Do you love your hot tub but hate using chlorine to keep it clean? iONRx has developed an ionic copper hot tub cleaner that sanitizes so effectively you only need a tiny bit of chlorine to keep the water clean. Enjoy a long, luxurious soak in your tub without smelling chlorine fumes or suffering from the dried skin that soaking in chlorine-laden water can lead to.

Learn more in this post supported by iONRx.

What Exactly Is Chlorine?

Chlorine is the most used chemical in jacuzzi and swimming pool maintenance. It’s common because it is very effective at killing many of the microorganisms and bacteria that can contaminate water and make people sick.

But chlorine can make people sick, too. Chlorine has been known to cause allergic reactions, worsen the symptoms of asthma, and irritate the eyes. It also leads to brittle, rough hair and dry, itchy skin. 

When chlorine interacts with bodily proteins, such as water-borne bacteria and other living organisms, it produces gases called chloramines and/or trihalomethanes (THM). The most prevalent of these is nitrogen trichloride, the gas that emits that chlorine smell, especially in an indoor facility. It is usually what makes your throat tickle or nose itch. In a bromine-treated spa or pool, the byproduct is called bromamines, which are less potent than chloramines and THM. However, bromine still needs to be “shocked” with chlorine to oxidize, which then will produce chloramines. That’s a lot of chemicals to be inhaling or potentially absorbing through your skin!

Why is Ionic Copper Hot Tub Cleaner a Better Alternative?

Research at the University of Arizona and the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory found that using ionic copper can significantly reduce the amount of chlorine needed to disinfect water. In fact, a study at the Municipal Swimming Pool in Brookline, MA found that ionic copper “gave equivalent results” for reducing bacteria as did chlorine.

iONRx used this research to develop its ionic copper hot tub cleaner. The product eliminates the use of bromine completely, and requires only two tablespoons of granular chlorine per week (the equivalent to what is found in tap water), or one chlorine tablet, compared to the five or more many hot tub owners use. The chlorine is not used as a disinfectant, but to keep water from getting cloudy. 

In addition to replacing the chlorine in your hot tub with ionic copper, iONRx recommends that, whenever you swim in a chlorinated pool or soak in a hot tub treated with chlorine, that you shower immediately afterward to remove whatever chlorine may be on your skin or in your hair. Obviously, in a chlorinated swimming pool, where goggles to protect your eyes. A bathing cap will also protect your hair somewhat. 

The post This Copper Hot Tub Cleaner Sanitizes Without Chlorine Overload appeared first on Big Green Purse.

When it comes to non-toxic wood floor care, people fail all the time – not because they don’t want to do the right thing, but because they don’t actually know what to do. We’ve collaborated with Luxury Flooring in the UK to raise awareness about the toxic chemicals in conventional wood floor cleaners and to share with you my top five secrets to non-toxic wood floor care, based on my experience caring for my own gorgeous wood floors. These “secrets” work equally well on hardwood and laminate flooring.

How NOT to Clean a Wood Floor

The challenge with cleaning a wood floor is to avoid any commercial cleaner that contains the following ingredients:

• synthetic or artificial fragrances
• ethanolamines
• detergent

Synthetic or artificial fragrances contain a wide variety of toxic chemicals that can cause breathing problems, headaches, itchy eyes, joint pain, flu-like symptoms and nausea.

These chemicals are very fine and quickly evaporate into the air as they dry after they’re applied.

Because you are usually bent right over the floor when you’re cleaning it, it’s easy to inhale them; it doesn’t take long to feel the side effects!

Ethanolamines include monoethanalomine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine. These are chemicals used in detergents and cleansers. They help clean up grime, but they’re known to cause skin and respiratory tract irritation and eye injuries.

Detergents often consist of harsh soaps and more synthetic fragrances. Because they’re so strong, they can wear away the finish on your floor as well as cause the same unhealthy reactions as synthetic fragrances.

My Top 5 Secrets to Non-Toxic Wood Floor Care

I installed beautiful sustainable cherry wood floors throughout my home. Here’s how I maintain them in a non-toxic way:

1) Wipe my feet and leave my shoes at the door.

The soles of our shoes collect a lot of dirt, sometimes small pebbles, the occasional bit of dog poo, and maybe chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides that have been applied to lawns and gardens. When I come into my home, I wipe my feet on a rug I can launder, and then take off my shoes before walking on my floor.

2) Regularly sweep floors with a micro-fiber broom.

I don’t vacuum my wood floors because I don’t want them to scratch. Instead, I use a broom that’s got a soft micro-fiber cloth on the bottom. The cloth glides over the floor and collects all dust and dirt. It leaves the floor shining even when it hasn’t been washed.

3) Clean up drips asap.

We all drip ice cream, spill coffee, and slosh cocktails. Any liquid that lands on a wood floor will soak into the floor and leave a stain unless it’s wiped up at once. Note that once the floor stains, it really can’t be cleaned up; this is particularly true if what you drop contains a little oil. Just clean up spills as soon as you notice them to be safe.

