The Green Guide publishes a list of things you can do to keep the air inside your home healthy.
It's a long list, and not all of it is readily integrated into habit. But if curing your home encompasses the idea of creating a home space that supports your physical health, this list is a great place to start.
Here are some of the most easily attainable goals from the list:
• Don't lick the walls (OK, this one's not from the list)
• Leave shoes in the entryway
• Use a washable doormat
posted originally from: AT:San Francisco
• Bare washable floors and area rugs are better than wall-to-wall carpeting
• Ban cigarettes
• Avoid burning candles or air fresheners scented with synthetic fragrances (they contain phthalates)
• Ventilate well for more air exchange, especially in high-humidity areas like bathrooms and kitchens to prevent mold and mildew growth
• Look on labels for no- or low-VOC cleaners, paints, glues and plywood
• Clean! To get rid of harmful EDCs and VOCs that accumulate in dust, dust and damp mop frequently, wash bedding in hot water biweekly to kill dust mites and vacuum at least once a week using a machine with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
Image: sucktastic.
Don't forget plants! NASA came up with a list of plants that actually help clean the air of your home.
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html
http://www.zone10.com/tech/NASA/Fyh.htm
view jillian1977's profile
any good ideas where the shoes should go? (they ALWAYS end up in the entryway!)
view rubysoo's profile
rubysoo, here is the solution that I figured out for our house:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2006/08/emilys-gorgeous-shoe-storage.html
Shoe storage AND a landing strip, all in one!
view emilymch's profile
I think the idea is that they're not tracking crap all over the place, which means that theoretically you could put them anywhere, as long as you don't put them on your feet.
Mine belong in a basket next to the living room couch, as there's no room in my entryway for a good taking-off-shoes spot.
view the opoponax's profile
Anyone have a source for whatever-you-call-the-matt-just-inside-your-outside-doors? We have four outside doors, and I don't even begin to know where to look for good ones. Would love to find some that are thin, easily cleanable, look good (duh!), and don't cost a fortune. I'm in SF, by the way.
emilymch, wish I had enough hall space for your solution; like opo i have a basket for ours but it's small (especially for three sets of feet), so I move the shoes into our closets on a pretty regular basis (i.e. when the front basket fills up). We actually do have a lovely hallway piece designed for sitting and removing shoes, but are considering ditching it since we never actually use it for that purpose (it just becomes a clutter-attracting surface).
view jessicat's profile