Category Archives for "Natural Home"

You don’t have to tell me (I can see/feel the humidity!)

Although we like to measure to be sure and humidity sensors are easy, cheap ways to verify, there are signs all around us when the humidity is too high.   

Here are a few examples with the explanation why: 

• That musty smell, of course:  Unfortunately, that smell is the telltale sign of mold, and is actually the microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (mVOCs) that molds produce.  To find out more about mVOCs, check out our detailed article. 

• Doors and wooden windows that “stick” in their frames: Wood absorbs water from the air, causing it to swell, so closely-fitted wooden furniture like doors, window frames and even cabinets and drawers can “stick”.  When the interior and exterior “weather” dries out, they can work just fine again!

• Condensation on the inside of windows:  To understand why condensation happens, it’s best to start at the concept of dew points.  You can read more about it in our article here, but the basic concept is that every temperature and pressure of air can hold a certain amount of water vapor.  Warmer air holds more water vapor than colder air.  When warm air hits a cold surface, the water vapor will condense or “drop out” of the air onto the surface–just like a glass of iced tea sweats on a warm day.  The occurrence of windows sweating on the inside will happen when warm, humid air hits a cold window frame (this happens most often with aluminum windows), and if it persists, can be a habitat for mold.

• Salt or seasonings that clump and stick together:  This may not happen as much nowadays with the proliferation of “preservatives” used in our foods.  However back in 1911 (before air conditioning was widespread), table salt tended to cake in the container when it was rainy or muggy, because salt is hygroscopic.  This means that it has a tendency to absorb moisture, even from the air, and clump together.   Morton started to advertise using the slogan “When it rains, it pours” because they added magnesium carbonate (an anti-caking agent) to their salt, which allowed it to pour freely even in humid weather. (Today, the company uses calcium silicate.) (What’s The Weather Lore Behind The Morton Salt Slogan?)  Here’s a tip: if you are having a bit of a humid spell in your home, or even going camping, you can add a pinch of rice to the salt shaker to get it flowing.  Just like immersing a wet cell phone in a bag of rice, the rice will absorb the moisture out of the salt and allow it to flow through the holes of the shaker again.

• Household electronics having issues--especially battery ones:  Electronics and water rarely go together, and they can get finicky when the humidity starts to creep up. Battery-operated appliances have contacts that can easily corrode.  If that happens, of course try to dry out the air, and you can use fine sandpaper on the contacts to remove corrosion.

• Proliferation of insects and pests: Pests like fleas, ants and cockroaches love high humidity: it’s the perfect environment for them to lay eggs and develop into adults. Warm temperatures combined with high humidity is ideal for fleas, and they can rapidly multiply in these conditions. (Do Fleas Thrive in the Rain?)

• Mildew on wooden furniture: If you have wooden furniture on a humid porch, you may have already figured out that it needs regular wipedowns and maintenance to keep it from growing “fur”!  The same thing can happen inside when it becomes too humid, because the surface of wood is very hospitable to catching dust that can feed mold.  

“Sink” those microbes

According to a University of Reading study, sinks have the perfect recipe for a fungal environment and they host very similar organisms.  Researchers tested more than 250 restroom sinks for fungi, such as black molds and relatives of baker's yeast.  These fungal biomes usually don’t pose a problem for healthy individuals, but for those with compromised immune systems, sinks could be an overlooked reservoir of illness.  

One might think that with all the detergent and handsoap going down the drain, it would be squeaky clean, but for anyone who’s had to clean the drain or take it apart to unclog it or save a piece of jewelry, it’s anything but!  The types of fungi that live in sinks can tolerate high temperatures, low pH (acidic), and low nutrients. Some even use detergents, found in soap, as a source of carbon-rich food.  It’s a place with constant moisture and food sources, so…voila!  Mold galore.

If you’re concerned about the condition of your sink drain for yourself or anyone else living in your home, there are some simple ways to keep the drain clean on a regular basis without using toxic chemicals.  To be clear, the study was conducted on restroom sinks, but the principles are the same for every sink: eliminate food for mold and flush it with natural cleansers periodically.

• Using a mesh drain strainer on your sinks prevents solids like hair from clogging it, because hair in  sink drains is just another surface for mold to grow on.   Sink Shroom is a sink stopper/filter that you can pull out, wipe it clean and replace to keep the hair out; tub and shower models are also available.