4) Spot clean.

Foods may not stain your floors, but they can crust over and make your floor look dirty. When you notice dried food or dirt, dampen a cloth and gently rub until the spot loosens and you can pick it up.

5) Clean with a non-toxic cleanser and a damp – NOT WET – mop.

NEVER clean a wood floor with a soaking wet mop. The water or liquid could end up damaging the floor. Instead use a non-toxic cleanser or make your own. Use a spray bottle to apply a light mist to a small section of the floor then mop up immediately. Follow by dry mopping your entire floor to make sure you leave no water or dirt behind.

NON-TOXIC WOOD FLOOR CLEANERS

Make Your Own

If you maintain your floor regularly by mopping it with a micro fiber cloth, doing spot cleans, and not walking all over it with your outdoor shoes, you shouldn’t need anything stronger than water, some vinegar and a very little bit of natural liquid dish soap to clean it up. Don’t use baking soda, borax or anything else that could scratch the floor’s surface.

Don’t worry about adding disinfectant and an antimicrobial product to your floor cleaner. Even if you have a toddler, the disinfectant won’t really make nearly as much difference as just keeping your floor clean of dirt and dust. Plus, pediatricians say it’s good for kids to be exposed to a little dirt and some germs – it helps them build up their resistance.

RECIPE & Tools

1 bucket or pail or large pot (this system pictured at the right has the mop and bucket all in one)

1 gallon warm water from the tap

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (buy it cheap in your grocery store)

5 or so drops of organic liquid soap, like Dr. Bronner’s (the nice thing about Dr. Bronner’s is that it’s already scented with essential oils, like rose, lavender, peppermint, and almond)

1 wet mop that you can easily wring out

1 dry mop or dry towels

Combine the water, vinegar, and soap in the bucket. Add cupfuls to a spray bottle and spray a light mist on the floor. Quickly mop up and shine with dry towels. Or, dip the wet mop into the bucket and wring well so the mop is only damp, not wet.

Non-Toxic Wood Floor Cleaner to Buy

Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) has evaluated many of the floor cleansers on the market for the toxicity of their ingredients.

They look at the likelihood of the ingredients to trigger asthma or other respiratory difficulties or skin allergies and irritation.

They also consider the history of the ingredients relating to developmental and reproductive irregularities and cancer. Finally, how the chemicals remain in the environment, and whether they pollute groundwater or threaten birds, fish and other wildlife, is taken into consideration.

According to EWG’s analysis, here are the most effective, least toxic cleansers on the market:

Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner Vinegar Wash Concentrate –

This concentrate comes in several fragrances that are derived from natural essential oils, including eucalyptus, fresh lime mint, lavender, and sweet mandarin.

Aunt Fannie’s contains no dyes, parabens, ammonia, formaldehyde, petroleum solvents, or other nasty chemicals.

It’s concentrated, so you mix a half cup of the solution with two gallons of water, which is probably enough to clean your entire floor. Put it in your own spray bottle to apply, or soak your mop in the solution, then wring out most of the moisture.

Martha Stewart Clean Wood Floor Cleaner –

99% plant and mineral-based, this cleaner contains no fragrances or colors, It comes in recyclable packaging.

NOTE: It may not be sold on Amazon, so look for it elsewhere online or wherever you buy cleaning supplies.

Truce Wood CleanerDIS

Truce is hypoallergenic, alcohol and phthalate free, and free of colors and SLS, as well.

It’s made with essential oils but otherwise is free of synthetic, pesticide, parabens, chlorine and petroleum.

Plus, it’s cruelty-free.

DISCLOSURE

This collaboration with Luxury Flooring allows us to bring you the expertise you need in order to live the greener life you want. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

Big Green Purse earns a teeny tiny commission on some purchases our community makes online. It’s not enough to affect our opinions in any way, but it does help us pay the bills. Thanks!

The post Do You Know These 5 Secrets to Non-Toxic Wood Floor Care? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Many conventional furniture polishes contain chemicals that can make you feel sick when you use them. We’re partnering with the organic pages of MyVoucherCodes.com to offer these healthy ways to keep your wooden furniture looking good. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, furniture polish contains waxes, oils, and solvents made from compounds called hydrocarbons.

These hydrocarbons are easily inhaled because they’re so “volatile,” which means they easily emit their compounds into the atmosphere.

That’s especially true if they’re sprayed under pressure, the way a canister of furniture polish might be.

I know when I’ve used spray polishes, I’ve ended up with a headache, runny eyes, and general discomfort. NIH lists more serious symptoms of using standard furniture polish here.

6 Healthy Ways to Maintain Your Wooden Furniture

These are the best ways to keep your wooden furniture looking good without resorting to spraying volatile chemicals in your home.

1) Keep Furniture Away From the Sun – If your furniture is exposed to direct sunlight, it will start to fade, mottle or perhaps slightly warp over time. Pull sheer curtains closed during the daytime – the sheers will still let light in, but will blunt the sun’s impact. BONUS: in the summer, pulling the sheers closed will also keep the room cooler.

