Surprising Things That Can Make Your Home Unsafe

Most people like to assume the home they live in is safe. We don’t like to think about our home having mold, asbestos, or other harmful things that could put our health at risk.

Mold, asbestos, and other common household hazards are always a concern, and ones you should never ignore. But many less obvious dangers lurk in and outside your home. Let’s look at some surprising things that can make your home unsafe.

Your Carpet

Carpets aren’t dangerous because they’re going out of style. They’re dangerous because their fibers can contain all sorts of weird and disgusting things—dust mites, dander, mold, dirt, and more. Some new carpets even contain glues and dyes that leak VOCs, or volatile organic chemicals, into the air.

But having a carpeted home isn’t innately a hazard. If you take the proper measures to keep your carpet clean (vacuuming, disinfecting, etc.), you should be fine.

Your Driveway

A dilapidated driveway is another surprising thing that can make your home unsafe. Many people neglect to care for their driveways, and this neglect leads to pavement cracks. These cracks can cause a lot of damage—not just to your home, but to people. They’re major tripping hazards and can damage the underside of your vehicle and increase the likelihood of an accident.

Your Humidifier

Humidifiers are designed to help people breathe easier. Unless they’re dirty—then they have the opposite effect. You should change the humidifier’s water supply frequently. Otherwise, mold, fungus, and bacteria will be attracted to the moisture and decide to grow inside of it.

Each time you run a contaminated humidifier, these fungi and bacteria get pumped into the air you breathe. This can lead to respiratory problems such as coughing or sneezing. Thankfully, cleaning humidifiers isn’t complicated. All you have to do is empty and replace the water after every use, and make sure to only use distilled water.