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by: Lesley Dietschy
Have you ever thought of your home as being healthy or unhealthy?
While the concept of a healthy home may be new to some of us,
it is steadily gaining popularity with homeowners. A healthy home can include
a number of elements from building materials used to construct your home to
using non-toxic cleaning products. Below is a list of five
ways to assist you in creating a healthy home environment.
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1. Clean Air and Circulation:
Here are some little known facts from the EPA (Environmental
Protection Agency) about the air inside many of today’s homes:
Indoor air pollutant levels may be two to five times higher
than the pollutant levels outdoors.
Indoor air pollutant is one of the top environmental concerns
today.
Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors.
Indoor air pollutants such as tobacco smoke,
pollen, mold, dust, and animal dander have the ability to create asthmatic and
allergic reactions.
Listed below are a few ways to improve the quality of your
indoor air:
Consider an Indoor Air Purifier. The Association
of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has put forth industry standards for
indoor air purifiers. To view results of their standards and testing or to find
a certified indoor air purifier, you can visit their website at cadr.org.
For better air circulation, leave doors between rooms
open most of the time and open windows when possible to allow for a
good supply of fresh outdoor air. You can also install exhaust fans in bathrooms
to help remove moisture and chemicals from your home.
Upgrade the air filters on your furnace
with the pleated filters that capture smaller particles. Change the filters
regularly as recommended by the manufacturer’s instructions.
You can also use indoor houseplants to aid in purifying
your home’s air. For example, Boston Ferns cleanse formaldehyde
from the air. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, formaldehyde
is a colorless, strong-smelling gas. When present in the air at levels above
0.1 ppm (parts in a million parts of air), it may cause watery eyes, burning
sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, coughing, chest tightness,
wheezing, skin rashes, and allergic reactions. Formaldehyde can be found in
insulation, particleboard, paper products and many cleaning products.
2. Dust-proof Your Home:
Dust your rooms and knickknacks regularly
with a damp cloth.
Dust your hardwood, tile, linoleum, and
laminate flooring regularly with a dust mop or a vacuum made for hard flooring.
Vacuum carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture regularly.
Consider buying a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air)
filter. A HEPA filter is capable of removing a minimum of 99.97% of all particles
that are 0.3 microns or larger. In addition, consider using a bag-less vacuum
to avoid the exposure of dust when you change a bag.
Encase pillows, mattresses, and box springs
in an airtight, dust-proof cover.
Dust/clean ceiling fans regularly to make
sure they are not releasing dust in the air every time you run them.
Replace dust-collecting blinds and long
drapes with window shades or washable curtains.
3. Use Natural and Non-Toxic Cleaning
Products:
One way to assure that the fragrances in your home are clean
and fresh is to avoid using harsh cleaning products, which
can create fumes that may linger for days. Try using natural ingredients such
as baking soda, vinegar, club soda, and lemon juice.
For example, to make a natural glass cleaner, combine:
2 teaspoons white vinegar
one quart of warm water
Mix ingredients together and pour into spray bottle. Spray
on surface and wipe dry.
4. Fill Your Home with Natural and Earth-Friendly Products.
Below is a small list of eco-friendly products available on the market today:
Organic cotton towels, linens, clothing
Mattresses, bedding, pillows
Cork flooring, wool carpet
Sofas, chairs, ottomans
Toys and games for all ages
Pet products
Soap and laundry detergents
Organic candles, home décor accessories
Personal accessories
5. Use Safe, Non-Toxic Interior Paints that have:
very low VOC (volatile organic compounds) content
no formaldehyde
low odor
Try using any of the above suggestions to create a
healthy home environment. Although the concept of a healthy home is
relatively new to many, there are numerous resources available including books,
articles, and websites, where you can find additional information.
Other articles you may find interesting:
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Lesley Dietschy is the creator/editor of The Home Décor
Exchange, a popular home decorating and improvement website. Please visit the
website for hundreds of categorized home décor resources, articles, ideas,
tips, free projects, natural cleaning recipes, healthy home products and resource
links, and much more. www.HomeDecorExchange.com
*The articles published on this site undergo our review process. We found
the information in this article to be very useful and informative. The source
website does not necessarily reflect our website. We have linked to them for
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