1. Remove any products from your bedroom, bathroom and house that contain ‘fragrance’, ‘parfum’ or claim to be ‘natural’ but cannot support that claim. If they are toxic or contain toxins (they most probably do) then dispose of them responsibly.
2. Open windows or doors at least once every hour to allow a complete air exchange (better still leave two windows slightly open so that there is always a slight breeze).
3. Wash all fabrics, including bedding and clothing, in a non toxic, unscented washing agent, use a hot wash occasionally (especially on bedding, cushion covers and anything that might have mites/ bed bugs breeding in them), dry in fresh air and sunshine on a clothes line or airing rack.
4. Consider a HEPA quality vacuum system, either portable or inbuilt (inbuilt is only more effective if the main vacuum is located in an external, well ventilated machinery room or shed – otherwise the air is just re-circulating into your house anyway). Clean and change (where necessary) the filter at the recommended intervals. If is a cleanable, re-usable filter then clean it more often than not.
5. Have a variety of easy to care for household plants such as spider plants, peace lilies and geraniums. They need some indirect sunlight, the occasional water and plant food and a dust once per week and they do great deeds in absorbing CO2 and other air impurities in one’s house. Have one near the computer and next to the television.
6. Dust with a cloth dampened with water (not with a commercial surface cleaner – they contain toxic chemicals and are designed to impart a slight static charge so that they attract dust so you think you need to dust again and thereby use more product – the manufacturers will claim that they only attract the dust that is already in the air in order to help you wipe it up).
7. Get any gas burning device and any fire place leak checked. These are a major source of indoor toxins such as CO (carbon monoxide) which can cause all sorts of quite serious health issues whilst going largely undetected.
8. Change your fire detecters from radioactive decay to IR emitters – this reduces unnecessary environmental radiation in your household. There are no long term studies regarding the health affects this may have but we know from other radiation studies that alpha particles, even in small quantities, are toxic so one must take the principle that none is best option.
9. Have a “no shoe” policy in the house, the amount of dirt and potentially harmful particles that can enter the house on the soles of shoes is incredible. A mud room is ideal, but otherwise an easy to clean entry surface (floor boards or tiles), with a bench and a storage rack will make this habit easier to reinforce and maintain.
10. If you have a pet (or have to have a pet), contain its indoor activities to one small area of the house which can easily be cleaned and re-freshed. A good idea is to have a washable (untreated, non-toxic, non VOC) dog bed or piece of carpet in the corner of one or two rooms and train the dog to sit or lie there when it is allowed in the house. Wash dog bed and clean area regularly. Buy a decent, weather proof outdoor kennel for your animal for the majority of its day and night time. Buy a HEPA vacuum and use it regularly. From a dirt and allergy point of view the only good that I can say about cats is that it should encourage you to buy HEPA vacuum and use it regularly.
These are great tips. I have recently read that the air inside our homes have more air pollution than the air outside. I actually know someone who was so sensitive to Formaldehyde they eventually had to move out of there new home and in to an older home with hard wood floor and real wood cabinets ect…