• Plumbers agree: Never pour grease down the drain!  From cooking oil in the kitchen to any kind of body or hair moisturizing oil in the bathroom, it just doesn’t belong in the drain. 

• Thoroughly rinse the drain with hot water when you send anything other than water down it.  Toothpaste?  Add hot water.  Extra dirty hands?  Add hot water.  You get the idea!

• Our top choice to keep mold at bay in the sink is simply spritzing it regularly with TotalClean– our non-toxic, odorless cleaner. Its two active ingredients, iodine and copper, are elements recognized from ancient times to freshen and sanitize water and surfaces.

• Better Homes and Gardens have also compiled a list of natural cleansers and tools for every type of sink: stainless steel, porcelain sinks and white sinks are all covered. 

As with all other areas in the home, regular cleaning and maintenance of sink drains can go a long way!  If you still find mold growing around the drain or foul odors coming from it, then it could be a hardware problem instead.  All sink, tub and shower drains are required to be plumbed with a “vent”.  Vents allow sewer gasses to rise and escape through the roof of the home.  According to the uniform plumbing code, vents must be located within six feet of the P-trap (that snake-like part under the sink); otherwise, the drain may not work properly and gasses can build up, supporting mold and microbe growth.  If this seems to be the case, it’s best to have a good plumber check out the location and condition of the sink vents and see if there are other drain problems.  

All about Alkaline Water

Although I thought that alkaline water became a fad in the early 2010’s when it became readily available in the bottled water market, in fact it was almost 80 years earlier that scientists began to research the effects of alkaline and “ionized” water on the body.  To begin, let’s talk about what alkaline water is.

Water is super-important to our bodies and health, of course.  There are many properties of water, and pH ("potential of hydrogen" or "power of hydrogen") is one of them.  pH describes the acidity or basicity by measuring concentrations of the hydrogen ion, H+.  Chemically, water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms sticking together in its famous “H2O” formula.  More free hydrogen ions in water (which are the proton of the hydrogen atom when it is stripped of its electron, denoted H+), cause water to be more acidic.  Water that has more free hydroxyl ions (OH-, read more about hydroxyl ions in the air here)  is basic.  Electronic pH meters measure the potential (electric charge) between 2 electrodes immersed in water or other liquids, to assess the hydrogen ion activity in the solution. (Britannica.com)

The pH scale ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic) and the number 7–in the middle of the scale–is neutral, meaning it is neither acidic nor basic.  This seems simple, but this is not a linear scale–it’s logarithmic.  Each number represents a 10-fold change in the acidity/basicity of the water. Water with a pH of five is ten times more acidic than water having a pH of six.  The EPA recommends a pH of 7 to 8.5 for drinking water, and for reference black coffee has a pH of about 5 and typically handsoap falls between 8 and 10 (the soap shown below is likely soap used in automatic dishwashers).  Our blood is about 7.35 pH.   

Source: siamhillscoffee.com

Now that we understand a little more about pH, I can add a layer of complexity: alkalinity and pH are not the same.

The above chart shows relative pH, the concentration of acid protons [H+]. On the other hand, the alkalinity of a solution is its ability to neutralize acids. Alkalinity consists of ions that incorporate acid protons into their molecules so that they are not available as a free acid that can lower the pH. This is known as buffering.  (What is the relationship between pH and alkalinity?)  “Natural” or “mineral” waters contain higher concentrations of carbonate (CO32-) and bicarbonate (HCO3–) ions, which are the buffers, than purified waters. Thus they have greater alkalinity or potential to neutralize acids. 

Alkaline water is a very controversial topic because for some years, proponents stated that it changes the pH of your blood (to create an environment inhospitable to cancer and other diseases).  This theory is not true.  Our bodies tightly regulate the pH of our blood, and if it changed significantly, it would be a life-threatening condition, such as diabetic ketoacidosis.  Acidosis refers to having blood that’s too acidic, or a blood pH of less than 7.35, while alkalosis refers to having blood that’s too basic, or a blood pH of higher than 7.45. (Healthline.com).  Alkaline water does not change the pH of the blood, however, only the urine.  This is because the acids in the stomach counteract the alkalinity in the water, before it is absorbed by the body. (henryford.com)

Although research is ongoing, the more plausible cause of health benefits from drinking alkaline water is its acid-neutralizing and antioxidant potential.  There are several ways to make tap water more alkaline: electrolysis, light irradiation, ultra-sonication, treatment with a magnetic field, bubbling with gasses, collision, strong water flow, and treatment with specific minerals or rocks (2012 article).  Of these, electrolysis (ionization) and mineral treatments are probably the most popular.

