Four Unexpected Causes of Pollution

Four surprising ways you're hurting the environment—and the surprisingly easy changes you can make to be greener. 


1> Using Body Wash All The Time...
Liquid soaps require five times more energy for raw-material production and nearly 20 times more energy for packaging production than bar soaps do.
Greener Habit...Stick with bars when you wash up. Not only do they have a considerably lower impact on the environment but also you'll use less.


2> Being Oblivious to Your Electronic Settings...
The average home contains about 24 energy-sucking electronic devices, with TVs, desktop computers, cable boxes, and game consoles among the worst.
Greener Habit...It's easy to tweak a TV, so start there. Select "home" mode in the setup instead of "retail," which is meant for a bright in-store display. If there is an automatic brightness control, turn it on.


3> Running the Dishwasher and Clothes Dryer During the Day...
These machines produce heat and humidity, which means your air conditioner has to work harder
Greener Habit...Use your dishwasher and dryer during off-peak hours, which typically start between 8 P.M. and midnight and end around sunrise.


4> Overdoing It With Aluminum Foil...
Americans discarded about 2.8 million tons of aluminum—including containers, cans, and foil—in 2013, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Whereas soiled containers can be recycled, dirty foil can't. And it can take centuries for aluminum to biodegrade.
Greener Habit...Use unbleached parchment paper for baking and roasting as well as for wrapping sandwiches and snacks. It's biodegradable, compostable, and often reusable.


                                                               

                                                              

Courtesy Of: Real Simple

Cleaning Products You Should Never Mix

When you're faced with a tough cleaning job, it's easy to get frustrated — and tempting to get creative with how you combat it. But before you reach for every cleaning product under your sink and start playing chemist, please just don't. "People often think that if one product works, mixing it with another one will make it even better," says Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

But here's the scary truth: "Certain products, which are safe when used alone, can sometimes cause unsafe fumes or other chemical reactions when mixed with other products," says Nancy Bock, Senior VP of Education at the American Cleaning Institute.

And even if your ad-hoc cleaner combo isn't dangerous or toxic, you can never be sure what effect two products can have on a surface or fabric when combined. Always read the warning and ingredient labels on cleaning products — and never mix these:

1.) Drain Cleaner and Drain Cleaner... Never mix two different drain cleaners together as they are powerful and can lead to an explosion.

2.) Baking Soda and Vinegar...One is basic and one is acidic. When you put them together what you get is basically water. If mixed together and stored in a tight container, the mixture can explode.

3.) Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar...combining the two can be potentially toxic and can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system.

4.) Bleach and Vinegar...Together they produce chlorine gas which can cause coughing, breathing problems and burning, watery eyes.

5.) Bleach and Ammonia...Bleach and ammonia produces a toxic gas called chloramine which causes the same symptoms as bleach and vinegar-along with shortness of breath and chest pain.

                                                                                    

Courtesy Of: Good House Keeping

The Toxic Characteristics of Carpets

New Carpets:

• Contain toluene, benzene, formaldehyde, ethyl benzene, styrene, acetone and a host of other chemicals that are known carcinogens and produce fetal abnormalities in test animals. These chemicals also cause hallucinations, nerve damage and respiratory illness in humans.


• That 'new carpet smell' comes from 4-PC, associated with eye, nose and upper respiratory problems. 4-PC is used in the latex backing of 95% of US carpets.


• Other compounds that affect your health are adhesives, flame retardants and stain protectors. In 2000 the 3M Company removed the chemical perflouro-octanyl salphonate from their product, Scotchgard, because it had been found to cause reproductive problems in rats.


• Mothproofing chemicals contain naphthalene, which is known to produce toxic reactions, especially in newborns.

The obvious preferred option would be to get rid of any carpeting to reduce your exposure to carpet toxins, and replace carpeting with tiles, wood or bamboo.

                                                 

                                                                  

Courtesy of : Green and Healthy

Dawn Michael

Toxins in Candles: Sad, But True

There’s nothing like the gentle flicker of a candle flame, and a warm, sweet scent filling your home to evoke feelings of peace and wellness.  Except when that candle is actually filling your home with toxic chemicals and contributing to indoor air pollution.


Paraffin is the major ingredient in most candles and is a sludge waste product from the petroleum industry. It releases carcinogenic chemicals when burned. The soot/fumes are similar to that released from a diesel engine and can be as dangerous as second hand smoke. This can contribute to serious respiratory issues like asthma.


Scented candles may have lead or lead cores in the wick, which releases dangerous amounts of lead into your home through the candle soot. In 2003 the USA passed legislation to ban lead wicks, but they still find their way to store shelves from China, Taiwan and Canada. Two particularly toxic chemicals, benzene and toluene, are also found in the sooty residue from burning candles. Benzene is cancer-causing and toluene affects the central nervous system.


