Category Archives for "Air Quality"

Mold is on 90% of our customers’ minds!  Is it on yours?

The fact is that everyone’s home and workplace has mold.  The million dollar question is, is the mold in your space growing and making you sick?  I want to explore this in-depth so that our customers and many others can have peace of mind or look for solutions. 

What is mold?  Mold is a type of fungi that grows in multicellular structures called hyphae. Hyphae are long tubular structures resembling garden hoses. They have rigid cell walls that may be reinforced by perforated cross-walls called septa (singular: septum).(How Fungi are Constructed).  Here is a picture of septated hyphae (chegg.com):

When the mold grows enough to be visible, the colony is called a mycelium.  The mold can continue to grow by adding hyphae to the mycelium, and it can start another colony by sending out small particles called spores.  The spores can be carried by the wind, animal fur, or clothing and our shoes.  When the spores fall into a suitable environment, they will start to grow another colony. 

In general, molds need the following to grow:

• Moisture: even moisture from the air, when it is above 80% humidity, can be enough to sustain mold.

• Warmer temperatures: most molds cannot grow below 40 deg F, which is why refrigerators are kept at 39 deg F and below. 40 -100 deg F sustains mold.

• Organic (carbon-based) materials to digest.  Mold can even grow on glass, metal and other inhospitable environments, if it has dirt or synthetic material to feed on.

• Protection (shade) from UV rays: ultraviolet light kills most mold, so you won’t see it growing in direct sunlight!

• Oxygen: mold needs very little oxygen to survive, so it’s difficult to control mold by depriving it of oxygen.

How we interact with mold:

If we simply kill mold, are we safe?  Unfortunately, no.  “Dead mold is just as bad as live mold. When mold dies, its cell wall dessicates and it gets dry and it will break apart into little fragments. And the fragments have toxins on them. This is a disease of toxins. When you inhale those toxins, they are in you.  If you don’t recognize them as being foreign, you have a difficult time getting them out of your body. (Scott McMahon, M.D., moldymovie.com)

How does mold make us sick?  Illness can come from ingesting or inhaling mold spores, or the mycotoxins they produce.  According to buildingscience.com, mold produces mycotoxins, which are naturally occurring toxins that are thought to decrease the growth of other molds and bacteria (it’s a defense mechanism for the mold). Penicillin is one of these, which as most people know, is a powerful antibiotic.  Mycotoxins can be present on mold spores, presenting danger from inhalation, or on the surface of the mold itself, which is transmitted in infected food like grains, nuts, coffee, or hay (as in the case of animals eating the hay and transferring the mycotoxin through milk).  Here is an excellent presentation on mycotoxins. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), several hundred mycotoxins have been identified, but several major groups of these toxins cause the most damage to our health.  The danger from these toxins mainly comes from consumption of contaminated food, not inhalation:

• Aflatoxins are among the most dangerous mycotoxins because of their effects: they can be life-threatening through damage to the liver, and may cause liver cancer.  They are produced by the Aspergillus molds, which grow in soil and rotting grains.  The food mainly affected is corn, sorghum, wheat and rice, soybean, peanut, sunflower and cotton seeds, spices and tree nuts.  

• Ochratoxin A is also a common food-contaminating mycotoxin found in cereals and cereal products, coffee beans, dry vine fruits, wine and grape juice, spices and liquorice. This mycotoxin causes kidney problems and possibly kidney cancer.

• Patulin is found in rotting fruits such as apples, and generally causes acute gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

• Fusarium fungi are found in the soil and cause symptoms such as skin irritation, diarrhea, and even esophageal cancer.

Why is it so difficult to link inhaled mold with illness?

We just listed some dangers of ingesting mycotoxins orally, but what about just spending time in a moldy space and inhaling them?  Some incorrect information from the early 2000’s still persists on government websites.  These studies, based on air sampling and animal testing, concluded that there was no proven link between inhaling mycotoxins and illness.  The following points are taken from dhs.wisconsin.gov:   

• “The toxic effects of mold following ingestion are well-understood, but the toxic effects of inhaled mold particles are not well documented.”

• Black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum, has received more attention than any other mold.  The presence of black mold has been coincident with illness in infested buildings, but “S. chartarum is not usually detected in indoor air samples, even when detected in bulk samples from solid substrates. This begs the question, “is the exposure pathway incomplete, or has there been a failure to detect S. chartarum in air. There is evidence that S. chartarum spores and mycelia do not readily form bioaerosols. There is also evidence (Burge & Ammann, 1999) that S. chartarum spores are short-lived and difficult to detect in culture.” 

• “Molds release volatiles (MVOCs) that damage textiles with unpleasant odors. Indoor microbial volatiles from molds may also have health implications.” However, there is not sufficient evidence that MVOCs enhance mycotoxic and allergenic effects to produce illness.

The puzzle was this: what is the cause of the low levels of mycotoxins encountered in the air of even severely mold-infested spaces?  Even the EPA states that mold can be a source of sick building syndrome (SDS–see our post on this!), so what is causing SDS?  The first clue may be in the fact that some individuals living in the same space can become severely sick and debilitated, while others have no symptoms at all.  “We now understand that there is genetic variability among those who have been exposed to mycotoxins. Some people are genetically capable of clearing low levels of these toxins through the liver detox process and never suffer consequences. Others do not have the ability to clear them and get severely ill” (as in the case of a teen patient at Kaplan Clinic). “About 25-28% of the entire population of America have a genetic predisposition to have problems with water-damaged buildings…that’s 75 million people in the United States….Somehwere around 50% of the buildings in the United states have water damage….these (25-28% of genetically predisposed people) can go on to develop multi-system, multi-symptom illness that can be debilitating.”  (Scott McMahon, M.D., moldymovie.com)

Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s research article “Newer Molecular Methods Bring New Insights into Human- And BuildingHealth Risk Assessments from Water-Damaged Buildings: Defining Exposure and Reactivity, the Two Sides of Causation of CIRS-WDB Illness “ also presents several other reasons why the links between mold inhalation and mold illness were not previously made: 

1. The air sampling techniques used for early studies are simply inadequate, even though these techniques remain in use today.  Dr. Shoemaker states: “Specifically, air sampling will only permit the assessment of particulates larger than 3 microns found in the air during the 5 to 10 minutes for the test. Sampling is usually performed in the middle of a room and misses important boundary areas and settled particles. Air sampling of particulates this size does not permit separation of Penicillium species from Aspergillus; does not permit the identification of Wallemia; and because Stachybotrys (black mold) spores are sticky and heavy, rarely show Stachybotrys.”

2. Bacteria in the role of WDB illness was not assessed in earlier studies.  Newer research (2019) on actinobacteria, a microbe that also exists in WDB alongside mold, shows that it produces MVOCs such as trimethylamine, which is harmful to humans, besides making the environment inhospitable to other microbes. Streptomyces is an actinobacteria that produces trimethylamine prolifically.  What mVOCs are we missing in air testing and how are they causing illness?  Also, endotoxin is present inside a bacterial cell and is released when the cell disintegrates.  How are endotoxins causing illness?  Finally, “occupants in damp buildings are simultaneously exposed to multiple microbial agents from both bacteria and fungi. This mixed exposure is likely to result in interactive effects among various microbial agents and produces more complicated health outcomes.”

Exposure to Water-Damaged buildings (WDB) is one cause of CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome).  Dr. Shoemaker goes on to describe the ability of three new technologies to document the physiologic basis for adverse human health effects as part of CIRS: HERTSMI-2 (a modified ERMI air test for the WDB environment), GENIE (Gene Expression, Inflammation Explained, a gene test for affected individuals), and NeuroQuant (an advanced volumetric brain MRI for affected individuals).  “We can now show specific exposures from WDB that result in specific immunologic reactivity”, including “at least 15 objective biomarkers found in CIRS cases but statistically found far less commonly in age- and gender-matched controls…”   Let’s break that down:  Biomarkers are “A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease.” (cancer.gov)  That means that those who have CIRS due to WDB have distinctive clusters of symptoms not found in other patients, such as abnormal molecular protein levels and volumetric changes in the brain found by NeuroQuant. These changes in brain volume in CIRS due to exposure to WDB were unique and different compared to those of Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, and even CIRS due to Lyme’s disease.