Regarding mineral treatments, increasing water alkalinity can be as simple as adding a small amount of  baking soda, but this method is not particularly tasty to everyone and adds sodium as well, which can be detrimental for those on low-sodium diets.  Chemical water treatment systems add alkaline minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium through concentrated drops, powder supplements or water filters.   Ionization, however, is where scientists and commercial businesses have been busy testing and innovating for the better part of the last century. 

Alkaline water research began in Japan in the 1930’s.   Japan has been a major adopter of alkaline water for health benefits, where alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) apparatus have been approved as a medical device.  The Japanese Health Ministry recognizes that alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) improves gastrointestinal health. It neutralizes gastric acid, improves intestinal bacterial flora and improves other gastrointestinal conditions.  (Japanese Study of Daily Ingestion of Alkaline Electrolyzed Water). 

According to an ionizer manufacturer, water ionizers work by using electromagnetism to change ordinary tap water into ionized water.  Ionizers actually need calcium and magnesium in water to work. They work best with hard water as long as the water isn’t too hard. If it is, then the hardness will need to be reduced. Water ionizers are actually more prone to hard water deposits because an ionizer changes the mineral carbonates in tap water into mineral hydroxides. (Will a water ionizer work with my water?).  Plain water, besides the H2O,  is a mix of alkaline minerals and carbonate (dissolved CO2). A water ionizer separates the carbonate from the alkaline minerals. The alkaline minerals and the acidic carbonate are discharged in  separate streams of water. (How water ionizers work)  

To put it another way, a water ionizer puts a negative electrical charge into the water it makes. As a result, that negative electrical charge gives the water antioxidant potential which can be measured, just like the charge of a battery. The negative charge is called its Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP). (What is the difference between alkaline water and ionized water?)  

Now that you theoretically know how to make alkaline water, you might want to investigate some of the latest studies on benefits of drinking it:

A 2020 clinical trial found that alkaline water consumption (pH of 9) for 10 months in mice had an anti-aging effect by increasing telomere length (which regulates cellular aging) and significantly reducing reactive oxygen species in blood. (Alkaline Water Benefits: Three Surprising Research Findings)

A clinical trial published in the Biology of Sport journal found that athletes who consumed alkaline water had “favourable changes” to hydration status compared with athletes who drank tap water. The group drinking alkaline water also had much more efficient lactate utilization, which suggests that alkaline water use during exercise may potentially improve endurance. (Alkaline Water Benefits: Three Surprising Research Findings)

A 2021 study on high-mineral alkaline water found that its consumption improved anaerobic exercise performance, supporting the potential performance benefits shown in the previously-linked study. (Alkaline Water Benefits: Three Surprising Research Findings)

A 2022 study found that postmenopausal women who drank alkaline water had significantly lower metabolite risks (fasting plasma glucose, TG/HDL, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference), longer sleep duration and stronger handgrip strength.  However, there was no significant difference on LDL, systolic blood pressure and body weight with alkaline water drinking.

How Vestibules and Foyers make your home healthier

In the US, not many people would say they have a “vestibule” in their home.  Vestibule is defined as an empty space or small area located just inside the entrance to a building. This sectioned-off area has the main purpose of serving as a passage from the entryway to another, usually larger, interior area of a house or building. Vestibules are used as welcoming areas, reception areas, and wait spaces. Often, people may be able to hang their coat and take off their shoes in this space. (study.com) Oh!  You may say, that’s a  foyer.  And, although there are some small differences between the two, they share much of the same functions. 

Besides serving as a transition space from the indoors to the outdoors, architects also know that the vestibule serves two other functions: to block the view of the main interior from outside and create privacy, and to control the exchange of heat between outside and the interior of a building.   In terms of air quality, now we’re getting somewhere.  It’s very useful for the comfort and cleanliness of your home to have a foyer (vestibule) for the ability to:

1. Stop dust and mold from coming into your home by having a place to take off your outside shoes and coat (see our article on how to bring less contaminants into your home)

2. Stop heat or cool air from flowing right on out of the house, and preventing the same from coming in (plus unwanted humidity)!

