Is your home poluted?

March 17th, 2009 by admin

“Fast food may appear to be cheap food and, in the literal sense it often is, but that is because huge social and environmental costs are being excluded from the calculations. Any analysis of the real cost would have to look at such things as the rise in food-borne illnesses, the advent of new pathogens, such as E.coli 0157, antibiotic resistance from the overuse of drugs in animal feed, extensive water pollution from intensive agricultural systems and many other factors. These costs are not reflected in the price of fast food.” ~Prince Charles ~

We are all aware of the fact that our air and water is getting more polluted each day. There are programs advocated for each of us as individuals to do what we can to help lessen the situation.

There is a growing awareness about the benefits of recycling. We are seeing recycling center pop up in different locations. Many cities have started to encourage their citizens to participate in recycling.

We as individuals are becoming more aware, but unfortunately the will to do something about pollution is growing more slowly in big business. Many of our corporations still put profit above healthy air and water.

We can only do as much as we can do as individuals, but every little bit helps. There is one place where we can do more which is often overlooked. That is in our homes.

Studies show that some buildings, including our homes, are many times more polluted than the outside environment. Many people do not realize this and put their family at risk.

Probably the greatest source of indoor pollution is carpets. Many of the chemicals used in manufacturing carpets is toxic. Those chemicals are slowly released into the air inside our homes. They continue to be released for many, many years.Upholstered furniture also contain many chemicals, which are released into the air.

The chemicals we use to clean our homes are often toxic. Just because they are in closed containers does not mean they are safe. They will release toxic fumes even if they are in containers, especially if the containers are plastic.

Even many of our personal care products contain toxic substances. These substances can enter the body by breathing them or through our skin.

The consequences of indoor air pollution can be anything from a compromised immune system to cancer and various pulmonary diseases. This may be part of the reason we are seeing such a rise in childhood diseases such as asthma.

There is a need to educate ourselves to the effects of the chemicals we use and are present in our homes. You can start to offset some of the indoor pollution by taking some simple steps.

Start switching to natural cleaners. You may even already have the basic ingredients for some of the natural cleaners. Items such as white vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide can be used instead of chemicals.

If you are able, replace carpets with wood or laminate floors. The next time you need to replace your furnace look into including an air filtration system.

TODAY’S TIP: Equal parts of water and white vinegar make a good all purpose cleaner. Try it, it is even a lot cheaper.

How is the air in your home?