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Fulton County
UGA Extension Office

Housing

8 Ways to Make Your Home Healthier

A Healthy Home is one that provides a safe, sufficient, and sanitary living space in order to prevent disease and injury.  According to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, substandard living conditions can lead to several negative health effects such as respiratory illness, reproductive issues, neurological disorders, and accidental injury.

What should you do?

To prevent negative health effects, take these steps:

  • Keep your home DRY 
  • Keep your home CLEAN
  • Keep your home VENTILATED
  • Keep your home PEST-FREE
  • Keep your home SAFE
  • Keep your home CONTAMINANT-FREE
  • Keep your home MAINTAINED
  • Keep your home GREEN

For more information, please visit the Healthy Indoor Environments

Additional Resources:


Radon

Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that can cause lung cancer. It occurs naturally when uranium breaks down to radium which in turn breaks down to form radon. Radon is released into the soil and easily enters your home through the foundation and well water. It can build up to dangerous levels inside houses, schools, and other buildings. The only way to know if you have radon is to test.

Why is radon a problem?

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after tobacco smoke. Radon kills nearly 21,000 people each year, more than 800 of them in Georgia. Smokers are at an even higher risk of radon-induced lung cancer than nonsmokers by 7%.

Testing for Radon in your home

Make sure your home is safe by ordering a test kit online or by ordering a test kit by mail for only $15! This price includes shipping, lab processing, and follow-up service for testers with elevated results. (Non-Georgians should visit the EPA for assistance assessing radon risk.)

Order yours today!

ORDER A TEST KIT ONLINE


Radon test kit

Extension Publications

  • Your Household Water Quality: Odors in Your Water (C 1016) Homeowners sometimes experience unpleasant odors in their household water. In many cases, the exact cause of the odor is difficult to determine by water testing; however, this publication provides a few general recommendations for treating some common causes of household water odors.
  • Millipedes and Centipedes (B 1088) Millipedes and centipedes do not carry diseases that affect people, animals or plants. Millipedes do occasionally damage seedlings by feeding on stems and leaves, and may enter homes in large numbers during periods of migration and become a considerable nuisance. They do not cause damage inside the home, although they may leave a stain if they are crushed. Centipedes, which have poison glands and can bite, pose an occasional threat to humans.
  • Disinfecting Your Well Water: Shock Chlorination (C 858-4) Shock chlorination is the process by which home water systems such as wells, springs, and cisterns are disinfected using household liquid bleach (or chlorine). Shock chlorination is the most widely recommended means of treating bacterial contamination in home water systems. This publication contains guidelines for safely and effectively using shock chlorination -- a standard treatment for sanitizing your well system.
View other publications on Housing & Home Environment