Air Quality

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Vinyl Flooring vs. Linoleum Flooring

November 16, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

Old school linoleum is a building material I’m sure you’re familiar with. It’s really older than most people think, having been invented in the mid-1800s, and was basically just a mixture of linseed oil, sawdust, and pigment. After being pressed, cured, and placed you had your linoleum flooring.

However, in the 1960s vinyl flooring hit the world in a big way. It was flashier, a little easier to install and supposedly had a better manufacturing process. Creating vinyl is not so easy on the environment though. Not only is it made with non-renewable petroleum products but when burned it creates toxic gasses and unlike the more natural linoleum, vinyl is not naturally dust repelling and may cause more indoor home air quality issues and allergies than linoleum.

While there are a few pros of vinyl over linoleum, such as it repels moisture and won’t fade as much, it’s likely healthier for you and the planet to choose linoleum if you’re looking for an easy care, colorful flooring solution like this.

eco friendly flooring

Eco-Friendly Flooring offers a biodegradable linoleum material (some color choices shown above) made with all natural ingredients that stays warm and quiet. The floors are also hypoallergenic and antistatic, resilient to rolling furniture and equipment wheels, and available in 25 different colors to coordinate with any interior design. Wco-friendly Flooring linoleum can be used over radiant floor heat systems and cleaned with a plain old damp mop and vinegar water, plus can be refreshed with caranuba wax.

Other places to look for linoleum:

Greenfloors

US Floors (a cork linoleum mix)

Armstrong

Fight Off Three Home Toxins

November 3, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

There are so many toxins out there nowadays – from auto emissions to mercury in the water to pesticides in city parks and more. You can’t stop your exposure to all things toxic, but what you can do is limit your home exposure. Following are three home toxins that are easy to wage war on…

Carbon monoxide (CO): An odorless but highly toxic gas that can come from all sorts of places; wood stoves, furnaces, leaky chimneys, badly ventilated gas stoves, and indoor grilling products.

Health effects: CO at high levels can result in death but it’s still no fun at lower levels which can result in fatigue, nausea, headaches, confusion, impaired coordination and vision and more.

Fight CO: Your home should have a CO detector installed and you need to do a battery check at least every other month.

Mold: Mold while naturally occurring is just as toxic as any other baddie toxin. It’s caused by little spores in the air that settle down and multiply on damp or wet surfaces. Mold is common in basements, at baseboards, in kitchen, near windows, and under sinks.

Health effects: Mold can produce general allergies, but also may cause rash, asthma, and other more serious issues.

Fight mold Make a homemade mold and mildew remover and use it. Once mold sets up camp for a while, it’s much harder to get rid of so prevention before mold invades is key. IF it’s too late and mold is rampant, you can try to get rid of it using more chemicals (which sucks, but you don’t want mold). Check out the CDC guide to mold for more ideas.

VOCs: We’ve talked at length about what VOCs are here before – it’s a lengthy topic. They’re not good at all though and they’re in an insane amount of products.

Health effects: VOCs can irritate your whole body – your skin, muscles, head, eyes, and so on. They can cause coughing, headache, and a ton of other very serious health problems.

Fight VOCs: There are many ways to keep VOCs out of your home which improves both your indoor air quality and health. Read the following for more info:

Testing your home air quality

July 8, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Poor air quality is rampant in many homes. It’s smart to test your home air quality, plus not even that expensive. Most homes don’t need fancy testing solutions. Two kits you can pick up at your local hardware / home & garden shop include a basic carbon monoxide detector and a radon testing kit.

Talking Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm if gas levels in your home rise to an unsafe level. Carbon monoxide can leak from any poorly maintained fuel burning appliance and an appliance can go wacky without you knowing. Other places carbon monoxide can come from include, kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke, worn or poorly adjusted and maintained combustion devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) or nearby auto, truck, or bus exhaust.

