top 3 “easy” homes changes for a healthier home

 
 
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Air Purifier

This may come to a “of course” or “why” moment, however the importance of clean and healthy air is a necessity. Air purifiers are not a “cure-all” approach by any means, however it does help with cleaning the air. Not to recall, the fires we’ve been having more frequently in all parts of the planet or close to home places like Northern California in 2020. Residents mentioned they couldn’t go out for a few weeks because how bad the air quality was outside. If you go back to our Healthy Buildings post, you’ll see the statistics and the reasons why we put this as a top item to have in your home. Indoor air quality (IAQ) can be 3-5% worse than outside air - no matter where you are living in the world. This takes into account off-gassing, cooking fumes, candles, scents, humidity levels (which can cause mold), and more. A lot of this comes from the things we own - furnishings like our couches, chairs, floorings, the paints we use, down to our cleaning products. A easy implementation in helping reduce this, is getting an air purifier.

Two key elements we look for in air purifiers are:

  1. High-Efficiency Particulate Air, known as, HEPA filter, as it has better filtration for the tiniest particles

  2. Energy Star rated - so it doesn’t rack up the energy bill

There are many on the market that claim they are the best. We hope these two features help narrow it down a bit more. In our experience, we like to stay away from ionized purifiers or ozone cleaning purifiers as it tends to cause irritations and be worse for your environment.

Lastly, the importance of maintenance on these devices. Keep up changing out the filters. Most filter changes are about every 3 months/every quarter. Some can go up to a year with the second filter. We suggest to put a reoccurring event on your phone (or whichever way you keep track of your events) and change them when it’s time. It is incredible to see what the purifiers actually clean out. Compare it against the new filter you’re putting in.

For more information, please see from our sited sources or venture down your own research: Mayo Clinic on Ozone Air Purifiers, California Air Resources Board (CARB) on Ozone Purifiers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Air Filters and Cleaners on Air Filters and Cleaners, Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Air Quality.

 
 
 

Water Filter

Water Filters are game changing. Even down to a simple one like a Brita. Not only are you reducing plastic bottle usage (see National Resources Defense Council, NRDC, single use plastic 101) and the contaminants that leech from them (from heat exposure), you get a cleaner water and a better tasting beverage. Clean water is incredibly important. According to studies, like the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), our bodies make up 60% of water with some organs making up more, like our lungs making up 83% water. Here’s a quick snapshot on what water does for us:

Having this much water needed in our body, you can probably put it together that one of the most essential ingredient for our bodies, should be clean. More statistics on why clean water is important, please see our previous post Healthy Buildings.

How do I know which filter to get? All depends on what you want and what’s most important to you. For instance, what you want filtered out, how much you want/need filtered out, price, effectiveness, and your taste factor. We pulled together a few resources that have done the research for you! Please take a look at:

Mashed.com also did a great write-up in April 2020 on the “Truth About Water Filters” have it a go when you if you want to dive a little deeper. Talks briefly about the history of water filters (spoiler alert: dates back to 2,000 BC) , the components of water filters, the primary function of them and some of the types of filters.

Ever want to know what’s in your tap water? Here’s a few suggestions.

Our suggestion is to do some of the research first on what’s in your water by looking at a tapwater database similar to EWG or similar - It’ll give you a base. If you feel like something is wrong with your water, call your local supplier STAT (immediately) and have it tested by your state.

Access to clean water is still an issue globally. Here are some statistics taken from the World Health Organization (WHO):

  • “In 2017, 71% of the global population (5.3 billion people) used a safely managed drinking-water service – that is, one located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination.”

  • “90% of the global population (6.8 billion people) used at least a basic service. A basic service is an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes to collect water.”

  • 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water.”

  • “Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.”

See more from WHO.

In our eyes, we don’t ever want to take clean water for granted. We are so very fortunate to be able to have access and have the ability to be able to purchase water filtration systems as well.

Sources: World Health Organization: Drinking Water 2019, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): The Water in You - Water and the Human Body, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) - Single Use Plastic 101, Environmental Working Group (EWG) Tap Water Database , The New York Time’s Wirecutter, Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Water Filter Guide

 
 
 
Clay Banks | @claybanks

Home Cleaning Supplies

Yes, your home cleaning supplies. From your laundry detergent, to multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, bleach - all of it. Harsh cleaning agents can have an environmental AND health impact on you and your family.

We’ll give a brief high level overview here, however we listed some great well-written researched articles on this. Please check out the links below for a more in depth overview on the impact of cleaning products on the environment and on people.

Let’s start with the environmental impact it has.

  • Water Pollution: chemicals used in conventional products biodegrade slowly or biodegrade into more toxic, persistent, and bioaccumulative chemicals, threatening aquatic life and polluting our water supply.

Now, on the health impact it has on you and your family.

  • Air Pollution resulting poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) due to higher Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) indoors from cleaning agents/products.

  • Endocrine Disruptors (see definition) can be linked to:

    • Scented or fragranced products (ones that don’t disclose their fragrance ingredients on the product label) like air fresheners, scented cleaning or laundry products. These products can trigger allergies and often contain suspected endocrine disruptors, such as phthalates (see definition) and synthetic musks.

  • Skin, Eye, Throat Irritations from:

    • Triclosan, an antimicrobial (see definition): Triclosan has been linked to increased allergen sensitivity and disruption of thyroid function even at low levels.

    • Toilet cleaners, oven cleaners or heavy-duty degreasers that contain hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sodium or potassium hydroxide, or ethanolamines. Chemicals which can cause skin burns, blindness and lung irritation.

Other Reasons

  • Safer Home:

    • Why the need to have “flammable”, “highly toxic” , “do not use around children” , “carcinogenic” products in your home. Perhaps try something different and find cleaning products that have low VOCs, low flammability, fragrance-free, biodegradable, made from renewable resources type products.

  • Save Money by:

    • Buying safer, environmentally friendly all-purpose cleaners that do multiple jobs. You may not need to buy a product for every type of cleaning. Some products, like vinegar, can be used across the board for multi-use cleaning. Also, these safer, better for the environment products are sometimes even cheaper than the “normal” brands.

    • Do-It-Yourself Products: This could end up being something fun you can do at home and/or with your kids.

If you must or still want to use the “strong” products, an idea can be to use it less frequently and in a well ventilated area.

Want to dig a little deeper on this? Please dive into some sources listed below.