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- First Steps to a Healthy Home
A healthy home has many components that are based on preferences as well
as health concerns. Health can be directly affected by the indoor air quality
in your home.
Indoor air quality can have a significant impact on the immune system,
allergies, and overall health. A first step to improving the air quality in your
home is the following:
Evaluate the relatively easy-to-fix sources of pollutants in your home.
Look around you house and answer the following questions:
A. Do you have a lot of clutter that collects dust? Simplify where you can, and
remove unnecessary magazines, newspapers, mail, and trinkets. This step
does not cost anything and can leave more space for beneficial and beautiful
things in your home.
Is your bedroom cluttered? Your bedroom is where you spend time sleeping
while your body regenerates and rejuvenates from the day. Keep it
particularly clutter-free, and place items in drawers or closed cabinets when
possible. If you have a child with allergies or asthma, pay particular attention
to stuffed animals and pillows. They are also a source of fibers and dust in
the air.
B. What type of cleaning products do you use? You can make different
choices for cleaning products that are not only healthier in not releasing
chemicals into the air, but also can be cheaper than many cleaning products.
There are many commercial products available in stores, such as Seventh
Generation products. You can also create you own cleaning products from
vinegar and other common household items. One good book on this topic is:
The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Nontoxic
Cleansers. This book includes recipes for many household chores, from
scrubbing sinks to cleaning the floors.
After you have looked at loose items around your house as well as cleaning
products in your home, it is time to evaluate the more permanent elements.
One good place to start is furniture.
The Basics of Furnishings
If you want to create a healthy indoor environment, you can make smart
choices in purchasing new furnishings or refurbishing old ones.
Furnishings, drapery, and carpeting can be a significant source of indoor air
pollutants. These pollutants can potentially have a variety of affects on
health, including allergies; skin, eye, or throat irritation; headaches and
more. Many furnishings contain contaminants such as formaldehyde, irritating
fibers, synthetic dyes, resins, volatile organic compounds, and anti-stain
coatings.
Furniture:
Avoid synthetic upholstery and opt for natural fibers that have preferably not
been treated with anti-stain or other coatings.
Strive for coverings and pillow covers of cotton or similar natural material that
can be periodically washed. Throws can cover cushions and washed
frequently, particularly if you have pets.
Select natural wood furniture and furniture with hard surfaces such as metal.
These hard surfaces are good for minimizing dust and fibers in the air. Hard
surfaces are also easier to clean. Avoid particle board, chip board, and
plywood that often contains formaldehyde.
Select water-based or natural finishes over synthetic oil-based finishes and
stains.
Avoid soft-plastics that can release volatile organic compounds into the air.
Drapery
Select natural materials, such as cotton drapery, that can be washed.
Venetian or wood blinds are a good option to minimize dust.
Carpeting
Tile, hardwood, and marble are preferred over wall-to-wall carpeting.
Formaldehyde is often used in carpet backing and padding as well as
adhesives. Synthetic carpets are often a source of volatile organic
compounds. Hard surfaces are easier to clean and don't trap dust, pollens
and other allergens.
If you prefer throw rugs, select natural fibers, such as sisal or cotton.
Books to Read:
Healthy House Building for the New Millenium
Better Basics for the Home
Buy Books Here from Amazon.com
- Healthier Cleaning Products: Help Yourself and the Planet
As interest grows in improving indoor air quality, there is also increased
interest in household products to help our health and the environment.
Among these products, from recycled paper to solar outdoor lights, are less-
toxic cleaning products.
Chain health food stores across the country, such as Whole Foods and
Trader Joe's feature a less-toxic cleaning section. The popularity of health
food, organic food, nutritional supplements and less-toxic cleaning products
as well as an awareness of indoor air quality is largely a result of much
greater awareness of holistic living and complementary health.
Furthermore, numerous books and articles are available on indoor air quality
and "green" cleaning products. Such books as Clean and Green (Berthold-
Bond, 1994), Home Safe Home (Dadd, 1997), The Healthy Household (Bower,
1995), Less-Toxic Alternatives (Gorman, 1997), and Better Basics for the
Home (Berthold-Bond, 1999) all discuss recipes and/or sources for greener
cleaning products.
Buy Books Here from Amazon.com
You can easily and inexpensively begin to incorporate less-toxic products into
your cleaning routine. Here are some of our favorite green cleaning tips:
1. Use vinegar and water(about 50-50) to clean windows and mirrors.
2.Use "Bon Ami" to scrub countertops, stainless steel, and bathroom fixtures.
It is phosphate-free, chlorine-free, perfume- free, and dye-free.
3. Use more earth friendly laundry detergents, such as Seventh Generation
or Ecover, instead of other commercial products. Also, a 50-50(1/8 cup each)
combination of washing soda and borax is a good fragrance-free, natural
whitener. You can purchase Seventh Generation Products in bulk at Gaiam.
4. Use plant enzymes, such as Natural Chemistry's "Smells and Stains"(http:
//www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/Default.asp), to clean up animal urine and
other biological cleaning challenges.
5. Seventh Generation's
Automatic Dishwashing Detergent is phosphate-free, fragrance-free, and
biodegradable. You can buy this from Gaiam.
6. Baking soda is also a good all-purpose deodorizer and cleaner for light
jobs.
If you have any further questions about cleaning products, consult the books
found in the "Resources--Bibiography" or e-mail us.