If you’re exposed to carbon monoxide at low levels you may feel fatigue or chest pain. At high concentrations, carbon monoxide can cause impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea, flu-like symptoms, angina, impaired vision, and reduced brain function. CO exposure can be fatal. A carbon monoxide detector can actually save your life and all homes should have at least one.

The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend that all homes be tested for radon. Radon, a radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste, can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is the most common cause of lung cancer (after smoking) and claims about 20,000 lives annually. Studies show that it’s found in all 50 states and that one out of every 15 homes has an elevated radon level.

According to the EPA, radon can creep into your home through…

  1. Cracks in solid floors
  2. Construction joints
  3. Cracks in walls
  4. Gaps in suspended floors
  5. Gaps around service pipes
  6. Cavities inside walls
  7. The water supply

Luckily testing for radon only takes minutes and is easy to do. Learn how to test for radon.

Testing your home air quality is just one part of the puzzle. You need to also keep mold in check, keep icky chemicals out of your home, and take daily steps to improve your indoor air quality.

Why Gas-powered Lawn Mowers Suck and Other Options

July 6, 2009 in Air Quality, Organic Gardening by Jennifer | 1 comment

According to the EPA, even though landscaping machines may be small, people own a lot of them and emissions from gas-powered lawn mowers and similar outdoor power equipment are a significant source of pollution, emitting high levels of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas into the air and community. In fact the EPA further notes that 5% of U.S. air pollution is generated by lawn mowers alone and another 5% by all other gas-powered yard equipment.

Brill Razorcut 38 push reel mower

One thing you can do is look into other lawn mower options, some of which include…

Until you get your alternative to gas-powered lawn mower, the EPA suggests you do the following:

  • Prevent spills and overfills of gas because even small gasoline spills evaporate and pollute the
    air. Use a funnel, or a spout with an automatic stop device when pouring gasoline into your mower, keep the cap twisted on tight, and keep your mower in a cool and dry area.
  • Change your oil and clean or replace air filters regularly plus keep up with other lawn mower maintenance to make sure your mower is running as efficiently as possible.
  • Reduce the amount of mowing time by having less grass and / or having low-maintenance turf grasses or grass/flower seed mixtures that grow slowly and require less mowing.

More resources:

Lawn Mower Exchange Program Calculator – use this calculator to see how exchanging your gas-powered mower for an electric or reel mower can improve air quality and save you money.

Learn where you can recycle your old gas-powered mower.

Six in ten Americans health affected by air pollution

May 17, 2009 in Air Quality by Jennifer | 1 comment

Air pollution is a major health risk for 6 out of 10 Americans according to 10th annual American Lung Association State of the Air report.

State of the Air is basically a report card for cities. The report assigns A-F grades to communities in the USA and looks at trends for 900 counties over the past decade. Ranking includes cities and counties most affected by pollution (ozone, or smog; annual particle pollution; and 24-hour particle pollution levels).

The problem of air pollution is double fold as most of the major pollution causing problems not only affect human health but also create more widespread global warming issues. While almost every major city in the USA has more pollution than it should, some are fairing better than others. According to the report, some very large cities have improved their air quality somewhat due to green efforts. Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Baltimore are among the cities making positive changes. have made improvements in their air quality over the past decade.

The fact that some cities are cleaning up their act can be misleading though, because while LA is cleaning up, they’re still ranked as #1 on the list for metropolitan areas most polluted by short-term particle pollution.

If you’re concerned visit The American Lung Association and view the report for all sorts of tips and facts such as…

  • How your city or county ranks.
  • How to protect your family from air pollution.
  • How to advocate for cleaner overall air quality – tips for addressing the EPA and others.
  • And lots more.

Do you live in one of the most polluted U.S. states or cities?

March 3, 2009 in Air Quality, Community, Water by Jennifer | No comments

Where you live is as important as your green home. Obviously a green home is important, but it can only go so far; there are better and worse places to set up camp.

First the states… How can you find out how polluted your state is? Many places compile info like this, but if you want to get picky, it’ll take a little searching.