Putting the Pieces Together

The combined facts that: 1) mold often hides unseen behind walls, ceilings and floors, 2) mold toxins can affect one person in a household but not others due to genetic predisposition, and 3) many doctors have not been trained on the health effects or symptoms of mold toxicity, causes frustration and misunderstanding galore.  “Probably at least 50% of my patients have been told that they were crazy, or that they were making things up or they needed to see a psychiatrist or that there was something wrong with them, but it wasn’t physical.” (Scott McMahon, M.D., moldymovie.com) “Most physicians would simply not believe that asthma, chronic sinusitis, even some cases of bronchitis, and some cases of cancer are intimately linked with mold and their poisonous byproducts.  This is documented in the scientific literature. So there’s this chasm that exists between what we’re hearing and talking to our private physician about, and what he is prescribing for us.” (Doug Kaufmann, host of Know The Cause, moldymovie.com)

Besides CIRS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is another illness caused by exposure to WDB.  Mast cells are a type of white blood cell found in many organs of the body that play a large role in our immune system, releasing over 200 chemicals in response to different environmental triggers.  Sometimes they become oversensitive/overactive, and all sorts of health issues arise.  This is MCAS.  According to Beth O’Hara, Functional Naturopath and Functional Genetic Analyst and founder of MastCell360.com, the number one common root cause of MCAS is mold toxicity.    

Mold produces toxins that weaken the immune system, so it can lead to overgrowth of other species of fungus, like Candida, and it can also lead to MCAS and cancer, because mycotoxins can penetrate cell walls and attach to DNA, causing destructive mutations.

“Some of the reasons why mycotoxins are a trigger for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome include their tendency to cause:

• Immune Dysregulation

• Mast Cell Activation

• Parasympathetic and Vagus Nerve Disruptions

• Methylation Dysregulation

• Hormone Dysregulation

• Low immunity – Inability to fight off infections

• Gut Disruptions

This happens due to mold triggering something called the Cell Danger Response. This metabolic response in your body happens in order to protect your cells and you from harm.” (mastcell360.com)

Unfortunately, mold can grow in your body!  If you spend some extended time in a mold-infested area, you can breathe in the microscopic mold spores.  The mucus in your respiratory tract can carry the spores to the following areas, where it can colonize (especially species like aspergillus and fusarium):

• The sinuses

• The ear canals

• The lungs (such as in pulmonary aspergillosis)

• Other organs, such as kidneys, liver, skin or brain, when the mold passes from the lungs into the bloodstream (such as in invasive aspergillosis) (source: my.clevelandclinic.org)

•  Swallowed mucus (post-nasal drip) can make its way to the intestines, causing Small Intestine Fungal Overgrowth, or SIFO.  (mastcell360.com)

Recovery is Possible

Treatment centers for mold-related illnesses can at a minimum recommend blood tests and urine tests.  Blood tests can show what mold-related antibodies are present in your blood, and urine tests can show the levels of mold toxins being excreted by your body. (mastcell360.com)  It can be the case, however, that very sick people find that the urine test is negative, because the body cannot excrete the toxins effectively.

After finding out which types of mold are present, the practitioner can prescribe a detox regimen to remove the mold and toxins. The detox will typically be slow, from 3 months to over a year, to avoid MCAS flare-ups and other complications, but there is hope!

According to Mark Hyman, M.D. (moldymovie.com), “If you think you have mold illness, there’s a way out. And it might be a long way out, but there’s a way out. And there is hope, but you have to find a practitioner who could help you deal systematically with the mold illness. One, you have to get rid of it in your environment and two, you have to get it out of your body, and three you have to repair the damage that’s been done.  So those are the three steps to healing from mold illness. If you follow those steps and are focused and you work with an experienced practitioner, you can get better. “

That’s a way forward to remediate your body–but what about your house?  Check out our related post, Taking our Homes Back from Mold.

Low-E Window Films: the "fixer-upper" for old(er) windows!

As a former resident of New Orleans and renovation show connoisseur, I appreciate old windows.  Before there were vinyl windows and double-glazing, there were wood frames with lead weights integrated into the walls to counterbalance the heavy weight of the window, to keep them positioned while open.  Brilliant!

What’s not so brilliant, however, is the chill of a draft coming through or around the window on colder days, or condensation rolling down the window anytime the temperature of the window and humidity surpass the dewpoint of the room.  I like modern air conditioning and heat, and condensation and mold resulting from condensation is not definitely not brilliant!

Can we have our single-glazed windows and enjoy climate control too?  YES!  Check out “Low-E” window films.  Low-E stands for low emissivity, which denotes the ability of radiant energy to pass through a substance.  You want your nice air conditioning or heat to stay inside, and the summer heat or winter cold to stay outside, yet let the light shine through?   That’s what low-e coatings do: they are a transparent “blanket” for your windows!

This diagram from energyeducation.ca shows how the low-e coating works

Here’s another graphic regarding the difference between “absorbing films” versus “low e films” (gsa.gov)

Aside from retaining the climate inside, while retaining the aesthetics of the old window, there are the financial reasons to consider window film insulation.  Did you know that approximately 30% of a home's heating energy is lost through windows, and in cooling seasons, about 76% of sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters to become heat ? (energy.gov).  If you were to count the dollars floating out your windows, insulating them makes sense.  According to buildings.com, low e films work all year long, and provide an ROI (return on investment) in 2 to 5 years, depending on the climate and type of film selected, and warranties can be between 7 to 15 years (ROI and warranty figures are for professional installation).   Two case studies on  the Hansen Federal Building in Ogden, Utah, and the Cabell Federal Building in Dallas, Texas, along with computer simulations across seven climates showed that application of low e window film averaged 29% HVAC savings on single pane windows in perimeter building zones. (gsa.gov) When you consider the cost of applying the film to decent windows that still function properly versus replacing them with new windows made of low-e glass, the cost savings can be huge: $6-14 per square foot of installed film, vs. $300 to $1000 per replaced window (angi.com)  It’s a savings no-brainer!

Speaking of installation, there are lots of options regarding application (DIY or professional installation), appearance (transparent, shaded, mirrored and everything in-between), and with these options, of course, a range of costs.  Wrangling large sheets of thin plastic is doable, but not easy!  I perceive the “Cadillac” of window coatings to be professional installation with a warranty!  For those who have the budget, here are some options:

• 3M Thinsulate™ Climate Control Window Film “ improves the insulation value of a typical single pane window close to that of a double pane window and the insulation value of a typical double pane window close to a triple pane window.”  It also keeps blocks up to 99% of the sun’s rays, which prevents fading and deterioration of home decor.  This site will help you find a local dealer to install it.

• Vista Window Film has a number of products that reflect heat and light; check out their Low Emissivity selection for two options and find dealers who can install for you!

• Solar Control®'s Ceramic line is very similar to that created for space shuttles as it cancels up to 90% of infrared rays, blocks 99% of UV rays, and prevents 73% of the heat coming through windows.  The small ceramic-based nano-particles are more durable and protective than other films and make windows shatter-resistant. (drwindowtint.com)

What type of low-e window film should I get?  Without professional installation, you’ll want to find a film that fits your climate, and your lighting taste.  The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) should be low for warmer climates, and high for cooler climates.  The visible transmittance rating (VT) is the amount of natural light admitted, so this number will be higher for more light in your room.(spruce.com) Please also note that there are “window insulation kits”, particularly by 3M or FrostKing, that adhere to the window frame and not the window (these stop drafts but do not have low e properties).  Here are some of the best DIY films we’ve reviewed:

• Snaptint.com offers low e films for your home and for your car, which are (ta-da!) pre-cut.  At $3.15 per square foot, this SolarGard product comes in a light or dark variety for visual preference, and you can add installation tools for $9.99, which seem like a worthwhile add-on when watching the installation video. 

• For homes in warmer climates, check out SnapGuard products.  Their ceramic window films come in several different shades, and block out up to 99% of infrared rays, which are those that cause significant heat transfer to the interior.  

• TintDepot.com has several options of ceramic films with clear or reflective properties.  I like that these product pages have easy-to understand tables with property values like Visible Light Transmittance (VT) and Total Solar Energy Reflectance (TSER).  Their rolls are large, enabling you to do a lot of windows, and come in between $2-$3 per square foot not including shipping and application tools.

• Be aware that many films claim to be anti-UV and high-heat rejection (such as BDF and Gila products), but do not add any SHGC ratings to their products.

Go on, invest in some new shades for your windows:  you will soon feel the difference!

How to deal with body odor, with a focus on charcoal!

