Tag: HEPA vacuum

If you live in Zurich, you probably know this feeling: the apartment is clean, the plants are watered, everything looks fine — but your eyes itch, your nose is always running, or you just feel tired at home. The truth is that your home can be much more polluted than the outside air, especially in older buildings with limited ventilation.

This is not about being perfect. It’s about making small, smart changes so your home feels good, your air is cleaner, and your body is not fighting invisible chemicals every day. Here’s what I actually do in my own life, and what I recommend to expats and locals who want a healthier home.

1. Start with the air you breathe

The air inside your home is often more polluted than outside. Between dust, pet hair, cooking smells, cleaning products, and mold spores, your lungs never get a real break.

• Use a HEPA filter vacuum (like a Dyson‑style vacuum or a good cordless stick vacuum) so it actually traps dust and allergens instead of just blowing them around.
• If you want to make cleaning even easier, a robot vacuum that washes floors is a great option for busy expats with small apartments.
• Keep at least one window slightly open in the bedroom, especially at night. Fresh air reduces CO₂, dust, and smells far better than any air freshener.

If you want to go further, keep the bedroom cool (around 16–19 °C). Cool air helps you sleep better and also reduces condensation on external walls, which helps prevent mold. Warm air + cold walls = moisture = mold, and that’s something you really want to avoid.

2. Shoes off, home cleaner

This is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do: don’t wear outside shoes inside. Shoes pick up dirt, chemicals, pesticides, and germs from the street and then bring them straight into your home.

• Put a small shoe rack in the entrance.
• Keep a doormat or mat outside the door.
• Let visitors know shoes stay at the door (it’s normal in Switzerland, and many people will actually like it).

This alone makes a big difference in dust levels and keeps your floor cleaner without needing to clean it more.

3. Your light also wants to be healthy

Blue‑light screens and harsh white lights are fine during the day, but in the evening they mess with your sleep. The brain thinks “hey, it’s daytime” and delays melatonin, so you feel less sleepy even when you should be tired.

• Avoid blue‑light devices before bed
  • Try to reduce screen time one hour before sleep.
  • If you must use your phone or laptop, switch on “night mode” or an app that filters out blue light.
• Use warmer light bulbs in the evening
  • In the living room and bedroom, use warm‑white bulbs around 2700K instead of harsh daylight‑white ones.
  • There are still “old‑school” lamps available to buy online that feel more cozy, not like a hospital.
    I order mine from: gluehbirne.de
• Fix harsh bathroom lighting
  • Many Zurich apartments come with very bright, cold‑white bathroom lights. A simple trick:
    • Put a small piece of white or slightly yellow paper inside the light cover.
    • This softens the light and makes it less aggressive without changing the fixture.
  • In the evening, use a floor lamp or table lamp with 2700K bulbs instead of the main ceiling light. Your eyes and your sleep will feel the difference.

4. Shower filter: protect your skin and hair

Tap water in Zurich is clean and safe to drink, but it still contains chlorine, minerals, and sometimes small amounts of other chemicals that can dry out your skin and hair, including lime stone that there is plenty also in Zurich area.

• A shower filter removes a lot of chlorine and some heavy metals, which can help if you have dry skin, eczema, or sensitive airways. I use: Philips Water Shower filter.

If you take long showers or have kids with sensitive skin, a simple shower filter is one of the cheapest and most effective upgrades for a healthier home.

5. Water filter for drinking and cooking

Even in good‑quality water regions, a water filter can still make sense if you want to reduce microplastics, chlorine taste, or small amounts of minerals.

• A carbon filter or reverse‑osmosis system can help improve the taste and reduce chemical residues. I use simple Brita max filter to remove limestone from the water.
• Using filtered water for drinking, cooking, and making coffee keeps your daily intake cleaner without having to buy bottled water all the time.

This is especially useful if you are an expat who is used to filtered water at home and wants something similar in Zurich.

6. Eco‑friendly unclogging and cleaning

In the plumbing world, I see a lot of people using strong chemical drain cleaners because they’re “fast” and “cheap.” But these chemicals are rough on your pipes, your skin, and your indoor air.