2) Avoid Heating Vents – Intense or constant heat from a vent or radiator can dry out the wood and cause it to shrink or crack. Situate furniture so it is not right on top of or adjacent to the heating. Redirect floor vents away from the furniture using the lever in the vent.

3) Dust – Dust furniture with a slightly damp cotton cloth weekly. Or, use the soft bristle brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Works like a charm!

4) Use Coasters – The major reason why people get unsightly rings on their wooden furniture is because they place a wet glass on it. Keep coasters easily available on all wooden tables, and even on your bedroom furniture. Beware icy glasses, as they will condense drops of water wherever they’re set down, even if you’ve think you’ve wiped them down. And note: paper napkins don’t make good coasters!

5) Try the Quick Fix – If you get a scratch or mark, use a non-toxic, water-based permanent marker in the same color as your furniture to cover the mark over. I’ve done this on wooden and metal furniture alike.

6) Iron Away Stains – If you get a water stain or ring on your furniture, try ironing it away. Place a towel or soft cloth over the spot, then iron it carefully for 10-20 seconds at a time on medium heat. If the spot does not go away, increase the heat slightly. Keep the iron moving, and check the stain until it’s gone.

As for polishing itself, if you maintain your furniture as suggested above, you won’t need to actually polish the wood more than a few times a year.

When you do, skip aerosol spray-type polishes in favor of a plant-based salve or cream you can put on a cloth and rub on.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on creamy organic polishes that will do the trick!

Or, check online discount websites like My Voucher Codes, which offers an array of discount codes and coupons for use with online purchases.

About Our Sponsors: Sponsors enable us to bring you valuable product reviews and green living tips at no additional cost to you. Our editorial opinions are always independent and remain our own. Thanks!

The post 6 Healthy Ways to Keep Your Wooden Furniture Looking Good appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Washing windows shouldn’t make you sick. But the chemicals in some of the commercial window cleaners I used to use really got to me. They gave me headaches, made me nauseous, and generally left me feeling totally out of sorts.

That’s why I went searching for a safer, non-toxic window cleaner that would leave my windows sparkling without leaving me achey and ill.

I’ve teamed up with window glass repair company Apex Window Werks to bring you 3 DIY natural glass cleaner recipes that don’t contain nasty ingredients and that really work!

Why Can Conventional Glass Cleaners Make People Sick?

Before we get into my DIY natural glass cleaner recipes, I wanted to say a little about the ingredients in most conventional glass cleaners and why they cause problems.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health*, most window cleaners you’d find in your grocery store contain the following:

These chemicals easily enter our bodies because they’re so easy to inhale.

Most glass cleaners come in a spray pump bottle that atomizes the liquid cleaner into tiny particles.

Unless you’re wearing a face mask that covers your nose and mouth, you can’t help but breathe in some of the spray.

And even with a face mask, the chemicals can get into your eyes or on your skin.

These chemicals can make us sick in many ways, according to NIH:

How Conventional Cleaners Can Make You Sick

Loss of vision
Sore Throat
Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
Blood in the stool
Severe abdominal pain and vomiting
Low blood pressure
Dizziness
Insomnia
Irritability
Skin irritation

And this isn’t even the complete list of impacts!

3 DIY Natural Glass Cleaner Recipes That Really Work!

Here are 3 DIY natural glass cleaner recipes you can easily make at home.

They remove dust, dirt and grime without relying on any of the nasty chemicals found in many commercial cleaners.

And because you make them in small batches, you don’t need to add a preservative, the way even “green” cleaners you buy in the store might.

Also, depending on how dirty your windows are, you can strengthen or dilute the solution as you need to.

NOTE: For outdoor windows, start by spraying down the windows with water from your hose. Just make sure the windows are tightly closed so no water gets inside the house. But the spray from a forceful hose will loosen and remove dust, pollen, bird poop and other debris on the windows.

If needed, spray bird poop specifically with water or your cleaning solution, wait a few seconds, then rub off with a sponge. Removing excess dirt before cleaning will make it easier for the cleaning solution to work its magic.

Equipment
Clean Spray Bottle
Squeegee
Lint-free Cotton Cloth/Rag
Clean sponge
Rubber gloves

Ingredients
Water
Distilled White Vinegar
Limes/Lemons/Essential Citrus Oils
Baking Soda
Cornstarch
Liquid fragrance-free, vegetable-based dish soap

Recipes

#1 Water – Vinegar – Lemon or Lime Juice – Baking Soda

Fill a regular size spray bottle (or cleaned out one-liter soda bottle) 3/4 full with water.
Add 1/4 cup vinegar.
Squeeze the juice from a half of a lemon or lime, straining out the seeds and pulp to leave just the juice.
Add 2-3 tsp of baking soda. Shake well until all ingredients are combined.
Spray on the dirty window and squeegee clean. (The squeegee wipes away the water and any residual dirt on the window.)
Follow up with a spray of just clean water and the squeegee if necessary.

