Healthy home and the indoor environment

Why is it important?
Aside from your work place, your home is where you spend most of your time.  Unfortunately, the indoor environment can be quite harmful to your health.  There are 3 main areas of concern:

Air:  Increasingly modern homes have become well sealed from the outdoor environment, which has led to a build up of air pollution inside the home.  In winter, we close all doors and windows to keep the heat in, and in summer we close all doors and windows to keep the heat out.  This leads to a build-up of pollution inside the home.

Furnishings, carpets, and building materials slowly release gases, such as formaldehyde, into the indoor air.  Cleaning products also pollute indoors with a cocktail of chemicals.  Gas cooking and unflued gas heaters can lead to a build up of carbon monoxide, a very toxic chemical.

Mould deserves a special mention as its very detrimental to human health.  It leads to fatigue, allergies, and breathing difficulties.  It’s especially harmful if it is in your bedroom, as you breathe in the mould spores at night when you are sleeping, and these settle in your lungs leading to the above mentioned health problems

Chemicals: Many cleaning products, insecticides, and personal care products, such as shampoo, soap, moisturisers and make-up, often contain chemicals that can be harmful to you.  These also pollute the indoor living space as well as the outdoor environment.   Furthermore, cleaning a shower in its hot, humid environment with these cleaning products leads to you absorbing a lot of their fumes. Chemicals such as these are similar to the pesticides found on food; the body absorbs and stores them, and they are quite difficult to expel. 

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR):
Clock radios emit a high level of EMR about 1 meter in all directions.  Meter boxes are even worse.  They emit EMR about 2 meters in all directions.  If these are near your bed, you are sleeping in this unhealthy energy every night.  Consequences of this can be fatigue, lowered immunity, muscle tension, headaches, and many more illnesses.

TV’s, computer screens, and mobile phones are other appliances that also emit EMR, so you should avoid spending long hours near them.

Electric blankets are very detrimental to your health.  Even if they are switched off, but still on at the wall, they are transmitting EMR.  This means that you are sleeping in this harmful energy every night.

Be especially wary of down lights on the first floor of a double story home, as they can emit a high amount of radiation when the light is switched on. This is a problem if another person is spending time on the second floor above the down light transformer.

If you are unwell, regularly feel tired, lethargic, or emotionally drained, it may be that your indoor environment is impacting on your health and wellbeing.

Things you can do Air: Open your windows and doors regularly to air out the home.  This is one of the best things you can do. Use the range hood while using a gas stove, and regularly service all gas heaters. Never leave a gas heater on while you are sleeping. Indoor plants can soak up air pollution so put a few inside your home.  Avoid putting them in bedrooms though, as they emit carbon dioxide at night. Reduce the source of the pollution (throw away chemical cleaners and insecticides). Mould can be killed with simple white vinegar. Spray the area, and wipe it away.  If it is stubborn, leave for 10 minutes or over night.  Find the cause of the moisture so that it doesn’t grow back.

Chemicals: The best cure is prevention.  Try and decrease your exposure to these products as much as possible. Replace all cleaning products with white vinegar, bicarbonate soda and eucalyptus oil.  These can be as effective than other toxic cleaners and much better for both the indoor and outdoor environment (although they do require a bit more elbow grease!). Investigate companies that make organic and natural skin and hair care (the links page has some that I have found to be quite effective). Electromagnetic radiation (EMR): The only way to reduce exposure to EMR is by avoiding it.  There are a few gimmicks on the market that state they can shield you from this energy – this is very unlikely. Ensure your bed is at least 2 meters away from your meter box and 1 meter from your clock radio.  If you only do one thing – do this one.  It is extremely important that you don’t sleep in this energy. Remove all electrical equipment from the bedroom or turn it off at the power point when you are sleeping.  Use hands free and text messages on your mobile phone as much as possible.  Don’t put your phone in your lap when using hands free.  Keep it as far away from you as possible. Give up your electric blanket.  Do an experiment with yourself and take it off the bed in summer (or unplug in from the wall).  You should notice a big difference in your energy levels within 2 months.