True (but embarrassing) story:

One day while renovating a gutted house in post-Katrina New Orleans, I stood in the checkout line at a home-improvement store with only a pipe about 4” long in my hand.  Suddenly I was aware of an odor.  What is that stink?  I slowly (nonchalantly) looked around to see from where (or who) it might be coming.  The guy in front of me looked pretty clean, and the woman behind me was not even that close.  A minute later when I moved forward, it dawned on me: the pipe in my hand was channeling the stink from my workboots up to my nose.  How disgusting!  No wonder that lady wasn’t coming any closer…

We all have odd smells that cause us extra time and effort to remedy or disguise.  A lot of people have bad breath and underarm odor problems.  Some have flatulence issues, and some have stinky feet issues.  Of course it is best to try and remedy the source of the problem medically or holistically, but sometimes it can take years.  In the meantime, we want to help with getting back to normal (or better than normal!) with technology.  We’re not fans of “masking” the odors, as some products do with heavy fragrances.  Let’s get to the odor-causing bacteria and trap them before they make a stink!

Activated charcoal is different from the barbeque grill variety because a treatment of gasses at high temperature is applied to “activate” it, or create extra surface area for adsorption (causing toxins to adhere to the surface of the charcoal).  It has long been used to filter odors from the air, as well as contaminants from water (for more info, check out our post on de-stinking your home with carbon filter media!)  With new technology in fabrics and materials, people are finding more and more ways to use it in and around our bodies.  Here are some of the ones we’ve found.

• For those suffering from IBS, Crohn’s Disease, and other gastrointestinal conditions, malodorous flatulence is a terrible problem.  It causes social anxiety and can cause those who have it to lose relationships, jobs, and mobility (not wanting to travel or go outside).  
  • Shreddies is a flatulence-filtering underwear that has carbon-activated cloth sewn into them, which can be washed and reused many times.  They also sell pyjamas, pants, cushions and bedding.  
  • Although not infused with charcoal, I felt I had to say that PooPourri is actually an all-natural product that fills the air with a fresh scent, and forms a protective film on the surface of the toilet water, so that bowel movements are trapped below until you flush.  Tested by the Canadian Gastrointestinal Society, the products were given a good review.  You can make your own “pourri”, too. 
• For feet, odor normally occurs with excessively sweaty feet, so it’s important to wear the right socks (to minimize moisture) and get those shoes dry quickly after you take them off.  Here are some great products to try:
  • The right socks: socks are not only your feet’s first protection against abrasion, but they also help your feet regulate body temperature and they control moisture.  If you have been reading our website, you’ll know we are big on moisture control as a way of mold control!  Therefore, it’s important that you wear the right type of socks for the activity and shoes, and if you have particularly sweaty feet, keep several pairs of socks on hand to change them throughout the day if necessary.  Here is an excellent article on how to choose the right socks, and another with tips on keeping your feet healthy.  For socks woven with charcoal, visit charcoalhouse.com. 
  • Aerated shoes:  As with other moisture problems in our homes, the best odor prevention is ventilation!  Here is a list of stylish shoes that provide plenty of ventilation. 
  • Insoles:  The right insoles can fight odor all day long, as moving your feet will naturally cause air to move in and out of your shoe, and carbon in the insole will filter it.  Many positive reviews for Dr. Scholl’s make them the best we’ve found.  
  • Sprays: If you can’t use a full insert in your shoe (for form-fitting high heels, for example, try out this natural spray that uses essential oils for great odor-fighting power.
  • Boot/shoe dryers: This review is a great source to find the right boot dryer for you and your household. 
  • Shoe deodorizers: After drying, keep these inserts in your shoes to keep them smelling fresh. 
  • Homemade/ Economical solution: This tip from VeryWellFit.com is super useful, however instead of baking soda, substitute activated charcoal powder for even more power: pour a bit of activated charcoal (or baking soda) into 2  coffee filters and tie them with a breadbag tie or rubber band, and leave one in each shoe overnight.  This allows the charcoal or baking soda to work its deodorizing magic without building up or staining your shoe.  The charcoal powder has many more uses in your home, too, check out our other post on Activated Charcoal!
• Underarm odor is actually caused by bacteria on your skin that breaks down protein in your sweat into acids.  So, the odor is not caused by the sweat itself, but the byproducts of the bacterial reaction to it.  Some people suffer from axillary hyperhidrosis, which is overactive nerves which cause them to sweat up to five times more than normal to regulate body temperature.  Traditionally deodorant has been the main solution, and there are others:
  • This review is by a natural deodorant devotee, and she already had her own favorite deodorant before charcoal was introduced.  Given this, she said that the charcoal version by Schmidt’s ties with her favorite regular natural deodorant!  (If you are allergic to magnesium, which can be absorbed through the skin, you will need to do a bit of research because all the deodorants I found used a magnesium formula!)
  • Thompson’s Tee’s  make sweat-proof undershirts, which when paired with a natural deodorant, can vastly improve life for many who over-sweat.  Their tee-shirts are made with Odor Shield™ technology, a natural, non-toxic hydrogen peroxide-based solution. Odor Shield™ eliminates 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria in the fabric and stays put for at least 70 wash cycles.  The articles on SweatHelp.org are super-helpful and discount codes are also provided. 
• The folks at Lume broke through a barrier with their advertising regarding excessive odor in the groin area, and the obvious embarrassment that can cause.  Their deodorants are not made with completely natural ingredients, nor do they contain charcoal, but they certainly started a trend of awareness and help for odor problems.  
• Bad breath may have a slight reprieve in these days of mask-wearing, but in close contact without a mask it can still be offensive.  Once again, bacteria is usually the cause of the condition, and it may lurk in the mouth (80%-90% of cases) or elsewhere in the body (10-20%). .  There are medical causes of bad breath such as dry mouth, gum disease, a respiratory infection, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorder, or liver or kidney disorder.  It’s tempting to use the basic alcohol-based mouthwash found in many stores, but this product is non-discriminatory in killing both bad and good bacteria, and can actually make you more susceptible to gum disease and other infections. (scientificamerican.com)  When you’re trying medical treatment for the sources of bad breath, you can also dispel the odor by using activated charcoal:
  • Charcoal toothpaste will bind food particles, a food source for bacteria in your mouth.  It is also inert, meaning it will not change the pH balance in your mouth and make it difficult for good bacteria to live there.  Although mainly sought for its tooth-whitening capabilities, charcoal toothpaste is anti-viral and anti-fungal and can help remove some of the bacteria that cause bad breath through adsorption.  However, it can be more abrasive and if without fluoride, may increase risk of dental disease if used exclusively. (dental source)  Here is a great review of charcoal toothpastes with different characteristics, ie., for fresh breath, for sensitivity, for whitening, etc. 
  • Charcoal mouthwash is safer than toothpaste as far as abrasion goes, and the natural varieties contain less or no alcohol, and no fluoride (depending on where you stand with fluoride, that can be a good or bad thing).  Hello activated charcoal extra freshening mouthwash is a good choice because it’s vegan, gluten free, cruelty free and free from alcohol, dyes, artificial sweeteners/flavors, and SLS/sulfates.
  • Activated charcoal in large doses has long been used as an anti-poison remedy, because it binds toxins in the stomach and helps your body flush them out before they are absorbed.  However, emergency room (ER) doctors normally only give this treatment in certain types of overdose, and then only if it has been a recent ingestion (2 hours or less).  Therefore, the average charcoal supplements, which are actually 100-200 times less potent than the ER treatment, are not clinically proven to  help in “detoxifying” (Consumer Reports), and you should also note that charcoal can absorb healthy nutrients and prescription drugs, just as well as it does toxins!  This one by Bulletproof seems to be used mainly against bloating and overindulgence, but technically it can’t do that if not taken soon after said “overindulgence”.   If you are looking to cure bad breath, charcoal supplements are only shown to help with a rare source of bad breath called trimethylaminuria (study).  For other non-mouth sources of halitosis, the best bet is to take a look at your diet and eliminate sugar and wheat from your diet, which can feed an overgrowth of candida yeast, causing the bad breath or odor in other parts of your body.(Reboot Health).  

What is your favorite way to use the natural “freshening” characteristic of activated charcoal?

What non-toxic multipurpose spray cleaners really work?