NOTE: Some people recommend using newspapers to wipe down windows. I find that newspapers make a mess when they’re wet, and may leave behind tiny pieces of paper. A lint-free cotton towel can also work well, but I’ve found that squeegees are really the best. They’re also very fast to use.

#2 Water – Lemon or Lime Juice – Cornstarch

If you hate the smell of  vinegar, which can be a bit strong, try making a cleaning solution of an almost full bottle of water, the strained juice of an entire lime or lemon, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

Again, combine the ingredients in the spray bottle, shake well, then spray.

#3 Water – Vinegar – Essential Oil – Cornstarch

If you find the water/vinegar/cornstarch solution works well but you hate the smell of vinegar and prefer something other than limes or lemons for fragrance, add 4 or 5 drops of a fragrant essential oil to your solution.

I personally love lavender, but you might prefer rose, geranium, lilac, coconut, or any number of other fragrances that are available as oils.

You won’t need to add that many drops to get the scent you prefer.

NOTE: Some folks have found that adding a little rubbing alcohol to their solution enhances its cleaning ability and helps make the windows shine.

I don’t add alcohol myself, but if you’re not satisfied with your results from water, vinegar, citrus and baking soda or cornstarch, add 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol to your mixture and see if that makes a difference.

You can also add a couple of drops of liquid dish detergent if your windows are particularly grimy. But don’t overdo it, or you’ll have to rinse off your windows with plain water again.

By the way, even with these vegetable-based ingredients, I crack a window open when I’m spraying them inside the house, and avoid inhaling them while I’m cleaning.

Sponsor Note: Sponsors and partners enable us to bring you expert content so you can live the greener, cleaner life you want. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

Sources:

*NIH/U.S. National Library of Medicine

** Health Care Without Harm

The post 3 DIY Natural Glass Cleaner Recipes That Really Work! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

You shouldn’t have to worry if the cleansers you use in your home could make you sick. But sadly, many of them contain chemicals that cause flu-like symptoms, headaches, nausea, and even make asthma and other respiratory illnesses worse.

KEEP READING – GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW!

Start by Following @AspenClean on Twitter

Not AspenClean. This company’s natural cleaning products get the job done by using only safe, EcoCert Certified ingredients that have not been tested on animals. They’re kid-safe and pet-friendly, too.

Here’s another benefit from AspenClean: They’re scented with infusions of organic essential oils. Many conventional cleaning products contain phthalates and synthetic fragrances whose chemical foundations have been linked to reproductive disorders and learning disabilities. At AspenClean, you’ll find cleansers that leave your home smelling like lavender, bergamot or grapefruit. Goodbye headaches, hello serenity!

Ready for one more benefit? They contain NO triclosan or other antibacterial agent. The products do a great job removing dirt and grime, and preventing bacteria & viruses from growing in the home. But they DON’T contribute to our growing resistance to antibiotics by putting antibacterial agents in their soaps, scrubs or sprays.

I love AspenClean’s backstory. The company was founded in 2004 in Vancouver, Canada to fulfill a mission to create healthier, greener alternatives to cleansers whose ingredients were linked to cancer, reproductive difficulties and asthma.

Since that time, they have developed natural-based products for both the kitchen and the whole house, including:

FREE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS GIVEAWAY!

In honor of our Big Green Purse Simple Green Holiday Challenge, AspenClean is offering the Big Green Purse community a Whole House Cleaning Kit for one lucky winner! The kit contains:

√ All Purpose Cleaner, with an All Purpose Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

√ Bathroom Cleaner, with a Bathroom Microfiber Cloth

√ Glass Cleaner, with the Glass Microfiber Cloth

√ Kitchen Cleaner, with the Kitchen Microfiber Cloth.

If you were to buy this kit of natural cleaning products, it would cost you $75 (CAD), plus shipping. But if you WIN it, it’s yours for free. 

Here’s How You Win Your Natural Cleaning Products Kit from AspenClean

The giveaway is free to enter. All you need to do is

1. Leave a comment below this post on why you think green cleaning is so important!
2. Follow @AspenClean on Twitter and send a tweet using @AspenClean and #greenclean 

Want to boost your chances of winning? Drop on over to the Big Green Purse Facebook page and leave us a comment there, too. Authors of all comments left between now and close of business December 22 will be entered into the giveaway, with a winner chosen at random.

Get an Additional Discount

Though there’s only one giveaway, everyone can take advantage of a 10% discount off anything you order between now and January 1 from AspenClean. Just use this promo code:

GreenClean10

Orders over $100 qualify for free shipping, and if you’re shipping to the US, you will not pay tax. All prices on their website are in Canadian dollars, which means purchases will actually cost about 25% less (depending on the exchange rates).

Remember, enter twice, by leaving a comment below and on Facebook. After you do, please share this post on your social media. The more people know about natural cleaning products, the healthier we’ll all be!

