How Eco-Healthy is Your Home?
Because the average American spends 90% of their time indoors, the environmental health of homes, offices, and other indoor spaces is very important.
The way you maintain your home can make a BIG difference for you and your family's health and the health of our overall natural environment.
You can take simple, cost-effective steps to create a home environment that minimizes exposures to toxic chemicals in the products you use, the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the food you eat.
Take our quiz to find out how "eco-healthy" your home is and to get tips on how to make your home greener!
Which one of these strategies can help increase indoor air quality?
(Check all that apply)
GREAT JOB!
All of these choices help improve air quality!
Ideally, when you walk into your home, it should smell like nothing. Lingering aromas from cooking, fragrances or sprays are an indication that you may need better air flow in your household.
To freshen up the air in your house, open a window or turn on a fan for a few minutes a day to improve air flow.
To control air pollution coming from outside, purchase a window filter or use a fitted furnace filter. Lush, leafy house plants and essential oils like mint oil also clean up indoor air.
The way food is prepared and stored can expose you to toxic chemicals.
Polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") that form the coating of non-stick pans can contaminate the food you are cooking, along with our waterways when PFAS rinses off in the sink.
When non-stick pans are heated to 450°F, PFC-containing gases are released. A non-stick frying pan can easily reach over 700°F in about three minutes on an electric stovetop.
Tip: Choose cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel pans to cook. They are not coated in chemicals.
Epoxy resins (i.e., BPA) used to coat the inside of metal cans, plastic bottles and storage bins, and water supply lines have been shown to affect the brain development of children.
Tip: Purchase products certified BPA-free and limit consumption of canned foods. Move your food into a ceramic or glass container before heating it up in the microwave. Run tap water for 30 seconds before drinking to avoid potential health hazards due to leaded water pipes.
How one heats up their food is not as important as the surfaces used to do so.
Non-stick bake pans and frying pans can contaminate food due to the polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used to create non-stick surfaces.
When non-stick pans are heated to 450°F, PFC-containing gases are released. A non-stick frying pan can easily reach over 700°F in about three minutes on an electric stovetop.
Tip: Choose cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel pans to cook. They are not lined with chemicals.
Cast-iron and stainless steel pans are great alternatives to using cookware coated with nonstick chemicals.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made chemicals used since the 1940's to coat non-stick pans, and have been linked to cancer, thyroid disruption,and low birth rates.
Today, there are over 10,000 household cleaning products from various brands.
Manufactuers are not required to list all ingredients, and some cleaning products contain questionable ingredients such as evaporation phthalates that have led to allergies, asthma, headaches, or skin irritations.
Most name brand cleaners have added chemical fragrences or aerosols that have negative health effects when inhaled or directly applied to the skin.
Tip: Look for active incredients to avoid, such as petroleum-based ingredients, butyl glycol, nonylphenol ethoxylates and hundreds of others that are hard to pronounce. Instead, go for plant-based cleaners or cleaners made with essential oils which can lift dirt and grease, but without the effects of the harsh chemicals.
Great!
You are on your way to de-toxifying your home by using natural and plant- based products.
Tip: When cleaning, going back to the basics is not a bad thing, and when you know what each ingredient can do, you can make your own recipes.
Baking soda, for example, is an alkaline powder that neutralizes acids. It is an effective odor absorber and stain lifter.
Vegetable-based soaps made from plant oils lift and suspend dirt so that it can be washed away. Distilled white vinegar is a mild acid that kills germs and mold and dissolves mineral deposits from metals.
To eliminate a lot of toxic chemicals, preservatives, and fragrances that are harmful to our bodies, avoid fragrence when you can (fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals including Phthalates, which are plasticizers found in vinly), and avoid ingredients with the words "fluro" or "perfluro."
Those are the same toxic chemicals contained in non-stick pans. Instead, choose certified organic and natural skin care products with no added fragrences.
Great!
You have taken the first step in illiminating harsh chemicals by choosing scentless products.
To eliminate a lot of toxic chemicals, preservatives, and fragrances that are harmful to our bodies, avoid fragrence when you can (fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals including Phthalates, which are plasticizers found in vinly), and avoid ingredients with the words "fluro" or "perfluro."
You are making the right decision for your skin!
Because your skin is your body's largest organ and is also porous, it absorbs whatever you put on it.
If you choose certified organic and natural skin care products with no added fragrences, you will eliminate many parabens or sulfates that may cause skin irritations or allegeries.
Your skin is your body's largest organ and because it is porous, it absorbs whatever you put on it. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration does not require a safety assessment before a cosmetic product goes to market, and 89% of the ingredients in personal care products have not been evaluated for health safety.
Choose products that fully disclose ingredients.
Do you use pesticides, herbicides, or insect repellents inside or outside of your home in the yard?
Chemical pesticides and herbicides are toxic and 75% of US households use these chemicals.
Pesticides can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, or mouth. Because they are poisons, they also have potential to kill or injure you or your pet or wildlife if exposed for long term or in large quantities.
Tip: If you have to use pest control products, choose less toxic remedies which require spot applications like baits, traps, and gels instead of aerosol sprays or large spray applications. For larger pests like mice, we suggest rodent-proofing your home as the long-term solution, and to prevent more infestations. For stubborn weeds, spraying vinegar with a little bit of dish soap directly onto the weed and the root serves as a good alternative to an herbicide spray. Alternatively, you can pull the weeds up, and lay down a thick layer of mulch to prevent new growth.