If it wasn’t on your mind before 2020, it most likely is now…. is it CLEAN?  Many people wonder before touching surfaces, outside and inside the home.   The solutions for  “concern” over cleanliness are also being absorbed into our skin, drying out our skin, being inhaled into our lungs, and broadcasted into the atmosphere.  So, let’s get to the bottom of it: what cleaners are safe, and of those, what cleaners really CLEAN?  As in, clean up the mess AND disinfect.  Give me some of those!

For true disinfectants, the EPA has developed a list “N” that will even kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus; however, this list is full of products with ingredients that will also harm us.  In response, TURI (Toxics Use Reduction Institute based at the University of Massachusetts Lowell) has produced a list of “Safer Cleaners” that do not have toxic ingredients.  From 431 formulations on the List N that are classified for “Residential Use”, only 15 made the list by TURI for non-toxic ingredients!  That’s only 3.5%!  The reason is that most of the active ingredients classified by the EPA as disinfectants, and some of the “inert ingredients” are also toxic to us.  For example, over half of the products on List N contain quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats) as active ingredient.  Quats kill microbes by binding to the negatively-charged surfaces of microbes.  They have been studied to induce asthma in cleaning workers, decreased lung function in farmers, and greater immune reactions and decreased fertility in mice, among other effects. They are very persistent and are difficult to remove from surfaces, so it’s important not to use them on food prep surfaces.  This is the type of info we need!  Unfortunately, I just identified a common quat (Benzalkonium chloride) in one of the anti-bacterial soaps I use at home :(.  Time to get safer! 

I wanted to focus on spraying cleaners, because we’ve all been doing a lot of spraying lately.  Spraying counter tops, spraying doorknobs, spraying toilets, spraying toys, spraying steering wheels…you name it!  If we could spray each other, I’m sure we would.  Back to the task: it would be so much simpler if we could buy one spray for the whole house, right?  Such cleaners do exist… check out our shortlist here!

• TotalClean is our new offering that is safe for adults, children and pets, and is fragrance free!  Using an iodine-based formula, it cleans surfaces and removes odors, without adding harsh chemicals like quats or overwhelming fragrance.  Use it anywhere you can use a water-based cleaner: counter tops, toilets, leather, glass, marble, stone, linoleum, tile, stainless steel, painted surfaces, fabrics, carpet, stove tops, appliance exteriors, sinks, floors, cabinets, tubs and walls.
• Force of Nature is great for those concerned with toxic chemicals and environmental preservation!  In addition to being an EPA-registered disinfectant, it is a safe cleaner using only vinegar, salt and water, and their “bundles” includes the spray bottle and appliance and “capsules” used to make the cleaner.  This avoids lots of packaging waste and all you have to do is add water and electricity (plug in the appliance) to make a refill.  Genius!
• Lysol with Hydrogen Peroxide Multi-Purpose Cleaner is an EPA-registered disinfectant that dissolves grease and soap scum, and comes in a number of scents (Citrus Sparkle, Fresh, Cool Spring Breeze and Oxygen Splash are the ones I’ve seen). As one of the household names of bleach (most of their cleaners are bleach-based), you need to make sure that the multi-purpose cleaner you buy is “bleach-free” to avoid that chemical.
• Arm and Hammer Essentials Disinfecting Wipes are a convenient way to disinfect–great for keeping in the car, bathroom, classrooms, etc.  Using citric acid, they are a registered disinfectant by the EPA. 

Can I make them myself?  Yes, but some are better than others.

For example, you’ve probably seen countless recommendations for using vinegar-based home cleaners, which do break down dirt and help remove it.  However, vinegar is not the best disinfectant according to the EPA.  In order to be classified as a disinfectant, the product must kill 99.9% of harmful germs within 5 to 10 minutes, and vinegar only kills some of those germs, including E. Coli and Salmonella (healthline.com).  If you want to make your own disinfectant, look at the ingredients on the Safer Cleaner list.  The first three, citric acid, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and hydrogen peroxide, are cheap and accessible ingredients!  Here are some recipes for cleaners based on these ingredients:

• Ethanol-based cleaner with white vinegar (I like this recipe because it incorporates eucalyptus oil, which is a powerful antimicrobial essential oil).  
• Citric acid is quite powerful and the Method brand on the TURI list is 5% citric acid and 95% inert ingredients.  It is not recommended to use on natural stone or marble, wood, delicate surfaces or electronic screens because of its acidic effects. For this reason, and the popularity of natural stone counter tops in the US, I’m not going to post a recipe for homemade citric acid multi-purpose cleaner here, but citric acid is best used in descaling and de-greasing appliances.  Here is how to clean 5 household items using citric acid. 
• Hydrogen peroxide (3-6%) is safe to spray undiluted on surfaces, meaning you can pour a brown bottle from the drug store straight into your spray bottle. “According to The Ohio State University Extension, cleaning counters with undiluted hydrogen peroxide is effective at killing E. coli and Salmonella bacteria on hard surfaces like counters when it’s allowed to sit on the surface for 10 minutes at room temperature.”  (healthline.com also has 21 other ways to use it).  However, according to this website it is slightly acidic, and can damage natural stone counter tops over time (don't use it every day).  There are various recipes to make cleaners, however hydrogen peroxide should never be mixed with vinegar because it makes peracetic acid, which has dangerous fumes.   Hydrogen peroxide should also be used within 6 months of opening the original bottle, because it decomposes into oxygen and water by being exposed to sunlight and heat, losing its disinfecting properties. 

Air Pollution from Oil Wells is real–and you may not even realize how close the wells are!

I live in a geologically rich state, Mississippi.  Rich for those with mineral rights…and not so rich for those who get to smell their hydrocarbons, sometimes on a weekly basis!  At least several times a month, I wake up to a pungent, rotten egg smell in my house that I recognize immediately from having previously worked in refineries (hydrogen sulfide)…except there are no refineries near me.  One day I decided to find out where the rotten eggs were. 

There are a number of online maps that will show you where active and inactive oil gas wells are.  Some maps give more info than others, and I found that my state has a pretty good one, listing the operators, what type of well (dry hole, oil production, injection or disposal) and data on the well.  I found one dry well less than a mile away.  The field in production closest to me (3 miles away) has 61 wells, 35 of which are in oil production, the remaining mostly dry holes and some disposal. Another one that is 6 miles away has 59 wells, 41 of which are in production, with the remaining as disposals, dry holes and a few injections.  I want to find out which one is throwing the eggs!  It turns out, it may not even be the ones that are in production.  According to Reuters, millions of abandoned (no longer in production) oil wells in the US are leaking methane and other toxic gasses like hydrogen sulfide. Some have been around since the late 1800’s!

SO….it’s not just the rotten eggs that concern me: they seem to go away within several hours.  What about the odorless gasses?  Yes, according to this summary of a study from California, researchers found increased air pollution within 2.5 miles of an oil or gas well, such as PM2.5 (toxic particulate matter), carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  When a new well is being drilled or reaches 100 barrels of oil production per day, PM2.5 increases by approximately 2 micrograms per cubic meter one mile from the site.  This “small” uptick can be significant, however, because oil wells can remain in production for decades, and a different study concluded that even an increase of one microgram of PM2.5 per cubic meter, increases the risk of death by COVID-19 by 11 percent.  Air pollution becomes worse and more widespread on windy days, which is how I figure I am smelling hydrocarbons from a well 3 or more miles away.  Thankfully I live upwind most days (the pollutants of wells flow away from me most of the time).  And thankfully, I am not surrounded by wells like the residents of southern Los Angeles or those along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 

A study from Harvard released in January 2022 links increased mortality rate for people aged 65 and over to living close to “unconventional oil and gas drilling” operations, or UOGD.  UOGD includes directional (non-vertical) drilling and  “fracking”, or hydraulic fracturing, which is the injection of high-pressure liquid and materials to fracture shale and stimulate oil and gas production (ipaa.org).  The results point to air pollution from the wells causing the increased mortality, although there are hardly any air quality  monitoring stations near the wells. 

In order to confirm what your nose (or sadly, your overall health) is telling you, you can start monitoring and logging indoor and outdoor quality.  Of course, with indoor measurements you’ll want to note what air purification systems you have running (HEPA filter, air purifier, etc.).  Keep a journal or computer log (the device you use may keep records for you) and also note weather conditions, so that wind, temperature, humidity, precipitation, etc. can be referenced along with the air quality.  You’ll want a sensor that measures VOC and PM2.5 levels, and this unit is a great budget-friendly option to get started!  You can easily travel with it too.