Note: Sponsorships from great companies like AspenClean lets us introduce you to great products you might not know about but could be perfect for helping you lead the greener, healthier life you want. All editorial opinions, of course, remain our own and we never work with a company or sponsor that does not meet our strict standards. Thanks!

The post AspenClean’s Natural Cleaning Products GIVEAWAY!! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Did carpet cleaning almost kill me?

Well, not exactly. But it did make me so sick, I suffered for several days with what felt like a terrible flu.

Turns out, it wasn’t the flu. It was an unexpected and very severe reaction to the chemical compounds in the cleaning fluid I was using to clean my carpet. And I swore, “Never again!” In fact, I’ve teamed up with Pro Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners, a company that is committed to non-toxic carpet cleaning, to offer my top tips so you won’t get as sick as I got.

Why Choose Non-Toxic Carpet Cleaning?

Most carpet cleaners use cleaning solution that contains two particularly toxic chemicals: perchloroethylene, and napthalene.

• Perchloroethylene (commonly called Perc in the industry) is a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning that can cause dizziness, fatigue and nausea if inhaled.
• Naphthalene is a solvent that is considered toxic to the human central nervous system.

Many carpet cleansers also contain synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances contain phthalates and other compounds that are notorious for causing headaches, itchy eyes, aches and pains, and even breathing problems.

When you spray cleaning solution that contains these chemical compounds, misty toxic particles waft into the air, where they are easy to inhale.

In my case, I used a commercial carpet cleanser not knowing it could make me sick.

Within about a half an hour of working on my carpet, I started to feel something like the flu coming on. I finished cleaning the carpet because it never occurred to me that the cleaning solution was what was making me sick.

In fact, I didn’t put two and two together until some months later, when I cleaned my carpet again – and the same thing happened.

Since then, I’ve learned a lot more about carpet cleaning compounds, what they contain and how they affect our health.

I realize these compounds can be dangerous for babies crawling around the floor, and for our pets that are constantly licking their paws.

I don’t use commercial cleansers any more.

Instead, I work hard to keep my carpet clean so it doesn’t need to be washed as often. When it does get dirty, I only use certified non-toxic products on it.

Non-Toxic Carpet Cleaning Tips

First, try to keep the carpet from getting too dirty.

1) Remove your shoes at the door. – Not only do your shoes track in mud and dirt they can also bring in invisible pollutants like pesticides. At home, wear socks, slippers or house shoes (shoes that never leave the house) when you are inside the house, not your street shoes.

2) Pick up after your pets. Pets can track in a lot of dirt and grime, especially after it rains. Keep a towel by the door to wipe your pets’ paws when you bring them in.

3) Keep a throw rug at every door you use to go inside and outside. The rug can wipe dirt off your shoes and your pets’ feet, in the event you can’t kick your shoes off right away.

4) Vacuum twice a week – Vacuuming gets rid of surface dirt before it has a chance to set. Another advantage? You’ll reduce the level of dust mites. Dust mites can trigger an asthma or allergy attack. Not only will frequent vacuuming decrease dust mites it will also help get rid of surface dirt on your carpets before it gets a chance to set.

5) Use the right type of vacuum – A vacuum cleaner that has strong suction, rotating brushes and comes complete with a HEPA filter is best.

6) Clean spills up at once – The faster you clean up food, wine or juice, pet messes, and other stains the better.

TO CLEAN A STAIN OR GET RID OF GUM

⇒Blot as much of the spilled liquid up as soon as possible after it spills.

⇒Then pour a little cold water or soda water on the spot and continue blotting.

⇒If stain still remains, make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water and spread the past on the stain.

⇒Let it dry, then vacuum it up.

⇒If gum is stuck in your carpet, use an ice cube to free it, then pull it off.

My own experience is that many liquid dish soaps contain something that also removes the color from the carpet, so I only use liquid dish soap (or any actual soap) as a last resort.

How to Actually Wash the Carpet Without Toxic Chemicals So It Gets Clean

Be safe. When you need to wash your carpet, choose cleansers that are certified non-toxic or work with a company like Pro Carpet, whose cleansers are certified by Green Seal.

Hire a company that uses only certified non-toxic cleansers. Ask to see a list of the ingredients in their cleansers if it’s not on their website.

If you clean your carpet yourself, choose cleansers that are certified non-toxic. Again, check the Green Seal data base for options.

Wear a mask that covers your face and nose. No matter what products you use, it’s easy to inhale misty particles when you use a shampooing machine. Reduce what you inhale by wearing a face mask that covers both your nose and mouth.

Run fans and open windows. Keep the windows open and air circulating while your carpets are being cleaned, then run fans to speed up drying afterwards.

If possible, have bedroom carpets cleaned early in the day so you don’t have to sleep in a room that still might have cleaning chemicals in the air.

NOTE: Sponsors like Pro Carpet help us bring you the expert advice you want to create the greener life you want. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post How Carpet Cleaning Almost Killed Me appeared first on Big Green Purse.