You are on your way to a healthier home by not using toxic chemical pesticides!
Eliminate food (crumbs) and water by regularly cleaning, and eliminate shelter for pests by sealing cracks and holes in your home, rodent-proofing crawl spaces, and cleaning up materials that can harbor pests, such as piles of newspaper or cardboard.
For stubborn weeds, spraying vinegar with a little bit of dish soap directly onto the weed and root serves as a good alternative to an herbicide spray.
Alternatively, pull the weeds up and lay down a thick layer of mulch to prevent new growth.
Wood laminate, vinyl, and laminate flooring can be big sources of chemical exposure because the materials may also off-gas pollutants, as will the glues used in installation.
These materials contain a plastic softener (phthalates) that can leach out of products, exposing people to toxic gases in the air.
Tip: If you can’t avoid new vinyl or laminate, you can air it out outdoors before introducing it into your home. If the products are already installed, you can open some windows and let your home air out for a few days before moving in.
Hardwood or bamboo floors are safer than laminate or vinyl flooring because they are natural materials that do not emit VOCs or other toxic chemicals.
Tip: If possible, also replace your window dressings and blinds with natural materials such as wood or cotton to minimize products that emit toxic gases into the air.
Ceramic tile is generally a safe, non-toxic flooring and eco-friendly option that is easy to maintain.
It may be helpful to ventilate your home after grouting the tile.
Carpet is often manufactured with stain-resistant coating, adhesives, foam backing and flame retardants that can create air and dust exposure.
It also tends to trap allergens and other pollutants that can create exposure for young children who crawl on it.
Tip: If your carpet is new, you can air out your home by opening all the windows and turning a fan. Doing so allows for the 4-PC "off-gassing" of your carpet which also gets rid of the odor. If your carpet is older, clean it regularly by vaccuming at least once a week to get rid of allergens, and shampoo at least once a year.
Composite wood is made of small pieces bound together to create a solid panel. If made with urea formaldehyde, the binder may release harmful fumes.
If made with urea formaldehyde, the binder may release harmful fumes. These panels are used for flooring, walls, shelves, cabinets and furniture.
Tip: Look for “no-added urea formaldehyde” when purchasing new furniture, cabinets or building materials made with composite wood.
Drapes and curtains may be treated with stain-resistant or fire-retardant chemicals that can break down and cause toxic exposures.
Some PVC miniblinds are stabilized with lead, which is a toxic chemical that can then be released into household dust.
Plastic vinyl window shades may off-gas chemicals.
Tip: If possible, opt for aluminum blinds or slowly replace your blinds with other non-toxic materials such as cotton, wood, or bamboo. It’s cost-effective to make your own curtains with fabrics that are not labeled stain-resistant.
Great!
You are on your way to a healthier home by using mostly natural materials that do not emit VOC or PVCs into the air.
To take it a step further, slowly replace your blankets and sheets with all cotton or organic materials.
This is correct!
To disinfect, use 1 tsp bleach to 1 quart water, but to sanitize, use 1 tsp of bleach to 1 gallon of water.
Tip: Use as little bleach as possible to do the job you want, to avoid excess exposure.
Incorrect!
To disinfect, use 1 tsp bleach to 1 quart water, but to sanitize, use 1 tsp of bleach to 1 gallon of water.
Tip: Use as little bleach as possible to do the job you want, to avoid excess exposure.
There is only one right answer-
which is all of the above.
Canned food and bottles are sometimes lined with Bisphenol A (BPA), which is linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Other food packaging, such as the lining inside popcorn bags, often contains polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), which have been linked to cancer and thyroid disruption.
Tip: Minimize toxic food packaging by purchasing fresh vegetables and grains, and use a ceramic or glass container to heat up your food in the microwave.
There is only one right answer-
which is all of the above.
The general rule is that if a toxic chemical negatively impacts humans, it will also negatively impact your pets and other animals. Generally, the same health practices you use to protect yourself also apply to your pets.
Tip: When washing your pet, avoid products that contain ingredients like phthalates, sulfates, parabens, and formaldehyde. Get pet bedding made from natural, washable fibers, to avoid chemical coatings, such as triclosan.
And lastly, pets are curious just as children are, so keep bleaches and other toxic cleaners from their reach to avoid ingestion. To control pollen and pollutants from outside, purchase a window filter or use a fitted furnace filter.
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU ARE AN
ECO HEALTH HERO
You know your stuff!
To be healthy, everyone needs to live, play, and work in environments that support environmental and human health. Simply put, environmental health equals human health.
You have a strong grasp of how to make your indoor environment healthier, and are willing to make the changes to further that health.
To learn more tips to keep an eco-healthy home, visit OEC's Eco-Healthy Home Check up today
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU ARE AN
ECO HEALTH NOVICE
You are getting familiarized with all the different ways to eliminate toxins from your indoor environment, and that is great!
Everyone everyone needs to live, play, and work in an environments that support environmental and human health, and it only takes some small changes to make you indoor space a little healthier.
To learn more tips to keep an eco-healthy home, visit OEC's Eco-Healthy Home Check up today
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