Health begins in your home, so making your living environment eco-friendly and green is a great start.
Here are some ways that your home can be a healthier place for your family:
Eliminate mold by using vinegar, which is naturally acidic. Acid is the key to getting rid of mold and other fungi that grow in humid environments like bathrooms. Straight vinegar (5% concentration, with no water added), is a natural mold killer. It also kills bacteria, germs, and fungi.
If you are not using a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter on your vacuum, then you are not cleaning! HEPA filters suck air in and clean it out. They pull allergens like pet dander, mold, and fungi out of the air and trap them in an exhaust system rather than blowing then back in the the environment. A HEPA vacuum with a minimum efficiency of 99.97% at a particle size of 0.3 microns is good.
When it comes to minimizing mildew, mold, and dust mites, dehumidifiers are the best! Humidity levels in your home should be below 50%. Dehumidifiers are an inexpensive way to lower your allergen and exposure levels to molds and dust mites.
Clean green air is a must when you are improving your home to improve your health. Place houseplants around your home. Potted plants take in toxins and give out oxygen, which is a natural way to purify the air you breathe. Plants like butterfly palm, rubber plant, and philodendron, strip toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide out of the air. Water plants frequently.
Gas fumes from gas-powered stoves may cause dizziness, nausea, depression, muscle aches, allergies, and asthma, so make sure the venting over your stove is installed so it draws smoke outside instead of in. Always turn the vent on when cooking.
The biggest contributor to poor indoor air quality is cigarette smoke. Any changes you make to try to improve air quality in your home are trivial if you do not quit smoking. Secondhand smoke is a known carcinogen, containing nicotine and toxic chemicals. Even thirdhand smoke (the residue from tobacco smoke that clings to furniture, clothes, rugs, and walls) can affect your health. Thirdhand smoke can hang around your house for months, mixing with common pollutants to form carcinogens.
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com. To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.