• For unclogging, prefer hot water, baking soda + vinegar, or a proper mechanical unclog instead of pouring harsh chemicals.
• If the drain is really blocked, it’s better to call a plumber who knows how to unclog drains gently rather than risking pipe damage from chemicals.

In the kitchen and bathroom, use eco‑friendly cleaning products:

• For kitchen, bathroom, bath, sinks, floors, oven, and all surfaces, choose eco‑friendly or at least “sensitive‑skin” products.
• Avoid unnecessary bleach and harsh disinfectants for everyday cleaning.
• When you clean the oven, use natural methods: baking soda, vinegar, and a bit of elbow grease instead of heavy fumes.

7. Air fresheners? No, thanks

Most air fresheners and scented products are full of chemicals and VOCs that irritate your lungs, trigger headaches, and sometimes trigger allergies.

• Instead of artificial fragrances, use natural tricks:
  • Lemon slices or lemon juice mixed with water.
  • A bit of baking soda in the rubbish bin.
  • A small diffuser with essential oils (only if you and your family tolerate them).
• Remember that ventilation is better than fragrance. Fresh air removes smells and pollutants; air fresheners just cover them up.
  I use natural soap in my WC.

8. Plastic everywhere? Not in my kitchen

Plastic is everywhere in modern kitchens, but it is not the best choice for health or the environment.

• Replace plastic bags and containers with glass containers for the fridge, oven, and freezer. Glass is safer for heating and doesn’t leach chemicals.
• Use stainless‑steel pans for everyday cooking. They are durable and easy to clean.
• Casted‑iron pans are great, but they can be heavy and may add too much iron if you already have high iron levels.
• Avoid plastic cutting boards. Use wooden or bamboo cutting boards instead, and wash them well after use. Better on piece wood ones (not the ones glued together).

Kitchen hygiene is simple: keep your cutting boards clean, wash your sponges regularly or replace them, and don’t let food sit around for too long.

9. Dishwasher, washing machine, and drying

Your dishwasher and washing machine are powerful tools, but they also need some care to keep your home healthy.

• Use a good eco‑friendly dishwasher liquid instead of cheap, harsh chemicals.
• Run the dishwasher at around 75°C when possible, not always on “eco” mode, to keep it hygienic and avoid mold in the machine.
• Clean the dishwasher filter and remove food residues regularly.

For laundry:

• Use a sensitive‑skin washing liquid that’s free of heavy fragrances.
• Clean the washing‑machine filter and run a cleaning cycle every now and then.
• Clean the dryer filter regularly so it doesn’t release dust into the room and works efficiently.
• If you have time, sun‑dry clothes; otherwise, dry in a well‑ventilated area, not in the bedroom.

10. Hygiene habits that matter

Some small habits make a big difference for health and comfort.

• Change your bed linen every week. Dust mites, sweat, and dead skin build up much faster than you think. Regular washing reduces allergies and improves sleep.
• Clean ventilation filters and bathroom fans regularly. Clogged filters push dust and humidity back into the room instead of removing them.
• Do a quick daily cleaning pass with your vacuum or robot vacuum instead of only deep‑cleaning once a week. This keeps dust and allergens low all day.

How this fits with your drains and plumbing

A healthy home is not just about what you do in the kitchen and bedroom. It also includes how your plumbing behaves.

• Using eco‑friendly unclogging methods keeps your pipes and your indoor air healthier.
• Avoiding chemical drain cleaners reduces the risk of pipe damage and exposure to harsh fumes.
• If you need a plumber Zurich who understands eco‑friendly cleaning and unclogging, it helps to choose someone who prefers to avoid unnecessary chemicals, like BathUnclogZurich.ch.

Final thought

You don’t need to be perfect to make your home healthier. Small changes add up: keeping shoes off, using a HEPA vacuum, installing a shower filter, using filtered water, avoiding plastic, reducing Wi‑Fi at night, and choosing eco‑friendly cleaning products can already make a big difference.

If you want to keep your drains clean and healthy without chemicals, a plumber who prefers eco‑friendly unclogging can help you avoid damage and keep your home a truly healthy place.

Next time you notice your nose reacting to cleaning products or your eyes getting itchy, remember: your home is supposed to protect you, not irritate you. 😀