It’s great to crank up the heat when winter hits and we need to stay warm. But overly warm, dry air can make you pretty uncomfortable.

Low humidity can dry out the mucous membranes that line the nose and throat, causing irritation that may lead to a bloody nose.

Overly dry air can also cause chapped or cracked lips, and dry skin.

To fix the problem, use either a whole-house humidifier or a unit designed for a single room (a lot of people like to have a humidifier in their bedroom to make it easier to sleep).

Either one will add humidity to your space without making you feel like you’re in a rainforest.

Whichever type you use, it’s essential to use a humidifier air filter, as well. Here is why, thanks to our sponsor for this post, FilterBuy.com.

Why Use a Humidifier Air Filter?

Humidifiers work by evaporating water into the air around them. Usually, they’ll draw moisture up through a filter material; a fan will help evaporate and disseminate the water.

A humidifier air filters plays an important role. It’s designed specifically to trap minerals in the water you add to the unit, reports eHow.com. Why does this matter?

“When mist is created by a humidifier, any minerals that evaporate with the water enter the air and create a fine white dust,” says Jessica Kolirath, eHow contributor.

While there’s no conclusive evidence that this dust can make you sick, EPA recommends using water with low mineral content to prevent the build-up of scale and the dispersal of minerals into the air. You also need to use a humidifier air filter.

The humidifier air filter will trap the dust before it escapes into the air you breathe.

⇒ If your water contains high amounts of dissolved minerals, you’ll want to change your filter frequently.

⇒ Alternatively, you can use bottled distilled water, though you’ll still have to change your filter from time to time.

Your furnace may contain a humidifier, in which case you will want to replace it regularly and use the most efficient filter possible. An added benefit is that, replacing your air filter will prolong the life of your furnace, so you will save money over time.

If you don’t yet have a humidifier but are thinking of getting one, there are several styles to choose from.

√ Cool evaporation, warm evaporation and hot steam humidifiers are common. They all need filters, so if you choose one of these models, keep track of the kind of filter it requires and how often you should change it.

√ Ultrasonic humidifiers create mist through sound vibrations, not heat like the other models. They use no filters.

Before you buy a humidifier, identify how much space you have to humidify, and how effective each humidifier type is.

Important! When buying a humidifier air filter, make sure you get the right size.

Our sponsors for this post, FilterBuy.com, warn that the major air conditioner manufacturers change filter sizes frequently, which could make it difficult to find a filter that fits. (Irregular sizes of air ducts cut by housing contractors can make finding the right humidifier tricky as well.)

Sponsor: FilterBuy.com is a family owned and operated business concerned about indoor air quality. They provide one-stop filter shopping to make it easy for every customer to find the filter he or she needs. Sponsorships from companies like Filter Buy enable us to continue to bring your expert content at no additional cost to you. Our expert opinions remain independent.

SOURCES

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EHow.com

The post Are You Breathing Icky Air? Or Do You Use a Humidifier Air Filter? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Whether you work at home or have a small business, you can have a big environmental impact depending on the paper products and cleaning products you use.

Our sponsor for this post, Dolphin Blue, has pulled together a “Green Office Starter Kit” to make it easier to waste less and create a healthier environment no matter where you work.

What’s included in your Green Office Starter Kit?

• 100% Recycled paper – Producing 1 ton of non-recycled printing and office paper “from scratch” uses 24 trees. Making paper from recycled content saves trees. In fact, says Dolphin Blue, 1 ton (40) cartons of paper made up of 50% postconsumer (already been used) content copier paper saves 12 trees. Plus, it reduces the amount of trash that gets tossed in a landfill. The starter kit includes 1 ream/500 sheets of 100% postconsumer recycled paper.
• Recycled Paper Towels – I generally advocate using reusable sponges rather than paper products to mop up spills. But if you do have to use paper towels, they should be made from postconsumer waste. The 2 rolls of Earth Friendly Products paper towels in the starter kit are made from 100% recycled material, 80% of which is postconsumer (the other 20% may come from paper scraps that were never used, but were incorporated into the paper towels rather than thrown away).
• Facial Tissue – If a cloth hankie won’t do, at least choose facial tissues made from 100% recycled paper, as are the three Seventh Generation boxes included in Dolphin Blue’s kit.
• Trash Bags – The trash bags in the kit are the tall 13-gallon variety, and made from 97% postconsumer recycled material.

Safe Cleaning Products

Many cleaning products contain potent chemicals that leave behind annoying fragrances or residues that can irritate our lungs and eyes and make us cranky and irritable. The best cleaning products do the job without making people sick. The Green Office Starter Kit includes:

• Hand Soap – This Better Life No Regrets Soap is made from purified waters and plant-based ingredients, without sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, parabens, phthalates or triclosan. It has not been tested on animals, either.
• All Purpose Cleaner – The Better Life what-EVER all purpose cleaner works on any washable non-porous surface, including countertops, appliances, sinks, toilets, walls, baseboards, floors, tables, chairs, showers and tubs. You can order it unscented or lightly scented with sage and citrus. 99.99% of the ingredients are derived from plants.

