It’s a common misconception that you don’t need to worry about the air you breathe unless you’re outside. Smog, carbon monoxide, ozone, and polluting particles sometimes make it difficult to breathe outdoors. However, the air INSIDE our homes can be even more dangerous to breathe. That’s because the chemicals we use in our homes can build up and pollute our indoor air. People spend more than 90% of their time inside rather than out, so if our indoor air is polluted, it can pose a real threat to our health. That’s why we’ve teamed up with EcoExperts.com to offer you these 5 smart and easy ways to improve indoor air quality.

Improve Indoor Air Quality 5 Smart Ways

1)Keep your floors clean.

Surprised by this one? Think about it. Whatever you’ve walked through before you came into your home you’re bringing right along with you. Allergens and toxic chemicals can accumulate along with household dust and normal dirt.

⇒Keep floors clean first and foremost by putting a door mat outside and inside the door so it is easy to trap loose dirt before you even come in your home.

⇒Leave your shoes at the door so you don’t track all that pollution everywhere in the house. This is especially true if you have carpeting or area rugs, as the dirt and dust can get embedded in carpeting fibers.

⇒Vacuum weekly, using a vacuum with strong suction power and rotating bushes to raise pollutants up and out of the carpet where they can be easily sucked up.

⇒Use a microfiber mop to sweep up on hard floors and tile. Depending on how much traffic you have going through your home, or if you have outdoor pets coming inside, you may need to do this daily.

2)Reduce home humidity.

A cool home may be comfortable, but if it’s too cool and damp, it will breed mold and mildew.

⇒Keep the humidity level inside your home between 30% and 50%.

⇒In basements and below ground family rooms, use a dehumidifier to pull excess moisture out of the air.

⇒In bathrooms, turn on ceiling fans when taking a shower, and let the fan run 20 minutes afterwards to do its job.

3)Test for radon.

One of the most fatal of indoor toxins, radon is a colorless, odorless gas that has become a leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. This poisonous gas is common to all kinds of soil and seeps up into basements and homes without basements, then persists when air circulation doesn’t vent the gas to the outside. Even granite countertops have been found to emit radon.

Fortunately, testing for the presence of radon is inexpensive. service providers like Eco Experts can conduct the test, determine whether you’re in danger, and help remediate the problem before you get sick.

4)Use non-toxic household cleansers; avoid synthetic perfumes and fragrances; don’t smoke. 

Many cleansers contain “VOCs,” volatile organic compounds that are known carcinogens. Commercial “air fresheners”  probably contain phthalates, which are known to trigger asthma, headaches, nausea and worse. The dangers with “second hand smoke” are well-documented and almost as significant as if someone were smoking rather than inhaling someone else’s cigarette smoke.

Most home cleaning can be accomplished using a simple solution of fragrance-free liquid soap, some baking soda, and warm water.

For a more fragrant interior, simmer a pot of popourri on the stove, open windows to let in fresh air, and remove rotting food and pet waste if it has not been cleaned up.

Don’t Miss: 16 Causes of Indoor Air Pollution

If you must smoke, go outside and stand far away from any open windows or doors to prevent the smoke from getting inside.

5)Vent kitchen ranges, chimneys, wood stoves, and fireplace inserts.

Prevent carbon monoxide and other byproducts of gas and wood combustion from building up in your home. Use the stove fan when cooking and make sure your chimney is clean and allowing dirty smoke and air to escape up the chimney rather than into your home.

Keep a carbon monoxide detector in good working order to avoid deadly build-up of this lethal gas.

Take a look at : Indoor Plants for Air Purification

By the way, take many of these same steps if you work in an office. And make sure whether at home or at work, you get outside frequently. Going in and out will both help you clear your lungs and help promote air exchange between bad air and good (or at least, not quite so bad).

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Green consumers have scored a major victory! CVS Health, the store where you probably buy many cosmetics and personal care products, has promised to make those products safer by removing chemicals in their products that have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption.

Those chemicals include parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde.

Nearly 600 beauty and personal care products will become safer to use, including the CVS Health store brand, Beauty 360, Essence of Beauty, and Blade product lines. The Promise Organic line of store brand products already does not contain any of these toxic chemicals.

Why Did CVS Health Commit to Safer, Healthier Products?

The company wanted to “provide customers with the safe, efficacious products that they are looking for,” said Cia Tucci, Vice President of Store Brands and Quality Assurance at CVS Health.

“We listened when customers voiced their desire for products that provide the benefits they need with fewer ingredients of concern.”  

“Customer feedback has driven this move to eliminate parabens, phthalates and the most prevalent formaldehyde donors.”

Does It Matter? Yes!!

