If you haven’t already heard of Florence Nightingale, let me give you a little introduction. During the Crimean War, Florence managed a team of nurses at a military hospital. With her insites into hygiene, ventilation and sanitation, she was able to dramatically lower soldier death rates and go on to pioneer what is now modern day nursing. She would make nightly rounds checking on wounded soldiers with a lantern in hand, which earned her the famous nickname "The Lady with the Lamp". She even established what was the world’s first secular nursing school in London.
In 1859, Florence published a small little volume that would change healthcare forever: Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not. I read this gem in nursing school and have carried the impact of her practical wisdom with me throughout my vocations as both nurse and homemaker. While we usually think of Florence on battlefield fields, she actually wrote this book for everyday homemakers taking care of their families at home!
Nightingale beautifully believed in the power of environment over healing; the environment we create allows nature to heal. This is true whether in the hospital or the home.
When I was working in the hospital one day, recovering a patient after open heart surgery, a doctor echoed something of this affect in a passing comment. He said “now its up to them”. The best possible environment had been implemented with ideal vital signs, bedding, a clean environment, low stimulation, approximated incisions and as they were able, good nutrition. Then, it was up to the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself.
In our homes, even today, Nightingale’s wonderful wisdom is exactly what we need. To bring fresh energy, brightness, and vibrant health back into our households, even though packed with modernity, holds the same power when applied.
Here are some ways we can translate Florence’s timeless principles into practical steps for a thriving, health-focused home while still having the benefits of modern life!
Pure Air & Cozy Warmth
"The very first canon of nursing... is this: to keep the air he breathes as pure as the external air, without chilling him."
Florence talked a lot about fresh air! She argued that stagnant indoor air breeds sluggishness and sickness.
The Practical Update: Today’s homes are heavily insulated, which keeps us warm but traps dust, cooking fumes, and cleaning chemicals.
The Homemaker's Fix: Open your windows for just 10 to 15 minutes every morning, even in the winter! It flushes out stale air and instantly re-energizes the house. I’ve heard this called “burping the house” which kinda grosses me out but it is kinda funny. Pair this practice with a high-quality air filter in your furnace to catch dust while keeping everyone cozy and draft-free. Don’t forget to change them regularly!
The Importance of Light
"Light, and especially as it is direct sunlight, is what the human body wants... and it is a curious thing that the sick will almost always turn their faces towards the light."
Florence noticed that people living or recovering in dark rooms healed much slower. She advocated for sun-drenched spaces to boost spirits and naturally sanitize the home. There is the well known fact that our body needs sunshine to produce vitamin D and we also know now that the UV light in sunshine has disinfectant properties.
The Practical Update: We spend so much time under artificial lighting, which can disrupt our family's natural sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin is not stimulated the same way with artficial lighting and many of these lights are a constant undetactable flicker which is linked to several issues including headaches.
The Homemaker's Fix: Make it a morning ritual to pull open the curtains and let the sunshine pour in! Exposure to morning light effects how you will sleep that coming evening. Get into the habit of a morning walk. Grab the kids, the dog and whoever wants to go! For evening hours, swap out harsh, bright white overhead bulbs for warm, dimmable amber-toned lighting to help your family wind down naturally.
Say Goodbye to Hidden Dust
"The main objection to carpets is that they cannot be emptied of dust... and the dust from a carpet is a very different thing from the dust of a wooden floor."
Oh my gosh I can’t agree more with this! We still have some carpeting that we are working on a plan for removing and it can’t come soon enough.
Long before modern vacuums, Florence knew that heavy fabrics and plush carpets trapped dust and organic matter that irritated the lungs. They have potential to hold mold and reek havoc on allergy suffers.
The Practical Update: We love our cozy spaces, but where we can switch out carpet for hard floors and washable rugs we will as we can. Also, modern electronics (like phones and TV remotes) grab just as many microbes as old Victorian fabrics! Regular dusting is a must!
The Homemaker's Fix: Keep floors easy to clean with washable area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting where possible. Give high-touch digital screens a quick, daily swipe with a microfiber cloth to keep invisible germs at bay.
Quiet the "Digital Whispering"
"Unnecessary noise, then, is the most cruel absence of care which can be inflicted..."