For persistent indoor air quality problems due to oil well emissions, you’ll want to get a HEPA filter for PM2.5.  Depending on the model, the unit may also handle VOCs if it has activated carbon in the filter.  The Air Angel helps in both of these areas because it has polar ionization and AHPCO technology, but pairing it with a stand-alone HEPA filter is recommended.  Check out our post on portable HEPA filters for recommendations!

Who can help us get something done about wellhead emissions?  There are rules of law for well emissions (example), however without the know-how, technical equipment, or access to the well to measure air quality, it’s hard to know whether a well is in violation.  Also, there are many abandoned wellheads, for which it is hard to get anyone to take responsibility in many cases.  So, it’s best to start by trying to contact someone locally, and work your way up.  Start with your city or county representative, as often these officials are aware of problems and resources.  Typically, individual states are responsible for cleaning/managing their own wells, unless there are wells on federal or tribal land, which is managed by the federal government.  Your state may or may not be easy to contact with air quality problems, but give it a try!  For example, Mississippi is not excessively progressive because it only has a couple addresses and fax numbers listed for air quality complaints.  Some states with high drilling activity have started their own “orphaned well” programs, and this 2021 report summarizes the efforts of reporting states to register and close orphan wells.  It has a lot of information about states agencies and websites.  The EPA, also, has an email form you can use.  

Air is one thing that is free, but free doesn’t always mean good.  We urge you to persist in making your indoor and outdoor air as good as it can be!

The benefits of living upwind

I can only think of a few times where being downwind was preferable.  If you’re a hunter, you’d want to be downwind of your prey so it won’t smell you and run away.  I didn’t mind being downwind of the coffee roasting plant when I lived in New Orleans because of the good smells.  In all other cases (maybe I’m missing one?), being upwind is the place to be. 

In several articles we’ve described the ways that nanoparticles and pollution can infiltrate our homes, and the effects that it has on our health.  Therefore, we advocate for “living upwind” of the many potential pollution sources in our cities and country today.  It’s just fresher, cleaner, and healthier.  Here are some reasons why:

• Major cities: many of the world’s largest cities (including London, Paris, New York, Toronto, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford, Glasgow, Helsinki and Casablanca)  have poorer “east ends” because the prevailing winds blow pollution from west to east. (study)

• Fossil-fuel power plants:  In a study surrounding a coal-fired power plant located in Pennsylvania, it was found that infants born to mothers living as far as 20 to 30 miles downwind from the power plant were 6.5% more likely to be born with a low birth weight (i.e., birth weight below 2,500 grams) and 17.12% more likely to be born with a very low birth weight (i.e., birth weight below 1,500 grams).

• Refineries and oil wells:  In 2020, 13 refineries in the US released benzene, a cancer-causing toxin, in amounts above EPA action levels.  (environmentalintegrity.org).  Unfortunately refineries have emergency releases of chemicals at various times, sometimes just because of a power failure.   In our post on emissions from oil wells, we reported that harmful VOCs and particulates are being released continually, and these increase the risk of respiratory and other illnesses.  

• Ports and airports: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that there are 3,700 premature deaths per year directly attributed to the ports and goods movement activities statewide and approximately 120 deaths per year associated with diesel particulate matter emissions from activities at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The economic cost associated with these deaths as well as for medical care for illnesses and missed school and work days is an estimated $30 billion annually. (The Impact Project, 2012 paper).  Noise and light pollution are also results of living near a port.

• Major highways: there are “statistically and economically significant effects of exposure to near-roadway pollution on mortality amongst the elderly” according to one study, however the pollution is also harmful to people of all ages, such as young children, who are susceptible to asthma, and adults, becasue exposure to fine particulate matter is associated with high symptoms of anxiety and antidepressant use. (discoverymagazine.com)

• Volcanoes: volcanic vents can emit gasses on an ongoing basis that contain toxic components such as sulfur dioxide (SO2: smells like a struck match or fireworks), hydrogen sulfide (H2S: smells like rotten eggs), hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride (HFl and HCl, smell strong, irritating and pungent), and carbon dioxide and radon, which are odorless but also dangerous. (International Volcanic Health Hazard Network)

What if you can’t live upwind?  Then try to employ some techniques to prevent the outside pollutants from penetrating your home:

• Mitigate the stack effect by sealing the building envelope.  Contrary to popular opinion, just adding more insulation will not stop air leaks, because they are propelled by air pressure differentials, not just temperature differentials.  Pressurized will find a way through insulation if there is a leak in the building envelope.

• Make green your favorite color!  When possible, surround yourself and your property in trees and/or plants because they absorb VOCs and particulates, and create a myriad of health benefits for your mind and body.

• A 2011 study entitled “Improving Health in Communities near Highways” hosted by Tufts University suggested filtration as the number one method to reduce ultra-fine particles indoors.  Filters for residences and schools near busy roadways should be Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 14 or above, mainly because the ultrafine particle removal efficiencies of filters with lower MERV ratings are not reported.  Another method was to relocate building intake air vents to the downwind side of the building.  

• Bipolar ionizers like The Whole-Home Polar Ionizer, Germ Defenders and Air Angels  cause small nanoparticles to stick together and drop out of the air, to help you avoid breathing them in.

Waterproof wall coatings: should you use them in your basement?

As a followup to our article on Getting the Basement Dried Out, and in response to customer questions, I thought we should talk about sealing basement walls.  There are some really good products like GAF Hydrostop, UGL Drylok Extreme, Koster, Xypex and Sani-Tred to name a few.  These kinds of coatings can definitely stop moisture and are relatively cheap compared to the other measures I’m going to recommend here, but the sad truth is that they’re usually only a temporary stopgap measure if proper drainage is not in place.  The building science experts have determined that the basic rules for water management in buildings are:

• Don’t trap water in building materials or assemblies.
• Allow materials and assemblies to dry to at least one side. (energyvanguard.com)  

In the words of expert Joe Lstiburek:  “Waterproof coatings are not bad; they are not, however, a substitute for an adequate drainage system.” (buildingscience.com) The reason is that waterproof coatings act as a vapor barrier, and applying them to the inside of your basement is not a good thing.  

Without proper grading and drainage, your basement is basically a hole in the ground where water IS going to collect.  Construction of a house with a basement doesn’t begin with pouring the basement; it begins with preparing the ground so that it slopes and drains away water, which is the enemy of all the precious building materials in the home.  If your home was not graded/prepared properly during the construction phase, here are the ways that you can get the water flowing in the right direction (down and away from the house!)

• If you have a dirt floor in your basement, cover it with polyethylene to seal the moisture below it.  You don’t want moisture and possibly radon continuously seeping into your basement air space from the dirt).  If you have a bit more in your budget, dig out some of the soil first so you won’t lose ceiling height. Then install a layer of crushed stone, a horizontal layer of rigid insulation (plus some vertical insulation at the perimeter), a layer of polyethylene, and a concrete slab over it all. (greenbuildingadvisor.com)
• Check/install roof gutters:  Gutters are the first line of defense in routing water away from the foundation, because instead of pouring directly down around it, water is directed away from it.  Ideally, the gutters will drain to areas 10 feet away from the house.  If you have gutters, make sure that they and the downspouts are not plugged up with leaf debris!
• Check/adjust grade around your home: if you have an older home, many times the soil around it has built up over the years with mulch, grass clippings, and vegetation so that it doesn’t drain properly.  A good slope to aim for when grading land extending out from a house foundation is about 6 inches for the first 10 feet (that translates to a "slope" of 5 percent). This article tells you how to determine whether your lot already has this slope, or you need to do some work to get that slope.  
• If you can’t grade the area with a rake, shovel and wheelbarrow and you’re going to hire an excavator, then it’s worthwhile to dig down to the footers and install gravel and a perforated drainpipe, so that any water that drains down the wall will drain down and away from the footers.  If you are doing this, THIS IS THE BEST TIME/AREA TO USE A WATERPROOF COATING: on the exterior of the wall! 
• If your home has nice patios, walkways, etc. around it and you don’t want to tear them up, then go for an interior french drain, so that water around and under the slab can be pumped away.  It’s probably a job you’ll want a contractor to handle, but it’s best if you know what to expect and that the contractor outlines his plan, before work starts!  According to Green Building Advisor, a trusted building science site, here is how they would install a french drain: 
  • Cut a trench about 8 inches wide and at least 8 inches deep at the perimeter of your basement slab, near the wall.
  • Put some crushed stone in the trench, and some perforated 4-inch pipe, followed by more crushed stone. The pipe can be installed level or slightly sloped, and should lead to a sump installed in a corner of the basement.
  • Install a sump pump and connect the pump’s discharge pipe to a distant drywell, to daylight far from the house, or (if permitted by your local municipality) to your sewer drain. 
  • Once the French drain is installed, the concrete slab can be patched.  Before patching the concrete, however, you may want to install a tee in the 4-inch pipe, and connect the tee to a solid 4-inch riser pipe that extends through the roof. This riser pipe, along with a properly sized inline exhaust fan installed in the attic, are the essential components of an active radon mitigation system. Such a system depressurizes the air under a basement slab, and provides an important side benefit: it helps keep your basement dry.  (greenbuildingadvisor.com)