The best designs incorporate 2 sets of doors, one on the exterior and one on the interior, with enough space between them for one set to be closed.  Meaning–you can walk into the foyer, close the door, take off your shoes and coat comfortably, and proceed into the house through the interior doors.  This truly makes the foyer a “buffer zone” for your clean, climatized home.  (In businesses, guess what they invented to take up less space?  Revolving doors!  Because each section of the revolving door can be closed off while you rotate it, they really function as mini-foyers).  Mudrooms are also a type of vestibule, and their name says it all– a place to leave the mud before entering the house!  (hunker.com)  

Now that you see the purposes of the foyer or vestibule, it’s less likely that you’ll think of them as “wasted space”.  Your foyer can be elegant and grand, or simple and cozy, because it’s a “first impression” for your home.  What if you don’t have a foyer, but now you want one?  Well, of course it’s possible to renovate and put in doors, lighting, etc., but you can also “carve” out this space by using furniture and decor to give it some of the same style and function without actually having a separate room.  Simply searching for “how to create a foyer when you don't have one” brings up a ton of good ideas, some of the best of which are: (from architecturaldigest.com)

1. Add hanging hooks and a bench, for guest coats and removing shoes. 

2. Bring in extra storage, like a classic armoire, if you would rather not look at a pile of coats and shoes!

3. For style, add a rug, a statement light fixture, and a small console table (the better to hide away your mail!).  Also consider adding a mirror and wall decor.  

4. Add germ protection: Germ Defenders and Air Angels are small, discreet sanitizers that can destroy pathogens brought in from outside before they enter the rest of your home.  Plug one in and basically forget about it--just enjoy the clean air!

5. If your front door just opens into your living space with no entryway at all, you could add a pretty folding screen to create some separation. (clutter.com)  Better yet, make a wall of plants that will not only enjoy the light coming in if you have a window or glass door, they will also filter air pollution and particulates coming in from outside!

Source: Amazon.com

You can also turn your open-ended foyer into a semi-closed one without installing doors.  You could opt for installing some beautiful insulated drapes on the open end for climate control, which can be tied back when you have a large influx of guests or furniture coming through.  Plus–they look very elegant!  Another option that is becoming super-popular are magnetically-closing fabric or plastic doors.  Because they are easy to pass through and self-closing, they can be great for kids, those with disabilities, or to section off your foyer or mud-room.  Clear plastic doors are nice because they don’t block the view, but beware of those made with EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate).  EVA is a safer alternative to PVC, but some EVA contains formamide.  Formamide is used to make the foam soft, but it’s considered to be carcinogenic and a developmental toxin that can be absorbed through the skin. If you’re considering purchasing one of these doors made from EVA, it’s best to contact the manufacturer to ask if their product contains formamide. (hellonaturalliving.com)

“Air curtains” or “Air doors” used to be features only found in restaurants or businesses like grocery stores.  You know–it’s that blast of air that greets you from above when you open the door!  Now, they are available for homes in a 36” width, so even a modest home can use this energy-saving feature (it becomes more important as the temperature difference between inside and outside increases).  Here is a diagram of how this device helps you keep your building envelope more intact while including doors. 

Q: Do Air Handlers Belong in the Attic?

A: It depends!

(Don’t you love that answer?!)  Every one’s home is different, as well as where their home is built (climate), so there aren’t hard and fast rules, but we can surely show you the pros and cons of putting your air handler in the attic.

First of all, an air handler is part of a split system central AC unit.  In these systems, there are two distinct parts: one contains the condenser that changes the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid to release the heat from inside the house (the condenser is usually located outside), and a second part that contains the evaporator (which absorbs heat from the house air) and a blower to move air through ductwork to different rooms.  This second part is called the air handler and because it’s not super quiet and can take up a good amount of space, many people install their air handler in the attic.

The attic may or may not be a good location for your air handler.  Here’s how to know: is your attic conditioned, or unconditioned?  Conditioned attics are considered part of the building envelope and they are insulated.  Conditioned attics don’t have to be “finished” per se with drywall and nice flooring, but they do need to be air-sealed from the outdoors.  Air handlers CAN belong in conditioned attics. 

Unconditioned attics (also called vented attics) are exposed to exterior temperatures through ridge vents, gable vents, soffit vents or powered vents.  There is no “air conditioning” so humidity, dust, insects and extremely high or low temperatures are all present in an unconditioned attic.  Air handlers DO NOT belong in unconditioned attics.  Why?  

