How Healthy is Your Home?

We all want to be on the journey to healthier living; we think and talk about our diets, organic eating, spending more time outdoors, exercise and fitness etc… but what about the health of your home?

We have an intimate relationship with our environment, but how many of us think of the air quality in the environment of our own home the place where we spend most of our hours? Our home is not an inanimate structure; it’s an active enclosed eco-system. The health of your home is an integral component of your health and the wellness of your family.

We are all familiar with term “silent but deadly”, but have you ever thought about what that really means? The average home contains 500 – 1000 chemicals in which we are unable to smell, feel, see, or taste therefore we are often left unaware of the negative effects this has on our bodies.

Working on this article lead me to a conclusion, (not mine alone but that of many experts): Our home’s indoor air quality is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. That really got my attention! So that is why they say “ignorance is bliss”. It’s not very blissful when you are sneezing every day, have itchy dry eyes, irritated nose and throat, or that  headache that just won’t go away , or nasal congestion, and the list goes on. I saw a TV commercial last night where a woman goes to the doctor and confesses she uses eye drops every day and the doctor says that she has “dry eye syndrome” and gives her a prescription. Oh yea that explains it, she felt much better! Agh!

Long-term and repeated exposure to pollutants can and will affect our overall health. Hence it’s an understatement to say “it would be prudent to improve the quality of the air quality in our homes.”

Start with two categories:  Source and Ventilation

Sources can range in a variety of way.  A short list can include home cleaning products, personal care products, dust, mold, wall paint, building materials, upholstery, furniture, carpet and the bits and pieces we track in on our shoes from outside.

Ventilation provides the necessary fresh air for us to breathe, dilutes indoor air pollutants and excess moisture. Complaints of stuffiness, unpleasant odors, and illness are common in houses that contain too little fresh air.

This all can seem a bit overwhelming, it is to me. But like the saying goes; “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

Mike (my husband), and I started by getting an environmental home inspection, it was expensive but awfully enlightening and educational. They gave us a detailed report about the environment of our home. Then we sat down and put together a plan. This plan included long term and short term goals. Some things we  executed immediately and that felt great. Just being proactive in whatever way you can is a start.

The first thing I did was to through all our cleaning products; I got a cardboard box and put almost everything in it.  Then we went shopping, (if you know me, then you know I loved that part), and purchased all green, environmentally safe cleaning products, then I cleaned the house for two days and enjoyed it because I was creating a healthier environment The first thing Mike did was research and purchase HEPA air purifiers and HEPA vacuums.  This is one immediate and not too expensive of a step to healthier indoor air quality.

Next we are going to change the way our washer and dryer is situated so that we can control moisture in our house. This meant cleaning out the garage. There are a number of toxic resources in most garages and those can ventilate in to the house. Attics and crawl spaces are also resources for clutter and dust, mite rodent problems. Most of this kind of environmental cleanup can be done without spending very much money, it just takes some desire and good old physical labor.  Be sure to drink lots of water and wear a dust mask with a smile under it!

Congratulations you just took your first step to a healthier environment!

Are molds affecting your health?

Fact – over 43 million American are living with hay fever symptoms and/or asthma.

Signs of mold allergies can often look like a cold. Do you wake up in the morning with a runny nose, watery eyes, congestion, sneezing or rashes? Or do you have an allergy that never ends when the seasons change? You may be allergic to the spores of molds.

Molds live everywhere and especially here on the Oregon Coast. Molds are tiny microscopic organisms that digest organic matter and reproduce by releasing spores. Molds are a type of fungi and there are over 100,000 species. In nature, mold helps decompose or break-down leaves, wood and other plant debris. Molds become a problem when they go where they are not wanted and digest materials such as our homes

You know you have mold when you smell the “musty” odor or see small black or white specks along your damp bathroom or basement walls. Some mold is hidden growing behind wall coverings or ceiling tiles. Even dry, dead mold can cause health problems.

Mold enters your home in tiny spores and naturally grows indoors. Mold spores are able to come in many ways. They are the air outside can attach themselves to people and animals, making clothing, shoes, bags, and pets convenient vehicles for carrying mold indoors. When mold spores land on places where there is moisture they will grow.   Common locations include plumbing that leaks, leaky roofs, showers and bathtubs, refrigerators, carpet, damp closets, clothes dryers, fire wood, plant containers and food.

There is no way to get rid of them but you can control mold growth by keeping your home dry. The key point is mold cannot grow without moisture. If there is already mold growing in your home, it’s important to clean it up and fix the problem or it will come back.

Controlling mold growth in your home:

Dry out the house and fix any moisture problems in your home:

• Stop water leaks, repair leaky roofs and plumbing. Keep water away from concrete slabs and basement walls.
• Open windows and doors to increase air flow in your home, especially along the inside of exterior walls. Use a fan if there are no windows available.
• Make sure that warm air flows into all areas of the home. Move large objects a few inches away from the inside of exterior walls to increase air circulation.
• Install and use exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
• Ventilate and insulate attic and crawl spaces. Use heavy plastic to cover earth floors in crawl spaces.
• Clean and dry water damaged carpets, clothing, bedding, and upholstered furniture within 24 to 48 hours, or consider removing and replacing damaged furnishings.
• Vacuum and clean your home regularly to remove mold spores.
• Check around your windows for signs of condensation and water droplets. Wipe them up right away so mold can’t start to grow.

Cleaning mold:

Cleaning mold should be done carefully so it’s done safely and thoroughly. Mold is dangerous to your health and so are many cleaning products. If there is a large serious mold problem you may need profession help.

If you are going to clean the infected area yourself, here are some tips that should be followed:

• Wear goggles, gloves and a mask.
• Seal off the area from the rest of your home and open windows.
• Remove all your furnishings to a mold free area.
• Bag all moldy materials, take them outdoors and place in garbage right away.
• Clean the area thoroughly using a mild dish washing liquid or laundry detergent and warm water.
• Natural mold removal has a clear advantage to any other mold cleaning means. The benefits that it can bring are far more than just for humans but favor the earth even. Vinegar is one of the effective and natural basic home ingredients that could work well for mold cleaning.
• Sure, there are instances that are calling for the use of chemical based mold removal products. However, they are but extreme cases. Employing a professional is more advisable for larger mold issues.  A borate based detergent works very well for mold removal but it has some environmental issues.

Let’s start taking better care of ourselves and the world around us!