easy way out but may still end up feeling like an insurmountable task. Let’s break down some of the barriers to creating your ideal Zen space with 3 high-level organization tips!
Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
Set goals for yourself that revolve around what kind of home will bring you ideal happiness. You need something to look forward to that will keep you motivated, beyond just wanting to hold onto less stuff.
Commit yourself to tidying up.
Organization isn’t going to happen overnight! It can be a long process that takes discipline to achieve, and it can be even harder if you’re balancing decluttering with a raising a family or whilst leading an active lifestyle. Make a commitment to realizing your ideal organized space.
Discard and sort before storing.
Many people consider tidying up to be a matter of simply putting things away. However, discarding items that are no longer serving a purpose or which don’t bring us joy is a huge step in leading a more ordered lifestyle! Start by donating or tossing items which you no longer need to hang onto. After you’ve pared down the things you need to keep, it’s easier to sort those items and find somewhere to keep them.
6 Tips for Decluttering:
- When it comes to mementos, save one item per “theme.”
- Take photos of things to “save” and retain the memory rather than holding onto items.
- Do one system/room/category at a time to make the process less overwhelming.
- If you haven’t used an item or needed it in a year, you can probably part with it.
- Use Peter Walsh’s 10-minute declutter exercise – 2 trash bags, 10 minutes, put trash into one bag and donations in the other. The exercise starts as a superficial decluttering, but if you add it to your weekly routine, you’ll make real changes in the amount of clutter in your home.
- Paper is a more complex issue than most people think. For now, designate a place for each type of paper you accumulate: mail, coupons, magazines, catalogs, etc.
5 Tips for organizing:
- Don’t buy storage containers or systems until you’ve decluttered and inventoried the things you are keeping.
- Designate a place for every single item. If you can’t figure out where to keep it, reevaluate if you really need to hang onto it!
- Keep it up! Now that your stuff is newly and neatly organized, you’re not done. Every system requires upkeep.
- Keep counters clear and put everything back in its place when you’re done using it. This is an essential upkeep effort!
- Store items in a way that makes it easy and obvious to see what you have. Fold and store clothes in a single layer, organize your pantry with taller items at the back, and use clear containers and bins. This helps make sure you know what you have and that it’s easy to use!
If you’re selling a house, keep it ultra-uncluttered. Nothing on the counters (kitchen and baths), minimal knick-knacks on the shelves, closets cleaned and stacked, etc. It helps people visualize themselves and their stuff in the space!
New Year's Resolutions
New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~ Mark Twain
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
New Years Day is every man's birthday. ~ Charles Lamb
New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time. ~ James Agate
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