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8 Ways
to Create a Greener, Healthier Home
By Wendy Priesnitz
1.
Breathe Easier
The state of the
air in your home might not be as obvious as the dirt in your bathtub, but it
can be much more dangerous to your family’s health. For instance, the air
ducts used by your furnace or air conditioner can contain dust, pollen,
bacteria and even mold. And that contaminated air is circulated throughout
your home, day after day. Fortunately, it’s relatively inexpensive to hire a
company to clean your ducts. Open the windows or create other opportunities
for fresh air exchange on an ongoing basis. Plumbing traps need to have
proper venting to prevent sewer gas. And gas appliances and woodstoves
shouldn’t be drawing on indoor air. Green up your home with house plants,
which have been proven by NASA to purify the air. (See this
article.)
2. Green
Your Bedroom
Sheets that have
permanent press finishes typically contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen,
which becomes a gas at room temperature. Since you spend so much time in
bed, consider staying away from permanent press fabrics, and buy organic
cotton sheets or those made from alternative fabrics like hemp or bamboo.
Mattresses made from polyurethane foam (“memory foam”) also contain and
off-gas a variety of toxic chemicals, including – in some cases – fire
retardants. So, again, choose certified organic mattresses or futons. (See
this article.)
3. Use
Non-Toxic Cleaners
Some laundry
detergents have more than four hundred ingredients, which the manufacturer
doesn’t have to list on the packaging. These products contain some
exceedingly nasty ingredients and they’re tested by the manufacturers, not
the government, prior to being unleashed into our homes. There are known
health effects from many of the chemicals commonly used in household
cleaning and laundry products. Animal studies have shown reproductive harm –
testicular damage, reduced fertility, maternal toxicity, early embryonic
death, and birth defects. Some of the ingredients are proven carcinogens.
Making your own is greener and cheaper...and not difficult. Baking soda,
vinegar, and some elbow grease should get your house clean much more
safely…and spend less money too. (See this Ask Natural Life column.)
4. Prevent and/or
Remove Mold
Basements are
often the home of mold spores, but leaky bathroom or kitchen plumbing, as
well as inadequate ventilation and poorly maintained humidification
equipment can also be the culprit. Mold can produce allergens, irritants,
and, in some cases, potentially harmful toxins. Black mold is an especially
dangerous type of mold. If you discover mold in your house, promptly clean
it up and fix the water problem that is causing the mold. Dry out anything
that is damp, then scrub away the mold. Try to avoid commercial cleaners
like bleach. Instead, use a few teaspoons of tea tree oil or a few drops of
grapefruit seed extract mixed into a few cups of water. One hundred percent
white distilled vinegar let sit on the mold also works and is by far the
cheapest. (See this article.)
5. Tear Up the
Carpet
While carpets
provide a warm, cushiony surface for children who like to play on the floor,
they can also release dust and fumes that cause sniffles, headaches, asthma,
and other health problems. More than two hundred chemicals – many of them
petroleum-based – are used in the manufacture and installation of synthetic
carpets and their backings, not to mention the fact that even regular
vacuuming fails to remove all the dirt, molds, dust mites and pesticide
residues tracked in from outside. Avoid all the VOCs by using smaller,
washable carpets made from natural fibers. If you’re up for a major
renovation, consider concrete embedded with radiant heat coils and topped
with a floor made from wood from FSC-managed forests, reclaimed wood, bamboo
or cork. (See this book excerpt.)
6. Finish Walls,
Floors, and Furniture Carefully
A healthy, green
home will reduce its occupants’ exposure to chemicals (such as formaldehyde
in insulation and particleboard; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in
adhesives, sealants and paints; and pesticides, fungicides and heavy metals
used to treat wood) through use of non-toxic building materials and
products. So if it’s time to freshen up a room, be sure you’re not making it
more toxic instead. As paint is applied to a surface and begins to dry, the
VOCs in the paint are escaping into the air and may continue to off-gas at
low levels for years after application. So be sure to choose carefully. Most
major paint manufacturers offer low-VOC paints, and these are much healthier
than standard paint, although they can still off-gas VOCs and generate a
tell-tale odor. Fortunately, paint manufacturers are now beginning to offer
zero-VOC paints, although they are more expensive, harder to find, and
available in a limited number of colors. (See this
article.)
7. Reduce
Electronic Smog
Many homes are
infused with a sort of electronic smog, resulting from low frequency radio
waves. Sources include cellular and cordless phones, wireless Internet, baby
monitors, dimmer switches, computer monitors, fluorescent light bulbs,
halogen lights, radios, microwave ovens, and just plain electrical wiring.
Exposure to the electromagnetic radiation from these products can make some
people ill with symptoms that can include nausea, headaches, asthma, chronic
fatigue, chronic pain, tinnitus, brain fog, restless sleep and rashes. And
some research indicates that exposure to electromagnetic fields may cause
damage at the cellular level. Ensure that electrical equipment is properly
grounded and unplug it when not in use. Use cable or fiber-optic Internet
technology rather than wireless. Use a corded phone/land line for day-to-day
needs. Non-carpeted floors, the use of natural materials, and 30 percent
relative humidity will create lower electrical fields. And if you’re
shopping for a new home, avoid living near cellular towers and high tension
power lines. (See our Ask Natural Life column.)
8. Check
for
Radon
Radon is
colorless, odorless, and seeps into your home from the surrounding soil,
offering no warning signs to alert you to exposure. And yet, this
radioactive gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United
States and the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never
smoked. It comes from the decay of naturally occurring uranium in the
earth’s soil and can accumulate in enclosed areas, such as homes. You should
have your home tested for radon, and when testing indicates high levels, a
trained radon reduction contractor should be consulted to correct the
problem. Renovations to existing basement floors (particularly earth ones),
sealing cracks and openings, and sub-floor ventilation of basement floors
can prevent admission. The soil surrounding the home can also be ventilated
so that radon is drawn away before it can enter, either in an existing home,
or during new construction. Increasing the ventilation within your home will
also help. (See this article.)
Wendy Priesnitz is the editor of Natural Life
Magazine and the author of thirteen books, including
Natural Life's Green and Healthy Homes.
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