If you have done these things and have a condensation problem on the walls, it’s still not time to break out the waterproof paint, because the condensation is likely because of temperature differentials.  Typically condensation will occur on the upper part of basement walls in the winter, when it’s cold outside and warmer and humid inside, or on the lower part of basement walls in the summer, when it’s cooler down below grade but the basement has warmer, humid air.  Check the wall to see if this kind of seasonal condensation is what you’re experiencing.  If so, this calls for permeable insulation that isolates the interior atmosphere from the cold walls, yet allows any moisture coming through the block to pass through.  .  

The best insulating materials for a basement are those that are permeable or semi-permeable such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS), as these materials are less sensitive to moisture than other insulation types. However, EPS is preferred over XPS in our opinion for the following reasons (airfoam.com):

• Off-gassing: EPS does not contain hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs))
• Loss of R-values: in tests XPS has lost up to 44% of its R-values and EPS only 6%
• Water absorption: in tests XPS absorbed up to 18.9% by volume and EPS 4.8%  
• EPS has higher vapor permeance (thus allows more water vapor to pass through) at about 1.2 perm versus roughly 0.3 perm for XPS for R-12 insulation boards.  Normally one would not think this is desirable as vapor is passing through to the basement interior, but this factor affects the foam board’s own potential to stay dry. 

The best place to insulate is on the exterior.  Exterior insulation is advantageous because it protects the wall from the cold soil so that condensation cannot occur on the wall and the wall can dry to both the interior and the exterior. Installation of exterior insulation is best done during construction, however it can be accomplished as a renovation if  great care is taken to prevent damage during back filling around the foundation. If you don’t plan on excavating to the footings of the home, opt for interior insulation.  It should be vapor permeable or semipermeable as well as “air tight” to prevent warm, moist interior air from condensing on the cold concrete or block wall. Some foam insulations such as EPS and XPS can satisfy both conditions if installed properly (including taping at the seams). (buildingscience.com)

The slab floor:  Once again, the best place to insulate the slab is under the slab during construction, however, if you’re renovating, then insulating on top of the slab is fine.  Because most of the year the slab will be colder than the interior air, it’s a surface on which condensation can occur. The best way to accomplish this is adding a layer of rigid foam insulation, 2 layers of plywood for support, and a permeable finish like wood, carpet or cork (see diagram below).

To Compost or Not to Compost–here are some ways to “take out the garbage”!

Kitchens are full of smells.  Of course we want the good smells, but we also have to work to keep the bad smells at bay.  What comprises most of those bad smells? Kitchen garbage.  Not everything gets used, so into the bin it goes until the smell becomes too strong for us, or too enticing for flies, or both!  What if we could use more of that garbage and get rid of the smell?  Modern composting is the answer.  Some new products on the market brought this topic up for my own research.

First of all, what are the alternatives to throwing kitchen scraps in the bin?  Here’s a starter list:

1. Throw them into the yard to decompose naturally
2. Feed them to animals such as chickens and pigs.  (Check on which scraps are safe for them first!)
3. Bury them directly in dirt or the garden
4. Intentionally make them into compost for plants and gardens

1. Ok, I’ve been warned that the first one is not a safe option.  Wandering dogs and other animals may eat things like corncobs or fats that are not safe for them, and this kind of waste near your home can lure flies, ants, rats, raccoons and possums into close contact.  It’s best to avoid this method, as easy as it is.

2. If you have chickens and pigs, or neighbors who do, then you have a use for most of your kitchen waste!  Just sort the vegetables from the fat and bones (grease and bones are not good things for animals), and use a storage container inside or outside to keep them until it’s feeding time.  Here’s a great resource on what to and what not to feed animals. 

3. Since burying is a bit of a hassle, you’ll probably want to store scraps until you have enough to make it worthwhile.  Many containers you already have may be suitable, like oversized coffee cans and old tupperware, but these don’t contain smells or look pleasing on your countertop.  A functional kitchen scrap container should:

• Minimize smells (and flying insects)
• Contain liquids
• Provide aeration to avoid mold

Here are some of our favorite storage containers:

• Full Circle Scrap Happy Food Scrap Collector and Freezer Compost Bin, $18, is ingenious.  To use it just hang the bin on a cabinet door or drawer so that you can simply scrape peelings off the cutting board or countertop directly into the bin, then store it in your freezer to lock away smells.  It's dishwasher safe and of course, freezer safe. 
• Bamboozle Food Compost Bin, $45, is one of the most stylish available.  It is made of bamboo, comes in three colors, and includes a spare charcoal filter to keep smells away.
• Utopia Kitchen Compost Bin for Kitchen Countertop, $27, has the good looks of stainless steel and also the odor protection of a charcoal filter.  I prefer this one to a similar model by different brand, because Utopia looks less like a trash can on your countertop. 
• DIY your own compost bin!  Here is an easy video on how to make your own container with a few free and inexpensive materials.  You can purchase carbon filter media here and use it in a number of projects around the house:  HVAC vents, shoe deodorizers (while not wearing them), enclosed litter box deodorizers, trash can lid deodorizers, etc.

Other models may include compostable bags as a way of keeping liquids from reaching the container for easy clean-up.  If you need extra charcoal filters for your store-bought bin but want to get the most value, again look into carbon filter media.  

Now that you have a way to store kitchen scraps, you can proceed to bury them in your vegetable or flower garden.  Dig the hole at least 10” deep and several inches away from the roots of plants, to deter animals from following the scent and exhuming them, and don’t bury meat or dairy products. 

4.  If you are a gardener or want to donate good compost to a gardener, then this is the final step: making your own compost with those scraps!  You can buy or DIY a compost vessel, because, like method #1 above, making compost in an open pile invites insects and animals.  Composting requires organic matter, moisture, oxygen and bacteria (University of Illinois Extension).  Let’s go through each of these and see how the composting process works.

• Organic Matter: compost requires a mix of brown organic matter, which supplies more carbon (such as dead leaves, twigs, and manure), and green organic matter, which supplies more nitrogen (lawn clippings or the scraps you bring from the kitchen).  The best mixture is approximately 50% brown and 50% green.  If you are able to chop up the scraps (thin peelings are fine as is), this decreases the time needed to make compost because more surface area is exposed. 
• Moisture: Water is needed to aid the composting process, so that the whole lot should be similar to a wrung out-sponge.  Holes in the bottom of the composting container help to avoid too much moisture, which can lead to mold.
• Oxygen: This is why your composting vessel should not be tightly sealed; instead, it should have aeration holes throughout, to support air exchange.  Turning the compost pile (either manually with a shovel or rake, or by rotating the bin) also provides aeration so that matter on the bottom gets shifted to a place with more oxygen. 
• Bacteria: Fortunately, the necessary bacteria are already present in the air and organic material.  All you have to do is feed them with the other three ingredients and they accomplish the breakdown into compost!  Heat and some smell are also by-products of the breakdown, but if you keep the compost bin a few feet from the house and turn it over regularly, these should not be an issue.  Heat actually aids the process, so avoid turning the pile too frequently.

Now, all you have to do is decide what kind of container to compost in!  It can be as simple as an oversized pot (like the basic black pots that nurseries use for trees) or as fancy as they come on Amazon.  The ideal size, according to the University of Illinois Extension, is a pile that is between 3 feet cubed and 5 feet cubed (27-125 cu. ft.). This allows the center of the pile to heat up sufficiently to break down materials, optimizing the time.  Smaller piles do not generate/hold heat well, so it takes longer to generate rich compost.  If you make a 3-5 ft3 compost bin, turning every two weeks in a northern climate will give you compost in about 3 months.  If you buy a compost bin, you can use the guide provided to know when to turn it over. 

