Our living room is the place where most Americans read, watch television and relax. But too often, a living room is also a place that maydamage your health.Here are some tips on how you can make your living room toxin-free.
It pays to wipe your feet before coming into the house. Even better, leave your shoes at the door, and keep a pair of natural fabric slippers on a mat. A recent study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that a commonly used lawn weed killer is readily carried on the soles of peoples shoes into homes, where it settles into carpets and poses a possible hazard to small children, pets and susceptible adults. Taking your shoes off at the door cuts track-in pollutants by about 90 percent.
When a house remains at a steady, cool temperature, there is less likelihood of molds and mildew developing.
Try to dust at least once a week. As many as two thousand dust mites can live in a single teaspoon of dust. Allergy product stores sell dust mite-resistant chair and couch covers.
Ventilate. Lack of ventilation not only can make you feel lethargic but can also lead to more serious respiratory problems. Give your ventilation system a once-over every month or so. Check air filters, drain pans, and cooling coils to ensure they are working properly. Ventilation grills should not be blocked by furniture.
Clean your carpets. Wall-to-wall carpets are notorious allergen trappers. Shampoo (with nontoxic detergent) regularly, and keep the carpets well aired. If youre buying a new rug, choose a washable one made from natural fibers (synthetic materials fire off noxious fumes), and ask to the see the manufacturers notes on emissions. Consider using linoleum made from all-natural materials (not synthetic linoleum, which contains chemicals) instead of carpeting.Keep your home at a relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent.If the inside of your home contains lead-based paint, have it removed by a certified professional. The fee will run from several hundred to a thousand dollars or more, depending on the size of your house and how much lead needs to be removed.If you have mini-blinds, check the label to see if they were made in Taiwan, China or Mexico. If so, run a home test kit (available at home improvement stores) on the blinds. If lead is found, remove the blinds.The U.S. Health and Human Service Department recommends that everyone measure the levels of radon in their home. Passive monitors are available for radon, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and water vapor. You can install one of these devises and leave it in your home to detect certain pollutants. Over time you will need to send the device to a laboratory to be analyzed. Monitors for each pollutant with laboratory analysis cost between twenty-five and seventy-five dollars, or more.
If you decide to have your home tested for indoor pollution, your state or local health office may be able to refer you to an air-quality expert equipped to perform the testing. These experts can test your home for various pollutants, measure infiltration rates, and advice you on the need to control further and reduce levels of pollution.Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporter. Check for her daily updates. She is the author of Ten Days to Detox: How to Look and Feel a Decade Younger.See what others have to say about this story, or leave a comment of your own.
