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Healthy Homes#

Healthy Homes is a free, indoor air quality program for Fort Collins community members that aims to reduce chemical and biological pollutants, and promote safety. Staff, volunteers and partner organizations work together to improve the respiratory health of all Fort  Collins community members.

View the Healthy Homes Illustrated Video

Healthy Homes es un programa gratuito de calidad del aire interior para miembros de la comunidad de Fort Collins que tiene el objetivo de reducir los contaminantes químicos y biológicos y promover la seguridad. El personal, los voluntarios y las organizaciones asociadas trabajan juntos para mejorar la salud respiratoria de todos los miembros de la comunidad de Fort Collins. Para una evaluación, llame a Selina al 970-224-6129

Vea el video ilustrado de Healthy Homes

Gift Yourself a Healthy Home#

HeHo Video

The City of Fort Collins’ Healthy Homes program is sharing resources and gifts on how to create a healthier and safer home.  Complete an online assessment of your home and receive a personalized set of recommendations on how you can reduce exposure to indoor air contaminants and safety hazards. For information about our in-home assessments, call us at (970) 416-2832 or send us an email at healthyhomes@fcgov.com

Do the Online Healthy Homes Assessment

The Healthy Homes Program#

"The greatest environmental risk is where we have the greatest control - in our own homes"

  • Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, and our indoor air quality can be up to 5 times worse than outdoor air quality.
  • Poor indoor Air Quality is one of the EPA's top 5 environmental risks.
  • In Fort Collins, 1 of 4 homes reports a family member with a respiratory ailment
  • Create awareness to reduce asthma triggers
  • Reduce toxic or harmful exposure in homes
  • Promote healthy, safe and environmentally sound household practices
  • Test and mitigate for radon in more homes
  • While all Fort Collins community members are eligible, Healthy Homes is especially interested in helping:
    • Homes who have children with asthma
    • The elderly population
    • The underserved community
  • Healthy Homes is committed to using an equity & inclusion lens to ensure that services are accessible to all Fort Collins community members.
  • A healthy home environment improves the quality of community members' lives, particularly children and those with respiratory problems.
  • Healthy Homes principles can help make a home resilient in the face of extreme weather events and wildfires.

8 Key Principles of a Healthy Home#

There are 8 key principles that you can follow to make sure your indoor air quality is healthy for you and your family.

Keeping your house clean reduces allergens and fine particles that can irritate your lungs, and it can keep pests away.

  • Take your shoes off before entering your home
  • Place a commercial grade doormat at all high traffic entrances
  • Dust weekly with a damp microfiber cloth
  • Vacuum regularly (HEPA filter vacuums are best)
  • Reduce clutter
  • Don't allow pets on the furniture

Chemicals in the home can harm your respiratory and nervous system.   Be aware of these contaminants:

  • Radon
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Chemical cleaners, air fresheners and candles
  • Asbestos and lead 
  • Household hazardous waste such as paints, pesticides and gasoline

Too much indoor moisture causes mold, structural damage.  It also attracts pests.

  • Run exhaust fans while you shower and cook
  • Look for condensation on windows and wipe it dry
  • Regularly check for leaks underneath sinks
  • Leave the lid open on your washing machine after you use it

Maintenance ensures the vital systems (ventilation, plumbing and waste management) in your home are in good shape and running efficiently.

Inside your home:

  • Check and repair leaks - examine pipes under sinks and in your basement
  • Make sure the flues, filters and vents of your heating systems to ensure they are clean and connected properly
  • Replace furnace filters regularly with MERV 8-11 filters

Outside the home:

  • Clean and unblock your dryer vent every year
  • Clean gutters regularly
  • Extend downspouts 5 ft away from the home, and make sure the surrounding ground doesn't slope towards the building

Insects and rodents can trigger allergies and asthma and spread disease. Pests seek out food, water, and hiding places.

  • Look for evidence of pests, and use non-toxic pest control strategies
  • Keep your home free of clutter and as clean as possible
  • Store food including pet food in plastic air-tight containers
  • Seal exterior gaps and install weatherstripping at the bottom of garage and exterior doors

Proper ventilation helps to reduce a variety of indoor air pollutants

  • Open the windows whenever possible
  • Make certain exhaust fans and ventilation systems are working properly and venting air to the outside
  • Run vent fans when cooking or showering
  • Provide extra ventilation when using chemical cleaning products, glues, or paints.

Comfort in homes is all about maintaining thermal control

  • Maintain temperature in the home between 65 and 78 degrees
  • Maintain relative humidity between 30% and 50%
  • Prevent stale air through ventilation and filtration

Be aware of the most common dangers in your home

  • Install a smoke and carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home
  • Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries regularly
  • Plan and discuss escape routes and meeting locations in the case of an emergency
  • Keep a fire extinguisher where it is easy to reach in case of an emergency
  • Keep your house uncluttered and well lit
  • Keep pesticides and household cleaners out of the reach of children
  • Properly dispose of unused chemicals and paints

More Information#

resources

Learn more about indoor air quality to keep you and your family safe and healthy.

Healthy Homes Resources

house doctor

Find out about the most common indoor air quality issues that can trigger health problems in your home, and what you can do to solve problems for little or no money.

Common Indoor AQ Problems

zombies

COVID-19

Discover ways to keep you and your family safe from viral infections as you are spending more time inside your home.

COVID-19 Tips & Resources

Healthy Homes Volunteer

Volunteer Information

 

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