CVS Caremark Corporation is one of the largest drugstore chains in the U.S. It has over 7,300 stores and 2011 U.S. retail sales of almost $60 million, the 7th highest nationally.

The non-profit organization Safer Chemicals, Health Families’ “Mind the Store” campaign, which Big Green Purse and many other consumer groups endorsed, put pressure on CVS Health to clean up its act.

Safer Chemicals has applauded CVS for its decision to clean up its products but says there is still more work to be done.

CVS Health can use its leverage to work with their suppliers to reduce, eliminate or safely substitute over a hundred questionable chemicals.

Consumers should also continue to carefully read labels and buy products that are free of chemicals that have been linked to health problems.

Get Help Here: The Best 11 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Healthy Skin

CVS Health won’t have its safer products fully available until the end of 2019. Until then, avoid products that contain the following:

√ Parabens

√ Phthalates

√ Formaldehyde

√ Triclosan

Parabens – Parabens are commonly found in cosmetics, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, hair styling gel and lotion and deodorant. Studies show parabens mimic estrogen and inhibit testosterone, potentially disrupting hormonal balance in both women and men.

Phthalates – These compounds are often found in fragrances and aerosols like air fresheners, as well as in plastics, solvents and even children’s toys. Of the variety of health impacts linked to exposure to phthalates, damage to male reproductive organs is among the gravest concerns.

Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde is a “volatile organic chemical,” which means that it will “off-gas” or emit its components into the air you breathe over time. It’s found in antiseptics, cosmetics, nail polish, dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe polish, carpet cleaners, glue, adhesive, paint, and more. It’s also used as a preservative in foods, like some cheeses, dried food, and fish.

Triclosan – Triclosan is actually a pesticide that may be included in toothpaste; it’s also the ingredient formulated into many antibacterial products, like hand wash, body wash and many cleaning compounds.

Increasing members of the medical community oppose using triclosan because they worry that it is actually encouraging the growth of drug-resistant bacteria.

By the way, washing your hands with hot soapy water seems to be just as effective as anti-bacterial soaps for getting rid of germs.

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It’s one thing to put toxic chemicals on your skin. But to put them right inside your body? Depending on their ingredients, you could be setting yourself up for a big chemical no-no . That’s why shifting to safe non-toxic lube should be just as important as buying non-toxic shampoo, soap, or skin lotion.

We’ve teamed up with Lubezilla, an online marketplace that sells water-based organic lubricants, to bring you the latest news on what’s in most lubes – and what shouldn’t be. Here’s the skinny.

What’s In Most Lubes – and Why Does It Matter?

Your vagina may be the most sensitive—and fragile—part of your body. Lubes can help reduce sensitivity by reducing vaginal dryness and friction, making it easier and healthier to enjoy sex. All good.

But vaginal skin is thin and highly absorbent. That means that chemicals in the lubricant can be absorbed by vaginal tissue. The pH, or acidity, of the lubricant affects the natural acidity of the vagina, too. It’s also possible that the vagina itself will react to the lubricant by releasing moisture out of the cells in the vaginal wall to compensate for the presence of the lube.

Women’s Voices for the Earth, which has issued a new report on safe, non-toxic lube, says that vaginal cells can “shrivel up in an attempt to dilute the foreign lubricant gel” when it is constituted so differently from normal vaginal secretions.

Using one kind of lube one time generally won’t create a problem. But as with other personal care products, its repeated use over months or years could dry out the vagina and add to the build-up of the lube’s chemicals in our bodies.

Women’s Voices looked at the research, including recommendations from The World Health Organization. They concluded that it’s best to choose lubricants that match the pH level of the vagina and that have low “osmolality” while avoiding lubes that contain 4 specific toxic chemicals.

Here’s what that means.

What’s pH? And that other thing…

The pH level generally refers to how acidic or alkaline a product is. The lower the number, the more acidic the products is. WHO says lubes should generally be in the range of 3.8-4.5.

Osmolality refers to a substance’s ability to draw moisture out of tissues and cells. If a lube has higher osmolality than normal, which is below 1200 mPsm/kg, the vagina can literally shrivel up because the moisture in vaginal cells is pulled out.

Bottom Line: Look for lubes with a pH in the range of 3.8 – 4.5, and osmolality levels below 1200.

4 Toxic Chemicals in Lube

“Harsh chemical ingredients found in lubricants can also be toxic to vaginal tissue” and the balance of microorganisms that naturally inhabit the vagina,” reports Women’s Voices.

