“I love you” is easy to say. Just three little words.

But how do you show that you mean them? How do you make the words meaningful?

We all know how to show a person love … treating them with care and respect, being gentle and nurturing, building them up when they’re feeling down, attending to their physical needs, caring for their well-being …

Shouldn’t we be doing the same things with the homes that we love?

Treat Your Home With Care and Respect

Punching holes in walls or slamming doors so hard that an adjacent window breaks would be extreme examples of how NOT to care for or respect your home. Gouging the floors, chipping tile, denting woodwork are other examples. Preventing this kind of careless or malicious damage to your home is the best and easiest way to show it care and respect.

Be Gentle and Nurturing With Your Home

This goes to the type of cleaning products you use. In general, the more natural the product, the better it is … for both your home, and for you! Strong, harsh chemicals can be damaging if used improperly, and there is almost always a gentler, safer alternative that is just as effective.

Build Your Home Up When It’s “Down”

Homes need to be repaired from time to time. Age, wear-and-tear, natural elements … all of these factors can cause damage to a home. Sometimes major structural problems, and sometimes relatively minor aesthetic issues. But they all should be addressed and fixed with routine maintenance and periodic repairs when necessary, because even small issues can grow into bigger, costlier problems if ignored or neglected.

Attend To Your Home’s Physical Needs

A home’s physical needs have to do with cleanliness. Things get dirty and need to be cleaned. It really is that simple. A clean home gives you and your family health benefits as well as emotional well-being, but cleaning a home can also help it retain its value and extend the lifespan of its components.

Care For Your Home’s Well-Being

If you’ve done all of the above — if you’ve prevented careless damage, used safe cleaning products, performed routine maintenance and repairs, and kept it clean — you’ve cared for the well-being of your home. In return, you can expect it to provide safe, comfortable shelter for you and your family.

So have we missed anything? Is there anything else YOU do to show your home some love? Leave a comment below and tell us!

Until next time … Keep it clean!