You can see additional green office products, including printer ink and toner, calendars and planners, and filefolders at the Dolphin Blue website.

Sponsor: Dolphin Blue bills itself as “the first and only online ALL-green general store.” It was founded in 1994 on the belief that “we can all be responsible in what we use.” The company’s products contain a minimum of 20% post consumer recycled material whenever possible and are manufactured with a minimal carbon footprint. In addition to eco-friendly production, Dolphin Blue provides a portion of its profits annually to local chapters of environmental non-profit organizations. The company’s mission statement says it all: “To serve as your trusted source of the world’s most environmentally and socially responsible products – to assure your well being and a healthy, sustainable planet.” For more information, call 1-800-932-7715 or contact Dolphin Blue here.

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Drying laundry can be expensive! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, most households wash and dry up to 300 loads of laundry a year. What does that cost you in energy and money?

A clothes dryer can consume over 4% of a home’s energy usage! (If you’re in the market for a clothes dryer, make it ENERGY STAR certified. Here’s the one that I got.)

In addition to hiking up your energy bill, gas and electric clothes dryers add to your carbon footprint. Yes, your clothes get clean, but the planet gets a little bit dirty each time we turn the dryer on.

Clothes dryers take a toll on the clothes themselves. Washing and drying adds to the wear and tear on fabric. Clothes may shrink if they’re subjected to hot temperatures. And who doesn’t hate the static cling that clothes get from spinning around in hot, dry air for an hour or so?

Here are six ways you can dry your clothes without using a lot of energy, racking up big bills, or wrecking your wardrobe. They still use natural resources to get the job done, but those resources — sunlight, and air — are completely free.

6 Better, Energy-Saving Ways to Dry Laundry

1) Old-fashioned Clothes Line. Sunshine and fresh air are the best ways to naturally beat back germs and odors – which is why so many parents hang their kids’ cloth diapers on a line, along with kitchen towels, sheets, underwear and socks. Line drying t-shirts, dress shirts and pants works great, too. Just turn them inside out to protect them from the fading powers of the sun.

You can use a rope you already have, but make sure it’s thin enough to be able to clip a clothes pin to. Otherwise, you’ll have to throw things over the top of the line, where they could blow off. You should be able to find clothes line at your local hardware store. We also sell this 100 ft cotton braided clothes line in our green Amazon store.

NOTE: Most lines stretch over time, so when you see yours drooping a bit, re-tie it on one end or the other.

While some community Home Owners Associations have banned neighbors’ rights to dry their clothes on “unsightly” outdoor lines, a national movement is afoot to overturn these bans and promote line drying.

2) A Foldable Clothes Line – Foldable clothes lines collapse into each other, then fold flat against a wall so when they’re not being used, they’re out of the way. When you need it, unfold the frame and voila. This could be a good solution if you don’t have two poles to attach a regular line to. Just use the back wall of your house or garage.

3) A Rotary Line Dryer –  In this style, a central pole that’s permanently sunk into the ground opens up like an umbrella.  A mesh of lines unfolds, making it possible to hang an entire load of laundry. A hand crank on the pole makes it easy to raise the load a few feet above the ground, where the clothes can catch the breeze and dry quickly.

4) A retractable clothes line in your bathroom or laundry room. These lines can’t accommodate a lot of laundry at once, but they’re great for socks and underwear.

5) Dryer Rack – Dryer racks can’t be beat for convenience, and many of them are large enough to handle an entire load of laundry at one time. I use a light-weight rack I put on my sunny back porch in the summer. My washer and dryer are in a big utility closet behind louvered doors in my master bathroom; in the winter, I just set up the rack in there. The humidity from the clothes helps humidify the dry winter air. You can get racks made from wood, but mine are lightweight steel with rubber feet and

By the way, if you’re using a line of some sort, you’ll need clothes pins to secure the clothes. Use the sturdiest clothespins you can find. Choose wood, not plastic, and store the pins inside and away from the elements when they’re not in use to keep them from getting dirty or wet if it rains.

6) The Shower Stall – I regularly toss shirts, blouses, sweaters, pants and dresses over the top of my shower.

If you hang your laundry in the sun…

Stiff  towels?

Line drying is terrific for sports wear, underwear, jeans, pants, towels, sheets, blouses, socks, and shirts. But towels? They can get a little stiff  or crunchy when they line dry.

Some people find that adding white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser helps soften their towels. I prefer to dry mine on the line almost completely, then toss them into the dryer to fluff up for ten minutes or so.

What about pet fur?

My throw rugs collect a LOT of fur from my dog and two cats. Tumble drying is still the most effective way to capture all that fur, even when I shake my rugs out before I wash them. I let the rugs dry almost completely outside, then tumble them for about 15 minutes to capture the fur. See what works best for you.

