Making your home a healthy haven

Every year, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery carefully reviews and curates a selection of innovative products in plumbing, lighting and appliances for Trends & Influences. Working from market research and with industry insiders, they assess current trends. Of course, having a healthy home is on everyone's mind these days, and for a good reason. According to Nicole Levy, marketing manager for the Southwest district, "In this year's Trends and Influences, the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery experts identified a trend we like to call 'Healthy Haven'." ​

In 2022 the health and well-being of our home are on many people's minds, especially indoor air quality (IAQ.) Plus, according to Ryan Donovan, senior category manager for indoor air quality at Ferguson, systems in the future will become more sensitive. He was quoted in the Wall Street Journal on IAQ as saying, "In 10 years, I do think it's possible that a sensor will tell you there's a flu virus."

Homeowners have never had to think about their homes' health, especially the IAQ, in the way they are now. And it goes beyond their homes. They want contractors to recommend the proper healthy home and IAQ solution for the buildings where they work, shop and where their children go to school. A healthy home and IAQ solution are an investment in peace of mind in themselves and their family's wellbeing for years to come.

Implementing innovative technologies like a hands-free faucet or light switch, clothes sanitizer or anti-bacterial exhaust fan, as well as adopting healthy practices, can help you clean faster, cook smarter and rest easier. With studies linking poor indoor air quality to serious health problems such as asthma and allergies, it is no wonder why people feel this way.

Each home is different and requires different solutions based on the homeowners' needs and wants. According to Donovan in a recent EatingWell article on humidifiers, "Because today's modern homes are so energy efficient, they allow for very little fresh air to get in or stale air to get out." ​ Humidifiers (and dehumidifiers depending on where you live and the house or building) and other IAQ solutions are starting to be part of the entire HVAC ecosystem. Therefore, he recommends "working an HVAC professional who can measure the baseline of what is going on and provide data-driven solutions that address the problem areas using IAQ solutions."

Additional healthy home products and tips

Here are other products and tips curated by the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting team in this year's Trends & Influences to help create a healthier home environment:

• Enjoy the benefits of hydration with a steam shower. Steam is known to help clear congested sinuses, great for chronic allergy sufferers. A steam shower can help improve circulation as well as encourage the body to relax, the perfect way to wind down before bedtime for a better night's sleep.
• Touchless light fixtures, faucets and bidet toilets reduce touchpoints to decrease the spread of germs.
• A combination air-whirlpool tub allows you to relax, recover and reinvigorate right in your bathroom. The textured, slip-resistant bottom helps prevent falls, while the acrylic construction is easy to clean.
• Keep the air cleaner with a ceiling fan that not only keeps you cool and circulates the air but has ultraviolet technology, verified through independent laboratory testing to kill 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2 (causes COVID-19) and other airborne pathogens while safely neutralizing allergens, odors, and fumes.
• Keep the laundry room clean and fresh, beginning with the air. This lighted exhaust fan prevents mold, bacteria and fungi growth on surfaces in your bathroom, laundry room or another humidity-prone environment. ​ A kitchen faucet with a built-in water dispenser ensures your water is safe to drink and tastes good as well.
• Consider a steam oven, which allows you to cook your food in one of the healthiest ways effortlessly. ​
• Get dishes cleaner with a dishwasher with customizable features, a high-capacity interior, and a Sani-Rinse option that eliminates 99.999% of food soil bacteria by adding a high-heat final rinse to sanitize dishes.
• Maintain clean water right at the source with an under-sink filtration system. Effectively reduce contaminants including bacteria, viruses, lead, mercury, chlorine and select pharmaceuticals in your family's cold drinking water.
• Care for your delicates without using harsh chemicals common in dry cleaning with an AirDresser Steam closet. Odor elimination technology gets out 99% of stubborn smells in fabrics caused by smoke, sweat and food. In addition, the sanitary cycle reduces allergens, dry cleaning chemicals and fine dust particles.

Homeowners can significantly increase the comfort and safety of their home environment from many directions. Levy says, "When a house is a home, it's a place where everyone feels safe, at ease and comforted. So, while a house that's free of pollutants and germs is near impossible, it is also possible to significantly reduce harmful substances. Homeowners who adopt these innovative products are not introducing these products into the home for the single purpose to keep dangerous microbes out; they are adopting them to create an inspired space where they truly want to be."

Now is the time to pro-actively adopt healthier, cleaner habits. Just a few small changes can make a world of difference in the health and safety of your household for you and your loved ones.

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting showroom manager. Melisa Wyatt spoke to Nicole Levy, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting marketing manager for the Southwest district and Ryan Donovan, senior category manager for indoor air quality at Ferguson earlier this year to learn more about the IAQ smart home trend. Versions of this story have appeared in Red Rock City Lifestyles (page 16,) Henderson City Lifestyles publications, Builder and Developer and GreenHomeBuilder Magazine.