The very best options for candles are beeswax candles. They are absolutely pure and burn clean. It has a light scent of honey and they come in a range of color options.

              
Courtesy of: Keeper of the Home

5 Things To Add To Your Fall To-Do-List

You probably give your home a deep clean in the spring, but you should also show it some love at the beginning of fall. Here's where to start:


1. Perform a pantry audit.

First, remove all the cans and boxes from the shelves, and vacuum away any lingering dust or crumbs (a lot can build up in just a few months!). Then, inspect each item before putting it back in its place, tossing anything that is expired or past its prime.

2. Test and clean your smoke detectors.

You already know to put fresh batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors (doing it on the days you change the clocks for Daylight Saving Time is an easy way to remember). But you also need to clean your units, since dust that accumulates can cause them to underperform.

3. Flip your mattress.

When you turn back your clocks, turn your mattress over, too. If you can't flip it because it has a pillow top, rotate it 180 degrees to prevent body impressions form causing certain spots to slump. Sprinkle the mattress with baking soda to neutralize odors, and then vacuum it up.4. Shampoo your carpet.

4. Shampoo your carpet.

Get a jump on holiday party season by giving your carpeting a good scrub. We recommend getting a professional cleaning once a year, but you can also do a good job by renting a carpet cleaner.


5. Vacuum all upholstered surfaces.
 
You think your couch is clean until you plop on it, and a haze of dust appears around you. Give sofas and chairs a good vacuuming, making sure to hit both sides of the cushions, the back, sides, arms,even the platform underneath the cushions.

               
Courtesy of: Good HouseKeeping

5 Smart Ways to Stretch Your Cleaning Products

1. Don't automatically fill both dispensers in your dishwasher.
The detergent box recommends it, but it's better to adjust the amount of detergent to the soil level of the load and the hardness of your water. Start by filling each cup halfway, adding a bit more for extra dirty dishes and hard water. Plus, using too much detergent can leave a filmy residue on your glasses and flatware.

2. Always measure laundry detergent.
I know the numbered lines inside detergent caps are impossible to see, but with today's 2x and 3x concentrated detergents, a full cap is too large a dose for most loads. Adding more detergent won't get clothes any cleaner; instead, laundry can still be soapy at the end of the cycle and front-loading washers that are sensitive to excess suds may shut down.

3. Spray the cloth, not the surface.
When cleaning mirrors, polishing furniture, and shining stainless steel appliances, spray the cleaner directly on the rag. Spritzing the surface often wastes product and leaves behind excess cleaner that requires more wiping and extra buffing to remove — who needs that?

4. Choose a foaming bathroom tub and tile cleaner.
These cling to vertical surfaces better than thin sprays do, so you'll get more muscle from less product. After spraying a small section of tile, use your sponge or cloth to spread it around. Wait a few minutes for the formula to penetrate the soil, then wipe or rinse the surface clean.

5. Use multitasking products. Products like Good Housekeeping Seal-holder Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner and OxiClean Versatile Cleaner can be used for around-the-house cleaning jobs and for laundry stains. You'll not only save money with these workhorse products, but storage space, too.
             

How to Prevent Pollen Allergies

Approximately 40 million Americans are affected by allergies. The resulting upper-respiratory symptoms, known as "allergic rhinitis," are commonly called "hay fever" when caused by pollen sensitivity. Hay fever is characterized by itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing and coughing, and it can make sufferers miserable. Though it is difficult to avoid the pollen that's making you sneeze, there are ways to prevent your hay fever from getting out of hand.

> Find out what you are allergic to and learn to recognize it. The best way to prevent pollen allergies is to avoid spending time around the types of trees, shrubs, grasses or weeds that cause your symptoms.

 

>Keep windows closed and don't run attic fans, which allow pollens into your home. To stay cool, run central air or a window air-conditioning unit; change the filters regularly to prevent pollen and dust buildup.
 

> Wash pets frequently, and wipe or brush them down when they come in from outdoors. Pollens hitch a ride into your home on your pet's fur, so keep the animals out of your bedroom and off of furniture.

 

> Dust and vacuum at least two to three times a week to prevent indoor pollen buildup. Consider wearing a respirator when you are doing housework, as airborne pollens and dust particles are stirred as you clean and may jump start your allergies.

 

> Run a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air cleaner in your bedroom to rid your home of pollens that enter indoors. Breathing cleaner air at night can help you feel better when you start your day.

                
Courtesy of: eHow Health Editor