Now that you know how composting works in general, you will also want to know how technology has enabled us to speed up that process.  Kitchen-countertop composters are great for those who can’t do a 3-5ft3 compost bin but may have a container garden for vegetables that can benefit from all those nutrients in the kitchen scraps (think: city apartment with a balcony).  Here are some in that category:

•  Lomi by Pela, $500, adds heat, abrasion and oxygen to the organic matter, to produce compost starter or ready compost in 3 different cycles.  Two of the three cycles use Lomi pods, which are a proprietary blend of probiotics that improve breakdown, reduce smell and provide rich nutrients.  These pods probably provide what normal composting adds, which is the brown organic material from leaves and manure.
• The Bokashi Organiko Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Bin by Teraganix, $119, was developed by a Japanese scientist.  “Bokashi” means “fermented organic matter” in Japanese, and is different from compost in that it is an anaerobic process, meaning that it proceeds in the absence of oxygen.  Therefore this kitchen composter is sealed tightly in order to avoid air intrusion except when adding more kitchen scraps.  The anaerobic process requires that you add “Bokashi Bran” to the bin to speed up the process and keep the smell away, but it also allows you to add dairy and meat products in your scraps.  The liquid that is drained off every few days may be watered down for plant food, and the end product after 10-20 days is “compost starter” that can be buried in your garden.  All in all, it’s a speedier process than outdoor composting and to do Bokashi yourself without purchasing this bin, check out this article. 

If you have a lower budget and outdoor space (for many of us, growing our own vegetables is also about saving money), then you can check out these options for using the kitchen scraps in an outdoor composter.  Two chambers allows you to add scraps weeks later to a second bin, so that the separate bins will continue to generate different stages of decomposition. 

• Inexpensive large one-chamber rotating model with great ratings: Saturnpower 43 gallon, $69

• Dual chamber best-selling composter from Amazon: VivoSun Dual Batch 43 gallon, $95

• And here is a great article on making your own compost bin, and another video that seems to require less wood and hardware like casters.    

It’s important to be sure that compost is “ready” before adding it to your plants, because compost that is not mature can actually damage plants with its acidity, and by stealing nitrogen and oxygen from the soil to complete the decomposition process.  Compost is “done” when: 1) it is no longer heating up after you turn it, 2) it looks dark brown and none of the ingredients are recognizable, 3) it smells like “earth” and not rotting vegetables.  This article goes more in-depth about how to assess your compost. 

Compost can be used in a number of ways, even if you don’t have a “garden”.  You can rejuvenate your lawn or backyard with it, use it when planting new trees and shrubs, and also to nourish existing trees and shrubs.  For gardeners, you can enrich the soil in fall, spring and summer for healthy, fruitful plants.  

Start purging the kitchen smells and turn your garbage into gold with compost!

Renovation Nation: what is the toxic cost?

We are suckers for new countertops and open-plan architecture, and TV shows sometimes make it look oh-so-easy to do yourself!  Renovations come with a toxic cost, however, when you consider the materials you are removing and the new ones that get installed.  We hope you take these into consideration for the health of your family and the workers (maybe yourself)!

First of all, renovations take time.  Time for demolition, time for installation, and even with good planning in this era of supply delays, time to source materials: it all adds up to a period of inconvenience when renovating your primary residence.  Where do you live in the meantime?  Although moving to another building is the safest option, not everyone has the ability to move out during the whole renovation.   Sometimes the budget does not allow for a temporary move-out.  Sometimes your home is just the location you need to be to work and be together.  Whatever the reason, you can safely live in your home while undergoing renovations, by taking precautions.  This article has many excellent tips for keeping the toxins from renovation out of your living space. We would add: make sure to use a HEPA air filter with charcoal component in your living space, so that any dust and VOCS that sneak through the cordoned-off areas or ventilation is picked up by the filter.

1. Plan for success!  Even if you are hiring a contractor, research the availability and costs for techniques, tools and materials that will make the job less toxic.  For example:

• If the home under renovation was built before 1978, have it inspected for lead paint and asbestos, and budget for professional removal agents for these materials.

• If major mold issues (such as from a leaky roof or prior flooding) are a factor in the renovation, ditto on hiring professional mold rehabilitation services!

• This primary-care doctor, wife and mother knew that she had to prioritize materials because time and budget did not allow her to research everything.

• Drywall, paint, and even the plastic that is used to partition off the renovation from the living area, all have hidden toxins.  This renovator did her research and found that non-toxic choices don’t always need to cost more!  Here are some common materials that need your attention so that you can make low-VOC choices for years of healthy living:

• Structural Building materials: treated and laminated wood, metal and other materials

• Insulation, drywall and compound (check out this list of chemical-free building materials)

• Paint, Stains and finishes (thegreendesigncenter.com has safe choices for this and the following categories)

• New flooring

• Fixtures

• Furnishings and decor

• Budget time and money to move all furnishings, clothing, cooking and food items that will not be disposed of, out of the construction zone.  Although it seems like a chore to pack up all of your dishes and cookware if only the floor or ceiling in your kitchen is replaced, it’s much less work than cleaning all of the cookware AND the cabinets when you notice toxic dust on them after the renovation.  Even furniture protected by plastic can have accidental gaps and cuts when drywall workers and paint sprayers are at work.  Renting a storage pod or packing the garage are two options to keep the rest of your house navigable.

• Plan for delays.  Whether it’s weather-related or supply-chain related, if you can source materials ahead of time, do it!  If you don’t have the storage area, try asking friends and family for space. Make sure to acknowledge their contributions during a “reveal” celebration party or offer to visit and stay in the new room(s) they helped to create.  

• Take the weather into consideration.  If you live in a cold climate, renovating during the summertime allows for open windows to vent dust and VOCs.  If you live in a warm climate, renovation during cooler months may make sense for the same reason if open windows can replace air conditioning.

2. Demolish with care.  That seems like a tall order for the demolition crew ready with their pry bars and sledgehammers, but it’s up to the manager to make sure that partitions are made, ventilation is secured (including taping off vents in spaces under renovation and using carbon filter media in other ones), and boundaries are respected.  I know an inexperienced contractor who sanded down the drywall in one bedroom, only to open the door to a “snowy” living room coated with fine dust, all because the ventilation was not secured.  If you are able, planning a vacation for your family during the demolition phase can remove the stress of noise and toxins piling up in and outside the house.  Besides the obvious dust, here are some hidden toxins that can get stirred up during demolition:

• Mold, lead paint and asbestos (don’t mess around– call in the experts for these)

• Leaves from the attic

• Unconventional wall and ceiling insulation: some older homes may have sawdust, shredded newspaper, cellulose, vermiculite, urea formaldehyde foam, and asbestos (also used in wiring insulation)

• Animal excrement and carcasses (rodent, bird and bat poop can carry a number of bacterial or fungal diseases)

• Chemicals used to strip furniture or flooring can be very toxic.  If you are saving your kitchen cabinets or other built-in furniture to change the surface color (a process called resurfacing), research your options on ways to minimize and avoid harmful chemicals (and dust). Check out 2 tips from a renovator who has stopped using chemical strippers altogether:

1. How to create a raw wood finish with paint (no stripping or bleaching required)

2. Dixie Silk Mineral Paint: best no-VOC cabinet paint

3. Rebuild with excellence.  Here’s some tips that help make the job sustainably healthy for everyone:

• Insist on using masks and safety equipment like glasses, boots and long clothing for dirty jobs.  If you and a few friends are doing the demolition, let them know you care about their health by supplying respirators and safety glasses.  If a contractor is doing the work, since you can’t control their workers, make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured.

• Clean up daily with the right tools.  Making sure that the vacuum is exhausted out a window or using a dedicated HEPA vacuum for construction avoids piles of dust that get disturbed the next day.

• Plan for and communicate the schedule, including utilities outages.  Coming home to a warm fridge adds to the stress of living through renovations, so if you will live in, talk with your contractor about the schedule and ask him/her to keep you apprised of delays.  

• Be focused but flexible.  Unforeseen costs inevitably turn into compromises and substitutions, so be prepared to negotiate on some things in order to keep healthy priorities at the top.  If you encounter mold or toxins that require extensive rehab, sometimes in-store designers can help keep the budget under control by offering substitutions on decor.