The 4 chemicals to avoid in particular are:

Chlorhexidine gluconate – A disinfectant that can actually kill off lactobacillus bacteria, which keep the vagina healthy

Parabens, like methylparaben and propylparaben – You’ve seen – and avoided parabens before. In the vagina, they can irritate the mucous membranes and cause rashes. Ironically, though paraben-laden lubes are supposed to make sex easier, they could also lead to fertility problems and disrupt your endocrine system.

Cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane – These chemicals are found in silicone-based lubricants. They’ve also been linked to reproductive harm and uterine cancer in animal studies.

Undisclosed flavors or fragrances – Beware the generic term “flavor” or “fragrance” or “aroma” in your lube. The chemical cocktails used to concoct flavors and fragrances could include carcinogens, reproductive toxins and allergens.

Women’s Voices recommends against choosing lubes that offer “warming,” “tingling,” or colors, since those could also contain unnecessary and questionable chemicals.

What Safe Non-Toxic Lube Can You Buy?

Lubezilla offers a couple of brands of lubes on its site that can be found on the Women’s Voices  comparison chart. Those include:

Durex Play Soothing (slightly outside the osmolality bounds, but within the ph limits)

Lubezilla also sells a line of organic, plant- and water-based lubes that the manufacturers say are free of parabens, glycerin, and petrochemicals, as well as added alcohol, silicone, fragrances and dyes, plus “pH balanced just for women.” Some of these even use stevia extract, a sweetener derived from the stevia plant, in place of synthetic flavors.

By the way, you can find more tips for non-toxic safe sex from Women’s Voices here.

Note: Paid sponsors enable us to bring you the expert product reviews and green living information you want at no extra cost to you. We never recommend products, services or manufacturers that don’t meet our criteria for environmental responsibility. Thanks.

The post How to Choose a Safe Non-Toxic Lube appeared first on Big Green Purse.

To stay safe, make sure you know what kind of Pyrex you have, where it was made, and whether it can go from the freezer to the oven without shattering.

Reprinted with permission from Buy-It-Once.com. 

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Other lunch boxes may be made from PVC plastic. Says the National Institutes of Health, “Because of PVC’s heavy chlorine content, dioxins are released during the manufacturing, burning, or landfilling of PVC. Exposure to dioxins can cause reproductive, developmental, and other health problems, and at least one dioxin is classified as a carcinogen. Dioxins, phthalates, and BPA are suspected to be endocrine disruptors, which are chemicals that may interfere with the production or activity of hormones in the human endocrine system. Exposure to PVC dust may cause asthma and affect the lungs.” In other words, avoid PVC!

Because you can’t tell by appearance whether a vinyl lunch box may contain lead, CEH advises parents to avoid buying vinyl lunch boxes altogether. You can test any vinyl lunch boxes you already own using a hand-held lead testing kit. If your hardware store doesn’t carry one, you can find one from LeadCheck. There is no independent way you can determine whether the plastic lunch box you buy also contains PVC. My recommendation is that if you have a vinyl lunch box – one that seems to be made from soft, flexible plastic – you should probably throw it away.

SAFER LUNCH BOX OPTIONS

Pack your kids’ lunch in a stainless steel box, cloth bag, or bag that has been independently tested to prove that it is lead- and PVC-free.  Many hardware stores now carry cloth and stainless steel options. Here’s what we’ve found (and that we sell for your convenience in our Amazon store):

Kids Konserve Insulated Lunch Sack – Good reuseable lunch sacks are made with no BPA, lead-free insulation. An inside pocket holds an ice pack. In some, when kids are finished with it, they can roll it down and tuck it away in their backpack.

Blue Avocado Insulated Lunch Tote – This tote features a PVC insulated liner, an exterior holster for housing a water bottle, and an over-the-shoulder messenger style adjustable strap. The bag can be folded into an attached pouch when kids are done with it. The exterior fabric is constructed from 50% recycled polyester made from plastic bottles and recycled yarn.

Mimi the Sardine Organic Cotton Lunch Bag -This organic cotton bag is coated on both sides with a PVC-free, water-based acrylic that is water- and stain-resistant. It can be wiped clean, or throw it in the machine (wash in cool or warm water, not hot), and tumble dry on low or air dry.

To-Go Ware Stainless Steel Food Kit – In addition to 3 food containers, this set also comes with bamboo utensils and a cotton carry bag made from recycled cotton.

What more lunch options? Pack sandwiches and snacks in stainless steel containers like these or these.

Having a hard time getting your kids to remember to bring their lunch box home? Put a deposit on it! Every time the kids bring their box home, give them a dime or a quarter to put in their bank. At the end of the week, let them redeem the money for a special treat or to make a donation to a cause they care about.

FIND MORE ECO-FRIENDLY BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS HERE.

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