We do so many things to nurture our children and families but one thing we often overlook is indoor air quality. Our homes are becoming so much more energy efficient which is great. The negative aspect is that all the pollutants we bring into the home are causing indoor air pollution to become worse than outdoor air pollution. We have sealed up all those drafty areas and/or put in new windows but now we have stale polluted air inside. So I have pulled together a few tips to help you out this winter. Once spring arrives then we can open our windows and let some fresh air in.
Use low or no VOC paint when painting and try to ventilate as much as possible. If you can hold off and paint in the spring that would be a better scenario.
AFM Safecoat and Mythic Paint are two great examples. Most paint lines now have their version of this type of paint so it should be no problem finding it. My personal favorite paint store is Hunter Paints off of Monroe Road. Andy is very knowledgeable and can point you in the right direction.
Buy used furniture. It has had time to off gas. You can always put a fresh coat of the low or no VOC paint on it for a new look. If you are going to buy new then buy eco friendly versions, such as flame retardant free, organic upholstery and/or made of recycled materials. You also want to buy pieces with a nontoxic finish and NO particle board. All the pieces of wood are sandwiched together with glue which off gases as well. Check out Pacific Rim Woodworking for great quality eco-friendly furniture. Examples of furniture companies that do not use flame retardants are Green Sage Furniture, Montauk Furniture and Verellen Home Collection. IKEA has some affordable options as well.
Remember to change air filters and replace with a tighter weave if needed.
Buy all natural or wool rugs (Earth Weave brand for example) or try to eliminate rugs. Synthetic rugs also have issues in regards to air quality and carpet can contribute to allergies as well.
Try to keep dust and pet dander under control.
Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter.
Use natural cleaning products.
One of the easiest things to do is buy houseplants. It is wise to put a couple in your bedroom since you spend a majority of your lifetime in this one room. Houseplants help purify the air. It’s a good idea to keep one on your desk at work as well.
Here is a list of plants that are most effective.
– Peace lily
– Gerbera daisy
– Chinese evergreen
– Bamboo or reed palm
– Pot mum
– Corn plant
– Golden pothos
– English ivy
– Warnecki
– Janet craig
– Marginata
I went to Pike’s Nursery in Ballantyne and I was able to find every one of these.
Purchase an air purifier.
I run the attic fan occasionally, but not for long, to get fresh air circulating in the house. It will obviously cool the house down which is backfiring on the whole idea of being energy efficient while heating the home.
Remember to get outside as much as possible and ask your local plant nursery on how to best care for houseplants. My houseplants have been severely neglected so I need ones that require little maintenance.
Good luck!
10 comments
This is a great topic! We recently returned from a 5 week trip to South Africa and none of the homes there (even the ultra swanky ones) have air conditioning which means the windows are open pretty much all the time. The fresh air in the house is truly incredible and our 5 month old thrived in this environment as well as my hair and skin! My advice is to get as “natural” as possible in the house – open the windows when you can and yes – plants make a HUGE difference. Thanks for mentioning this topic!
Oh, I love South Africa! We were there a few years ago. I now remember the houses were like that. I absolutely agree with your comment. Thanks for your input. By the way, I am so impressed that you made that trip with a 5 month old!
Dana – let me know if you want details on my 5 weeks with a 5 month old at my in-laws in a foreign country. I’m by no means an expert but this trip gave me a ton of insight on traveling with an infant on a long flight and being away from home for a very long time! Love the site!!!
Great topic for which I have a lot of passion!! When it comes to the best and most affordable green products, may I suggest Get Clean- http://www.shaklee.net/healthandwellness/prodHou . One of the things I like so much is that you have basically one product – Basic H2 – which cleans literally everything from degreasing to windows just by changing the dilution and we’re talking 1-2 drops and 16 oz of water to make a window/glass cleaner. Like I said, super economical and super versatile! Check them out….
I would love to hear your travel tips! Hopefully one day soon we can start traveling again 🙂
much needed topic!Dana I love the way you think. Just a reminder about houseplants…esp. the peace lily, they can be deadly to cats. i almost lost one of mine b/c of it.We turn on the attic fan a ton, even when its 45 outside. it truly does energize the entire family and blow out the dust.
I am SOOO glad you mentioned the lily and cats. I almost lost my Maine Coon to lily poisoning. They only need a fleck of it ingested and it is deadly. We don’t have any houseplants b/c of this. I think it cost us $1,200 to revive Wilbur – my hubby was not pleased!
FYI, there are lists online of the best “air-cleaning” plants, like the ones above, and also lists online of the safest plants for kids. While no common indoor plant is going to be very toxic to a human, I remember reading that you don’t want a little person chewing on pothos leaves. Ferns are safe, but need more frequent care.
FYI, there are lists online of the best “air-cleaning” plants, like the ones above, and also lists online of the safest plants for kids. While no common indoor plant is going to be very toxic to a human, I remember reading that you don’t want a little person chewing on pothos leaves. Ferns are safe, but need more frequent care.
Jen P, we were in the same boat. It cost us about the same to revive our withering away Tipsy(no, I was not tipsy when I named her!) She just ingested a little and wham, she went downhill fast! Crazy that a plant named peace lily would be so dangerous.