• Do it for yourself and your family.  Many times home-reno shows “recap” the numbers by calculating “equity” into a home with the value of such improvements on the local housing market.  However, not everyone in the local housing market values the healthy choices you make in your home, so don’t count on a higher resale value because of your choices.  I thought this was one of the most valuable points that this doctor and mom made in her post. 

If you know that this is the right time to renovate and you’ve done your homework on healthy ways to do it, we wish you the best experience and outcome!

Some home automation can make for a healthier home

Confession: I have not made it a priority to automate my home via smart technology.  Being an artist, I tend to allocate my budget more for aesthetics, like a nicer couch or new faucets.  There are some devices in which I’m not remotely interested, like a smart toilet (TMI for Alexa!)  but I’m starting to yearn for some of the health benefits of other elements of home automation and I might cave soon!  I want to discuss some unique smart appliances that not only make our lives easier, but make our homes more healthy for all the inhabitants, even pets.

Before I get to the goodies, I must divulge that the type of home automation discussed here (smart home technology) operates on wireless signals, which is a type of electromagnetic field (EMF).  The potential health effects of EMFs is a subject that is debated by consumers and scientists alike.  We at HypoAir have some very healthy clientele who are always in search of what will take them to the next level.  They are constantly judging the health benefits of any technology against any unhealthy aspects of it--as we all should!  That said, I encourage you to research EMF to be aware of the invisible magnetic fields all around us, including in our homes.  Then you can be the judge: are these smart appliances worth it for you?

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• Lighting: set your lights to dim or change color (to less blue ranges) in the evening to cue children and adults that it’s time to get ready for bed.  The easiest way to retrofit your lighting is by installing smart light bulbs, which you can control by voice, app, or your home’s smart system like Alexa (called a “hub”).  Some of the best smart bulbs are: 
  • Color bulb: GoVee Smart Light Bulbs ($38 for 4): it can be controlled via Alexa or Google Assistant, and be synced to music or your waking/sleeping schedule.
  • White bulbs:  both the Wyze Bulb White ($60 for 4) and the Philips Hue White ($45 for 4) are good choices.  
• Air Purifiers: To use smart filtration or not?  It’s possible to set your air purifier on “auto” mode to save energy and only kick on when needed, but several reviews like the Wirecutter tend to believe that either the air quality monitor or its settings in many purifiers may not be optimal, leading to above average pollutants in your home space.  Rather, employ an independent, high-quality air monitor that will give you alerts to bad air quality, in order to get the purifier activated. 
• Mattresses: Some of us sleep like a log, from the minute our heads hit any pillow, and some of us roll around like a rotisserie chicken (more my style).  For anyone who is on a quest for a better night’s sleep, smart beds may know our sleep better than we do, and can adjust automatically to help us achieve more rest even when we’re in “la-la land”.  The Sleep Foundation has a great page explaining what smart mattresses are and the features they offer.  Most smart beds are air beds, which allow a great range of firmness options.  The ReST bed, Eight Sleep, Saatva Solaire made two “best of” reviews: Sleep Foundation and Tom’s Guide. 
  • Saatva Solaire: this mattress was rated best for back pain relief, and is also the most non-toxic bed we’ve found.  It was not the most high-tech, because it is only controlled by remotes (one for each side of the bed with no control over the other side: sorry sleeping partners to snorers!) but it is approved by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), so it’s well-suited to people with neck and back pain (Tom’s Guide).  The best part for those who are VOC conscious: the anti-microbial treatment on the fabric covering is botanical, and includes natural latex and Certi-pur US certified gel-infused memory foam. At about $2900 for a queen model, it is also one of the most economical. 
  • Best all-around: ReST Essential Smart Bed: this one has many bells and whistles and with up to 64,000 firmness combinations on each side in manual mode, it easily suits everyone.  The best part for restless sleepers is how it automatically moves air to different chambers when you switch positions during the night (from side to stomach for example), so that pressure-point pain is avoided (pressure-point pain is what tends to wake up many people).  It’s not the most expensive bed but certainly falls in the mid-upper range of pricing ($3800 for a queen mattress). 
  • Best for hot sleepers and couples: EightSleep The Pod Pro Smart Bed has a water-based climate-control system (water beds are not extinct!) which can be customized for each side of the mattress.  The sensors in their Active Grid layer collect information about your pulse, breathing, movement and sleep quality, and also has a gentle vibrating alarm option to wake you up (a nice alternative to an audio alarm which can wake both people!).  At about $2900 for a queen mattress, this is also a great mid-level priced bed.
  • If you can’t afford a smart bed or just invested in a conventional mattress, you can still get sleep data by using Withings Sleep Tracking Pad, which is a pad placed under the mattress to record your movement, breathing and breathing disturbances, sleep cycles and more.  It can also be connected to your home’s smart system to automatically turn off/on lights or modify room temperature when you get into/out of the bed.
• There are many “smart watches” out there that connect to apps designed to improve your health, but I have not seen one more stylish than the Withings ScanWatch. It can detect Atrial Fibrillation (abnormal heart beat) and blood oxygen levels, for those who are prone to these health issues!  It works with Apple Health, FitBit, Google Fit and others to monitor your activity and workouts.  It also works as a sleep monitor to record sleep duration, cycles, heartrate data and sleep apnea problems.  All this and a fantastic (30-day) battery life?  Yes please!
• Smart Garage Doors: Anyone with a garage has at one point wondered: did I close the door? Usually this happens miles away from the house, and adds a level of stress to any trip if you can’t go back and verify.  I’m all for reducing stress, since driving can be stressful enough!   There are kits that can convert your existing garage door opener to a smart door, allowing it to open by voice or app or on a schedule, or you can purchase a smart door from the start. Most require a strong wi-fi signal. The Chamberlain's MyQ Smart Garage Hub is very economical at about $30, is able to check the open/closed status on the door, and open or close it remotely via its app, and it’s highly rated for ease of installation.  Upgrades to this product include a keypad and camera.
• Pets are a recognized source of comfort and well-being which are often considered family members!  It makes sense then, to be able to care for them 24/7 almost like a family member, even if you have to go away to work or a short trip.  Here are some devices that help with that:
  • Smart Pet Feeders are great to extend your time away from home even if you have pets who like their schedules!  “Leaving out bowls” may work for cats, who tend to be more picky eaters, but most dogs I’ve encountered indeed would eat as soon as you set the bowl down.  Enter the ideal pet feeders that can operate on a schedule, or manually through an app, with the ability to work even if the wi-fi or power goes out.  
    • Pet feeders need to have sizes and features that fit the pet you’re feeding.  PetSafe’s WiFi -enabled Smart Feed Automatic Pet Feeder holds up to 24 cups of food and allows you to schedule meals, dispense a snack, or even “slow-feed”: an option for pets that eat too fast, enabling it to dole out the meal over a 15-minute period.  
    • Fish feeders are great even when you are home, as anyone who multi-task knows that some items may not get the attention they deserve!  This review rated the Eheim Everyday Fish Feeder as best in class due to its ability to dispense many different types of fish food with accuracy, to be mounted in several ways, and customizable feedings up to 4 times per day.  
  • Smart Pet Doors are an excellent way to alleviate stress of not getting home on time to “let the dog out”, while providing more security to your home and pet than the average dog door.  PetSafe Electronic SmartDoor is not app-enabled, but operates with an RFID tag that is attached to your pet’s collar,  to open only when your pet approaches.  It has two sizes: one for cats and small dogs, and another for large dogs.  Other brands operate with the microchip that is implanted in your pet,  No more free meals, Ricky Raccoon or neighbor cat! 
• Smart flood sensors are awesome!  Anyone who has experienced the stress and cost of flooding, be it from a broken water heater, washer or AC drip pan, knows that this kind of warning could be priceless.  The Govee WiFi Water Sensor 3 pack can produce an audible alarm (100 dB) as well as an app notification, to let you know that water has been sensed.  This model sits directly on the floor of the area to be monitored, and includes the necessary 6 AAA batteries to get them going (2 per device). 

And for some of the plain-old convenience advantages, check out these smart appliances (from Living Things):

• Set your oven to preheat before you’re even home, to make cooking less time-consuming
• Set your coffeepot to come on before you need it (ok, old technology for sure but it's updated when you can sync it with the wake-up alarm on your phone!) 
• Set your washing machine to start in the morning after you loaded it the night before
• Go on vacation on the spur of the moment, when you have automated sprinklers and doors and cameras.

What is the best smart device you’ve discovered for your home?