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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.

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 »

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]

Re-purpose the Furniture You Own

September 30, 2008 in Decor, Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | No comments

Today we’re talking about sustainable furniture. One great way to own sustainable decor, with very little cost, is to re-purpose the furniture you already own. A close second choice is to remake furniture you find at a thrift store, garage sale, or antique store.

Some ideas for the furniture you already have:

1. Add new hardware: A new shelf knob or handle can remake an entire piece. Try something natural, like the Viola Knob from the Carol Beach Pressed Flower Knobs Collection or the recycled glass Drawer Pulls from the Aurora Accents Drawer Pulls Collection (available in six colors; Amethyst, Apricot, AquaBlue, ClassicClear, Cobalt, and Emerald). Both are available at Nature’s Hardware.

2. Refinish with healthy paints and non-toxic varnish: Don’t forget to sand your piece down first.

3. Use stencils: You can go one step beyond painting and stencil cool designs on a shelf or wall mirror. In fact, if you’re really creative, I’d go freehand.

4. Use covers: You can re-top a table with recycled glass tiles or cover that old couch with some new organic fabric.

To learn more read Reasonable Redecorating: Reuse, Refinish, and Repurpose.

Still to come: Places you can score sustainable furniture.

Sustainable Furniture Guidelines

September 30, 2008 in Decor, Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | 2 comments

Incorporating green options into your home includes many aspects – building, energy systems, landscaping, interior decor, and even furniture. If you’re going to build or remodel green, why fill your home with toxic furniture?

Home decor is just as important as what’s on the outside of your house. Following are some tips that can make choosing sustainable furniture a little easier:

Look for the right wood: Make sure to buy furniture made from fast growing woods like bamboo or mango, or look for wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC is a worldwide healthy wood standard.

Re-make what you already have: Maybe you don’t need new furniture. You could refinish your current furniture and make it bright and new. Fresh non-toxic finish or paint, plus some cool new hardware (like shelf knobs made from natural items) can cast a new light on old pieces.

Recycled and reclaimed pieces: Another option is to choose thrift store, antique shop, or garage sale furniture. You can re-purpose a piece, although sometimes it’s perfect as is. You can also look for shops that specialize in reclaimed and recycled woods or full pieces.

Go organic: When it comes to recovering an old couch, or even buying new chairs, look for fabrics that are organic or even vintage (re-used).

Look for healthy finishes: You can have healthy, sustainable wood furniture, but if it’s slathered in toxic sealing chemicals, it sort of cancels out the good. Make sure your furniture is finished in eco-friendly paints and varnishes.

Forget leather: The upside of leather is that it lasts and lasts. Long lasting is a smart eco-trait. However, the downside of leather is of course you have to skin an animal to get it. Also, leather production is costly and an energy drain – you have to have pastures for cows, factories for production, and forests are cleared for grazing. Leather is not a good eco choice.

Buy local when possible: It’s not always easy to buy everything local, but if you can, it’s better for the earth. Shipping is a large energy drain and doesn’t foster community.

Later we’ll look at some sustainable furniture options – and some ideas for re-purposing what you already own.

[Reclaimed Wood Table with Stainless Channel Tray shown above available at Acacia]