Overall pollution: For a broad look at pollution in your area, check out the following sites…

Air quality: You can check The AirData Web site for access to air pollution data for the entire United States. You can learn about the highest ozone level measured in your state last year, where air pollution monitoring sites are located, sources of air pollution in your town, and more. If you’re looking for indoor air quality check out this EPA site.

Water quality: The USDA has a massive water quality page; good for an overall view of water where you live. If you want fast specifics on water safety in your local area read this post; Earth Friendly Beverages for more info.

If you’re moving at some point, and where is somewhat up to you, AND you’d like to make a smarter, greener choice about where you live read Choose A Green Community.

How much do you know about pollution in your local area?

New Ways to Solve Indoor Air Pollution

February 26, 2009 in Air Quality by Jennifer | 1 comment

Indoor air pollution is fairly common. Here at Best Green Home Tips, we’ve looked at many ways to keep the air in your home clean and healthy. To catch up, read…

Today, some extra tips that can help keep your home green and your indoor air clean.

Be an Apple user: I’m actually a PC girl, but Apple computers are free of PBDE which makes them a green step above if you can go that route.

Use a cloth shower liner: Vinyl shower liners suck to keep clean and worse can release icky chemicals into your home air and in some people these chemicals can even cause allergic reactions.

Opt out of dry cleaning: Dry cleaning, in most cases, is super bad for your health and the earth’s well-being. If possible only buy fabrics and home items that you can clean yourself. If that’s impossible, go with a greener dry cleaning option. Also read, “Green” Dry Cleaners to Be Leery Of.

Don’t forget your pets:  Most people don’t consider their pets when it comes to greening their home, but your dog’s bed may be releasing chemicals if you haven’t gone organic. That said, a good dog bed can do double duty for your air quality. Dog and cat beds capture a lot of dander and if you go organic (or buy beds made with natural materials) the bed won’t release chemicals found in conventional cotton.

Some healthy pet bed options: Read the rest of this entry »

Homemade Organic Fragrant Room Spray

February 13, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

Homemade organic fragrant room spray is a great alternative to chemical laden (and sometimes costly) conventional air fresheners. If you don’t normally keep essential oils around, the start up costs of making homemade air freshener can seem more expensive than buying a ready made bottle, BUT keep in mind that one little bottle of essential oil will last forever and goes a really long way.

Here are two easy recipes you can make at home:

Organic grapefruit lavender room spray Read the rest of this entry »

Why Choose A Green Bed Mattress and Pillow

February 10, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

Green bedding is a huge deal because we spend about a third of our lives in bed. Some of us probably spend even more time in bed :)

This is a major reason why you should go green with all your bedding, including the main components – your mattress and pillows.

Perks of choosing an eco-friendly mattress and pillow:

Conventional cotton can be jam packed with pesticides and even insecticides. You don’t want to sleep on that.

Many of the synthetic fabrics and materials used in conventional mattresses and pillows are made with non-renewable petroleum products. These products are often further treated with chemicals that can, over time, emit icky junk into the air (and into your peaceful dreams).

Conventional bed items are made with some major flame retardant baddies. Yes, no one wants to burn alive, but flame retardant materials like the ones used in conventional mattresses and pillows are overly bad for your health. The combustible-happy petroleum materials used to make conventional bed items is why the mattress and pillows need treated anyhow.The most common flame retardants are PBDEs and has been shown to pollute both the planet and our bodies. PBDEs have been noted as a possible prerequisite to birth defects, decreased sperm counts, motor skill problems, and more.

All of the above not only can cause problems in your home (added toxicity, chemicals in the air, and health issues) but also are dangerous for the people who manufacture these products.

All in all, conventional mattresses and pillow spell big trouble for your health and your green home. Coming up, how to choose a greener mattress and pillow, and some more facts about healthy green bedrooms.

Do you know what’s in your mattress?

