For a Healthy Home, Stop Believing These Three Myths
It’s probably happened to you. You’ve held a belief that was false. Well, prepare yourself because it’s going to happen again. If you’re like most, you’ll be struck by at least one if not all three healthy home myths.
Check out these three common beliefs about a healthy home and get the surprising facts.
Healthy Home – Three Myths About What’s Healthy at Home
Myth #1: Indoor air is much cleaner than outdoor air
Sadly, this isn’t true for the most of us in the US.
A recent survey found that most people believe their indoor air is cleaner than outdoor air. Well, most people are wrong because indoor air has considerably more pollutants than outdoor air.
For the most part, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are to blame. These VOCs come from many sources many of which you simply wouldn’t expect. Did you know that your cleaning products, carpets, perfumes, air fresheners, upholstered furniture, pesticides, pressed wood furniture, and paint created indoor air pollution?
According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks.
Learn more about the five ways to improve your indoor air quality (some are really easy).
Want the best way to a healthy home? Sign up for The Zen of Pure Living 12-week e-course. It’s perfect for busy people who want to live well.
Myth #2: Dusting isn’t really that important
If you’ve put dusting at the bottom of your housekeeping list, listen up. It’s time to pay more attention to dusting and vacuuming especially if you live with young children.
Here’s why. Chemical flame retardants escape from many products and settle into household dust. The products with flame retardants include electronic devices (computers, TVs) and anything made with polyurethane foam (sofa cushions, mattresses, pillows, car seats), among many others.
You can inhale or ingest flame retardant dust. Ingestion occurs mostly by small children who put everything into their mouths.
Neither is good.
The EPA “is concerned that certain flame retardants … are persistent, bio accumulative, and toxic to both humans and the environment.”
Enough said.
To think that all this time you’ve been focused on eradicating germs when you should have devoted just a bit more time to cleaning up toxic dust.
Learn how to reduce the levels of dust without dusting (yes, it’s true, there is a way). And try to dust and sweep with a HEPA vacuum more often.
Myth #3: Cleaning products labeled as Green or All Natural are healthier
Unfortunately, Green and All Natural are simply marketing terms. No regulation exists around the use of these terms.
A 2010 study of consumer products (shampoo, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, laundry detergent, and more) showed that products with claims of being green, organic, non toxic or natural were generally no safer than products without these claims.
Seems outrageous, right?
When the researchers tested 25 products, each of the 11 “green” products emitted at least two toxic or hazardous chemicals and four emitted at least one carcinogen. When the researchers compared the so-called green products to the 14 other products, they found no statistically significant difference between the number of chemicals classified as toxic or hazardous, or the number of carcinogens.
Sigh.
Read more about why you cannot rely on the cleaning and laundry product labels.
Now What?
Out of curiosity…how many of the myths surprised you? One? More?
Then, check out a killer resource that will help you get up-to-speed on what’s healthy for your home. It’s a 12-week e-course called The Zen of Pure Living. You’ll get the best tips in an easy format. Sign up!
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Source:
Steinemann AC, et al., Fragranced consumer products: Chemicals emitted, ingredients unlisted, Environ Impact Asses Rev (2010), doi:10:1016/j.eiar.2010.08.002.