How To Breathe Easier In Your Home

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside our homes is on average two to five times unhealthier than the air outside. This indoor air pollution is caused by the off-gassing of toxic substances by items you bring into your home, including paint, furniture, carpeting, pesticides, cleaners, tobacco smoke, and plastics.

Toxic chemicals in your air can also come from aerosol sprays, air fresheners, dry-cleaned clothing, personal care products, and dust and mites. Most of these toxic substances are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which slowly evaporate, increasing the chances of breathing them in and subjecting you, your family and coworkers to detrimental health effects. Spring cleaning is a great time to purge your home of these health hazards and freshen up your indoor air quality.

In order to protect your health in your home and office, Green Irene recommends you take measures to avoid bringing things inside that off-gas in the first place, and use filtering devices to further purify your indoor air. The best way to start is by identifying and eliminating the source of toxic chemicals and replacing them with more natural substitutes. While completely avoiding toxic substances is not always possible, the more you can eliminate your exposure to them, the healthier you will be. Green Irene recommends the following precautions:

• Safely discard of partially-used containers of old or unnecessary chemicals.
• Get house plants! Many houseplants can absorb benzene, formaldehyde and xylene. For maximum benefits you should have a plant for every 100 square feet of home or office space.
• In new or remodeled areas, allow time for building materials to off-gas pollutants before occupancy.
• Make sure there is good ventilation in your home or office (open the windows or use a fan, if necessary).
• Change or clean your furnace or A/C filters at least once every 1-3 months depending on use.
• Avoid using chemical air fresheners and traditional petroleum-based candles (try natural Soi Candles instead).
• Use only non-toxic home or office cleaners (i.e. Green Irene-recommended toxic-free cleaners).
• Avoid buying any wood materials or other products with formaldehyde.
• Remove or limit vinyl plastics from your home or office.
• Select only low-VOC paints, caulks, sealants, finishes and carpets.

You can begin making your indoor environment more breathable with Green Irene‘s line of toxic-free cleaning products, home air cleaners and furnace filters, odor-eating Tub O’ Carbon, and other items that can improve your indoor air quality. Green Irene‘s cleaning products contain no toxic substances and the air cleaners will filter out any impurities from other off-gassing objects in your home or office. To learn more about what you can do, you can sign up for a Green Home or Office Makeover with Green Irene or purchase items at ShopGreenIrene.

Rosamaria Caballero Stafford
Co-Founder and the Original Green Irene