Are Shoes an Eco No No?

February 3, 2009 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

Your shoes may be vegan, they may be made with recycled soles, they may even be made by a totally ethical company, but when you get right down to it, your shoes may be waging war on your green home.

Quick step: Take your shoes off at home.

Why?: Research shows that shoes drag in way more eco-baddies than we think. From pesticides to chemicals whatever is on your shoes comes inside with you and gets tracked all over your house.

Other tips:

  • During the summer taking off your shoes is more important. Summertime shoes have been shown to be worse offenders. During the summer pesticides used outdoors are at their peak, and more of these chemicals make it onto your shoes.
  • Having hardwood, clay, or tile floors reducers your exposure. Carpets, not so eco-friendly on their own, become worse when shoes walk all over them. Studies show it’s almost impossible to clean out dust, pesticides and chemicals from carpets – no matter how often you clean.
  • Keeping the above in mind, a rug or mat outside your door will help to limit the junk you carry inside, because the door mat collects some of the pesticides.
  • It’s also important to improve your overall indoor air quality which can help to combat the stuff you bring in on your shoes.
  • If you hate going shoeless, keep slippers or house shoes by your front door. You can change once you arrive.
  • Don’t forget the kids – they walk where you walk. Their shoes may be small, but they cause the same risk.

Do you go shoeless at home?

The VOC-free Home – 11 Ways to Keep VOCs Out of Your Home

January 23, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

In the last post we looked at what VOCs are. Now let’s look at some tips that can help you keep VOCs out of your home.

  1. Look for products that have low-VOC or no VOC labels. There’s no standard labeling system for VOCs, but many companies do make low or no VOC products. If you’re curious about standards, it pays to check out a company’s website to learn more about their ethics and VOC goals.
  2. Avoid aerosol products.
  3. Use natural air freshers.
  4. Buy natural beauty and health care products (soaps, cosmetics, and so on).
  5. Have a clean home air-make-over. There are tons of things you can do to clean the air in your home. Many of these steps naturally help limit VOC exposure.
  6. Learn how to properly dispose of and / or recycle hazardous household waste.
  7. Buy natural organic bedding and other natural and organic home textiles.
  8. Learn to co-exist with plants.
  9. If you build a home, choose a green architect and green building supplies.
  10. Avoid products that contain PVC. You can look for PVC-free labels or check out the PVC-free family guide.
  11. Buy sustainable furniture which tends to avoid things like pressed wood and particle board – both of which are heavy on the VOCs.

How are you avoiding VOCs at home?

What Are VOCs – Keep VOCs Out of Your Home

January 22, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are gases that are emitted by various synthetic materials (both liquids and solids).

VOCs can be found in a large amount of products you may use in your home from paints to household cleaners to plastics to cosmetics to building materials and lots more. You can see a technical list of VOCs here (in pdf) or a more user friendly list of VOCs here.

Why be afraid of VOCs:

Plenty of health issues can occur from exposure to VOCs. According to the EPA the following are issues…

“Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.  Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.”

VOCs are worse indoors than out, which is a major reason why you need to be aware or the products being used in your home. Research has found that indoor VOC levels average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoor levels. Shockingly, after immediate exposure to some activities, like paint stripping, levels in your house can be up to 1,000 times greater than outdoor levels.

Not only are VOCs more problematic indoors than out, but you can be exposed even if you’re simply storing a product with high VOC levels. Many VOC laden products release the VOCs when used, but some also release them when they’re just sitting around in your cupboard.

Next up we’ll have some tips about how to limit your family’s household exposure to VOCs.

Home Air Fresheners Are Not So Sweet

November 3, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Conventional air fresheners are really bad for your health and home – not green at all; not one bit.

If you like a nice smelling home, but don’t want your family exposed to aerosols, ammonia, and bad synthetic fragrances, try these much greener tactics…

Clean your house. Prevention goes a long, long way. A clean, non-dusty home always smells nicer than a dirty one.