Interestingly, Florence wasn't bothered by loud, outdoor noises as much as she was by "whispering" or the rustling of silk dresses right outside a bedroom door. She knew that faint, unpredictable noises keep the brain in a state of anxious alertness.
The Practical Update: Today, our homes are full of "digital whispering"—the constant hum of appliances, pinging notifications, and buzzing phones.
The Homemaker's Fix: Protect your family's rest by putting phones on "Do Not Disturb" at night. Use a simple, steady white noise machine or a fan to mask sudden outdoor sounds, allowing for deep, restorative sleep.
Brighten the Mind with Variety
"The nervous system... desires variety... static surroundings induce depression."
Florence observed that staring at the exact same blank wall all day made people feel blue. She recommended bringing in a changing rotation of beautiful flowers, colorful objects, or a new piece of art to give the mind a cheerful lift.
The Practical Update: When we are under the weather or busy with chores, it's easy to default to staring at static screens.
The Homemaker's Fix: Occasionally mix things up and move things around in the home or embrace biophilic design! Place low-maintenance houseplants (like pothos or snake plants) where your family hangs out. Switch up your throw pillow covers or kitchen towels seasonally to give your home a fresh, stimulating visual pick-me-up! It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Just simple little rotations with the seasons will do.
A Modern day Nightingale Room-by-Room Wellness Checklist
So a home walk through audit and reveal what you could improve.
The Bedrooms (The Sleep Sanctuaries)
Throw back the blankets: Let beds air out for 30 minutes before making them each day to reduce moisture.
Clear the nightstands: Remove devices and clutter to create a peaceful visual environment. Move charging areas so your phone isn’t right by your head all night. Set devices up to be silent out at least out of ears range while sleeping.
Lights: Are your rooms truly dark at night? Are there bright street lamps shining in? What could create a darker sleep space. Maybe you could benefit from swapping to blackout curtains. Do you have low amber-toned lights for evening wind down? Take some time to observe your lighting throughout the evening. Sometimes adding small accent lighting into corners here and there creates more ambience than any cutsie decor ever could.
Purify the air: Consider running a small HEPA air purifier during the night for clean breathing.
The Kitchen & Living Areas (The Heart of the Home)
Purge the air post-cooking: Turn on exhaust fans or crack a window while cooking to clear out smoke and oils.
Sanitize the tech: Wipe down the TV remote, tablets, and game controllers.
Bring nature inside: Add a small vase of fresh flowers or a bowl of bright citrus fruit on the counter for a pop of joy and variety.
Cut down on extra noise: Could you install soft close hinges to your cabinets to reduce random sounds of cupboards closing? Or at the very least small velvet padding stickers help also.
Professional help: Are your windows so smudged or built up with grime that the beautiful light doesn’t shine through or it creates “visual noise” that makes your space feel dirty and loud? Could you add to your automated home care plan a quarterly window cleaning? Sometimes hiring things out is worth every penny! On that same note, could your carpets, rugs and couches use a little TLC and have a professional cleaning? Consider an annual hire out for high traffic areas or replacing some of these materials all together for easier to clean options!
The Bathroom & Laundry (The Cleanliness Hubs)
Ban the damp: Hang towels spread completely flat so they dry rapidly and stay fresh. If you have super thick towels that don’t try well consider thinner, fast drying options. I have found this especially helpful with kids!
Ventilate moisture: Run the exhaust fan for 20 minutes after showers to prevent mold spores.
Wash the cleaners: Routinely wash your mop heads, microfiber cloths, and vacuum filters so you aren't just moving old dust around. Look at your vacuum and in addition to the basic bin dump assess the filters. Do they need cleaning or replaced? Do you periodically run a “tub clean” cycle on your washer? It is surprising how much build up gets into these spaces. Tip: Don’t leave your washer closed when not running a load. This traps in all that moisture, creating a breeding ground for mold and bacteria to grow.
By looking at our daily routines through Florence Nightingale’s loving, practical lens, we can easily turn our houses into active sanctuaries of health, comfort, and joy! I’m curious if you know who Florence is or if you make any changes. Let me know in the comments.
Notes on Nursing: What it is, and what it is not. By Florence Nightingale, 1859.
In regards to the meaning of nursing:
“It has been limited to signify little more than the administration of medicines and the application of poultices. It ought to signify the proper use of fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet-all at the least expense of the vital power to the patient.”