Green Your Home: 10 Tips for a Greener Home

Our homes are our sanctuaries where we spend much of our time. When you step into your home, it should be a nourishing environment, but, unfortunately, the air in our homes is often 2 – 5 times more toxic than outdoor air due to off-gassing of furniture, appliances, cleaning products and other household items.

Environmental toxins today are unavoidable – in the air we breathe, the food we eat and almost everything we touch. While we don’t have control over many of the toxins we’re exposed to, we do have control over what we put in and on our bodies as well as in our homes. The tips below provide you with a place to start making steps to green your home.

Sources of Toxins in the Home:

–Cleaning Products, Air Fresheners, & Candles
–Pesticides used in the home
–Carpets, Rugs and Upholstery
–Furniture and Cabinetry
–Gas Appliances
–Mattresses, Cribs and Bedding
–Paint, Hobby and Art Supplies
–Perfumes and Fragrances
–Non-organic Foods
–Cookware (aluminum or Teflon coated)
–Plastic Packaging and Storage
–Shoes and Clothing
–Sunscreens, Lotions, Ointments, and Other Personal Care Products
–Showers with Chlorinated Water
–Attached Garages (carbon dioxide from car and chemicals stored)
–Mold
–Tobacco Smoke

10 Tips to Green Your Home:

1. Remove your shoes when entering your home.
2. Use non-toxic cleaning products.
3. Eat organic food (visit ewg.org for the “dirty dozen” foods to always eat organic).
4. Store food and drinks in stainless steel, ceramic or glass containers.
5. Select natural skin and personal care products.
6. Wash new clothes before wearing them.
7. Use care when selecting new furniture or remodeling.
8. Purify your air and water.
9. Avoid chemical pesticide use in your home and yard.
10. Place many low-light requiring houseplants in your home. A study by NASA in 1989 on Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution showed low-light requiring plants such as Gerbera daisy, English ivy, Peace lily, Janet Craig are helpful at reducing certain toxins in the air. While your home would need to look like a jungle to have the greatest effect, having some plants is better than none.
Start now, and green your home with these tips!