Make some homemade potpourri

Learn how to clean the air in your house.

Look for natural incense. i.e. derived from natural resins, gums, essential oils, flowers, woods, powders and other botanicals. Try Mountain Rose Herbs or my favorite, New Mexico Cedar-Pinon Incense.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets. Allow it to sit for a bit, then vacuum it up.

Place cedar blocks or sprigs of lavender in your drawers and closets.

Burn organic essential oils – just place a few drops into a bowl of boiling water, and let it sit.

Burn organic or natural soy or beeswax candles.

Make Homemade Spicy Apple Air Freshener – perfect for the holidays or homemade Pennyroyal, Cinnamon, & Lavender Air Freshener.

Check out some more natural store-bought options. Orange Mate makes a biodegradable and nontoxic line of supplies for cleaning and freshening. I’ve never used any of their cleaning items but I have used their 100% Pure Citrus Air Fresheners. They’re available online or at other natural shops like your local co-op.

Create A Healthier & Greener Home

October 23, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Even if you think you have healthy habits; not smoking, wearing sunscreen, eating organic, your health could be at risk due to some basic home hazards. You can cut some of the damaging effects of home hazards by doing the following:

Take your shoes off: Studies show that a major cause of pesticides in the home is due to shoes. Shoes pick up everything and then drag that everything (pesticides, pollen, and other icky air polluters) to all the rooms of your house.

Don’t dry clean: Or at the very least try a greener dry cleaner. Dry cleaned items can release chemicals that cause cancer, plus, dry cleaning in itself is not a green process.

Grow some fresh air: If growing fresh air producing plants is not your style, invest in an Energy Star HEPA filter air purifier.

Light cleaner candles: Soy or beeswax candles are better for your health than wax candles. They burn cleaner, and produce less soot.

Buy sustainable real wood: Fake wood furniture is usually partially particleboard, which contains a chemical called formaldehyde, which can make you sick and cause allergy flare ups. When considering this tip also think about your wooden floors. Real, sustainable wood can be more expensive, but in the long run you’ll be healthier and so will the earth.

To learn more about cleaner, greener, healthier homes read:

What are you doing to decrease toxins in your home?

[image: Beeswax candles from Bluecorn Naturals]

Stop Air Pollution in Your Home

September 8, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 3 comments

There are plenty of things that can contribute to air pollution in your home. Your goal should be to have pure, clean air inside your home, both for the sake of planet health and the health of your family. Allergies, asthma, and even cold-like illnesses can all be affected by the quality of air inside your home.

Following are some ways to make sure your home air quality stays clean and healthy:

No smoking allowed: If you smoke, go outside, away from other people. Smoking in your home, especially if you have kids is dangerous for both health and fire safety reasons. In fact some studies show that banning indoor smoking is the number one best way to improve your home’s air quality.

Use your fireplace or wood stove smartly: Wood fires can release tiny particles and smoke that invades the air and your lungs. If you don’t have to use a wood burning fireplace, it’s better not to. If wood heat is your only source of heat; yes for some people it still is – in Humboldt we had only wood heat so we’d open windows and burn cleaner wood. To learn more read the EPA guide Wood Burning Efficiency and Safety.

Open the windows: Fresh incoming air is a great way to push out old stale air, and any icky household fumes.

Buy some naturally air cleaning houseplants.

Quit stirring up the dust: Use a damp rag to dust, not a feather duster or dry cloth. You may be tempted to buy those static cloths for dusting, and they do work, but they’re not long-lasting. You’ll end up tossing them. A wet cloth works just the same.

Clean regularly: Keeping a clean house is one good way to keep your air clean. This means making sure that items like appliances and humidifiers are cleaned as well.

Don’t EVER use toxic cleaners: Chemical, toxic, yucky home cleaners contribute to much of the indoor air pollution you encounter – and worse, none of these cleaners are necessary for a clean home. Choose green homemade cleaners instead. To learn more read the following: