WASHINGTON – New Year’s resolutions often concern getting yourself healthy and fit, but what about getting your house healthy?
“It surprises me every day that people don’t know how unhealthy their homes are,” says Dan Stih, president of Healthy Living Spaces.
Stih says the air in our homes is compromised by everything we have and everything we do: Carpets, paint, air filters and scented plug-in diffusers all add elements to the air that cause allergies and colds.
Many of us are able to deal with these everyday toxins, but to the young, old or sick, these elements can be a serious threat.
Stih, also the author of “Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health,” suggests starting with the basics, beginning with changing your air filter.
“Allergy reduction-type filters, they are probably 15 dollars a filter or maybe less – that’s not a lot for your health,” Stih says.
Taking your shoes off when you enter the door reduces the likelihood that you will track in lots of outdoor contaminants.
Stih warns that artificial fragrances – typically plug-in diffusers or air fresheners – are more harmful than helpful.
“It’s definitely not good for us,” he says, adding that the ingredients in these products are often chemicals, including formaldehyde, which irritate eyes and mucus membranes.
Rather, consider opening the windows to let fresh air in.
When it comes to looking for “green cleaners” and other home products, Stih says to look at all of the ingredients. And if there is a caution label on any bottle, he says, it’s not a product you want to use.
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