Final thought:

Dry drier clothes. The wetter your clothes are when you take them out of the washing machine, the longer it will take to dry them.

We use the highest spin cycle on our washer to get as much water out of our laundry as possible before we hang it up to dry or throw it in the dryer.

It shortens the drying time significantly, which saves us money.

RELATED

ENERGY STAR Clothes Dryers on Sale for First Time!

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Apart from the fact that they’re smelly and unsightly, mold and mildew can be very unhealthy. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, breathing in mold spores can cause a variety of respiratory illnesses. Both mold and mildew can lead to headaches and nasal congestion and even trigger asthma attacks.

Mold and mildew build up in damp places, which is why you might find them in your basement or shower or on your shower curtain. But they won’t get a foothold if you follow these steps.

PREVENTION

Mold and mildew can’t grow where it’s dry, so the best way to keep them at bay is to reduce dampness.

• Crack open a window and start your ceiling fan when you turn on the shower so excess moisture moves out of the room, rather than condenses on the walls and tile. Keep the fan running and the window cracked open at least 15 minutes after you turn the shower off to let as much moist air escape as possible.

• Wipe down the shower and tub as soon as you’re finished. Keep a small squeegee in the shower so it’s convenient; you can get a squeegee very cheaply at a hardware store, home goods retailer, or online. Or, use a hand towel or washcloth to do the job. A cloth is particularly good at getting to the tile grout and in the corners where mold has a tendency to start.

• Use a shower curtain you can actually launder in the washing machine. That means, skip the vinyl or plastic in favor of cotton, hemp, or nylon.  Wash it in hot water, run it through your machine’s spin cycle to remove excess water, then hang it up to dry in the shower. After every shower, wipe down the tile, let the fan run, and at some point, pull the shower curtain wide to let it air out.

• If you have a non-slip mat in your shower, you will need to pull it up and wash it down regularly. I’ve gotten rid of my shower mat because it was too much trouble to keep clean. If you want yours, you’ll have to wash it frequently. It helps to spray the back of it weekly with a solution of white vinegar and water, or tea tree oil and water.

• Use a terry cloth hand towel in the shower instead of a mat. Most of us have extra hand towels lying around. Or, pick up a few hand towels at a dollar store or when your department store is having a sale. Put the towel on the bottom of the shower or bath tub. It won’t slip, you’ll have traction, and when you’re finished, you can wring out the towel and let it dry, or throw it in the laundry.

• Keep your shower clean. Wash it down regularly with a good non-toxic cleanser, like baking soda and a plant-based liquid soap, or something like Bon Ami, which is essentially pulverized rock. Use a mop and a stepladder to reach the ceiling above the shower if needed. Dry it with a rag or towel when you finish washing it.

• Fix leaky faucets and showerheads. Stop the drips to limit mold and mildew around drains.

• Install a dehumidifier in the basement. You can adjust the appliance to remove as much humidity from your space as you need. Empty the water collection bucket frequently – in the summer, I need to empty mine almost every day. If convenient, you can use the collected water to water your plants. You can usually eep the dehumidifier bucket clean by washing it out with hot soapy water and wiping away any mold or mildew that might be building up.Remember this true adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The more you do to prevent mold and mildew from building up, the better off you’ll be.

TREATMENT

As soon as you notice mold or mildew, attack! If you have black mold in the walls, ceiling, or floor of your home, you will probably need to hire a professional mold remediation company to treat the problem for you. Black mold can pose a real health hazard, so don’t wait to take it seriously. For more superficial problems, the following steps will help:

• Make a spray of water and vinegar, tea tree oil or hydrogen peroxide, using between one and two tablespoons of the product for every cup of water you add to the spray bottle (experiment a bit to see what works in your situation; you may need up to a 50% vinegar/50% water solution). You can add fresh squeezed lemon juice minus the pulp to sweeten up the smell of the vinegar. If using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, spray the potion directly on the spotty areas, leave them alone for 10 or 15 minutes, and then rinse. Dry with a rag you don’t mind throwing away. If using tea tree oil, which is more expensive but is supposed to be more effective, spray the cleanser on the tile or shower stall and leave it overnight. Run the fan and open the window to keep air circulating and to counter the smell from the vinegar or tea tree oil.  Reapply as soon as you see the mold reappear.

• If the grout in your shower can’t be thoroughly cleaned out, you may need to replace the grout.  If this is too much to do on your own, you can find a professional service to replace the grout for you. Get a price estimate before you commit to the work. It may be a little pricey, but probably cheaper than dealing with health problems that could result from living with mold and mildew.

MAINTENANCE

Getting rid of the mold and mildew in your shower doesn’t mean you can be less vigilant. Inspect the shower and shower curtain once a week to make sure you’re staying mold and mildew-free. Wash the shower curtain regularly to keep it fresh. Wipe down the tile or shower stall each time you finish using it, and don’t forget to keep the window open and the fan going to reduce moisture build-up.

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