• For one, the air handler is responsible for moving the air you breathe, and even a small leak in it or the ductwork will pull humid, dusty, unconditioned air from the attic into your home.  
• Extreme temperatures cause your air handler to work less efficiently, which translates to higher heater and cooling costs.  
• The air handler is an expensive piece of equipment that can cost thousands of dollars; to minimize breakdowns and maximize its life, it’s best to place it in a clean, moderated environment!
• Accessing and crawling around a dirty, dusty attic makes routine maintenance or needed repair work more difficult.
• If the condensate drain plugs up and overflows the pan under the unit, guess where that water will go?  Onto and through your ceiling!

“Conditioned space” in your home costs money, because it is part of the square footage that realtors count when valuing your home.  For this reason, homeowners and many builders prefer to stick the air handler “out of sight and out of mind” in the attic or worse, in an unconditioned crawl space.  Now that you know better, if you have the opportunity, give your air handler an “upgraded” installation spot in your home.  Here are some tips for finding that spot:

• The air handler should be centrally located in the home in order to minimize ductwork run lengths to all rooms.
• Closets are better than the attic, but without enough room to do maintenance on your unit, small closets are not ideal.  Without room to walk or reach around the unit, HVAC technicians will have a hard time making good sealed connections with ductwork, and if anything needs repair, it takes longer to do it, possibly requiring removal of the whole unit.

It’s tough to understand how this air handler and ductwork were installed in such a small space.  (Source: energyvanguard.com)

• A large utility space is ideal.  You will not want carpet or hardwood below the unit, so that any water leaks can be cleaned up easily.  Good lighting also makes it easier for you to check on the unit from time to time, and to change any filters.  

When replacing your air conditioning unit, we hope you will give serious thought on where to locate the new air handler.  Giving it preferential space inside your home will give you quality air for years to come.  It’s important, however, to make sure that:

• This room or large closet has its own air supply and return, because when air gets sealed behind closed doors (and you will want to close the door to isolate the unit acoustically), mold can develop.  This can be accomplished by placing a grille in the return of the air handler, and placing a supply grill in the wall or through the ceiling with a “jump duct”. This article from renowned building scientist Joe Lstiburek shows the flaws of different locations and how to overcome ventilation issues.
• Locating an air handler next to a gas appliance such as a gas hot water heater can be problematic, unless it is a “sealed combustion” unit.  The air handler will cause the room to be under slight negative pressure while the fan is on, which can affect combustion and venting of the water heater.  
• If your furnace is a gas furnace, you’ll need to make sure it also gets adequate combustion air.

If you can’t bring it inside your building envelope, you may consider a unit that doesn’t require big air handlers–namely, mini-split units.  One external compressor/condenser can supply several indoor units (evaporators), which are typically hung on the wall, with only small refrigerant and drain lines running between the inside and outside.  Where there’s a will, there’s usually a way!

Healthy Home Chores that deserve a pat on the back

It seems like it’s been an extreme year; at times either it is way too hot or unseasonably cold; you may be getting too much rainfall or not enough.  What is our protection from all the elements?  Our homes!  Whether you’re renting or own your house, it’s smart to take care of our homes so that they will continue to protect us.  

There are a number of chores that just need to be placed on a schedule so they don’t pile up and cause problems, but when you get them done, give yourself a pat on the back or another healthy reward!   Here are some of them:

• Evict pests. Although I don’t want to think of any animal being “homeless”, there are definitely animals I don’t want living near my house.  If you walk around your house, look for holes in the ground, nests near the ground or in the soffits (look up!), under decks and behind bushes.  Here is a fun flow-chart to understand what kind of animal made the holes (get the kids involved and soon you’ll find more holes than you knew existed!)  Why evict pests?  Groundhogs, for example, can make large holes that undermine foundations; mice and rats can carry diseases and fleas that can affect you and your pets, and of course stinging insects like yellowjackets (they live in underground nests that can be massive)  inflict pain and inflammation and make it harder to do the next job!  There are safe ways to get rid of all of them, but if you’re afraid to do it yourself, you can call a professional exterminator. 

• Cleaning the gutters.  It’s a messy chore that can be dangerous for people with mobility problems, so if you can’t easily climb a ladder or feel uncomfortable doing it, hire a professional.  Why?  Leaves and debris building up in the gutters impede water flow, causing water to back up and overflow against your roofline and soffits, or splash over and against your house, causing rot.  Clogged gutters can also cause ice dams in the winter, a phenomenon that causes ice to creep up underneath your shingles, eventually remelting and making your attic wet! Wet debris also makes gutters drastically heavier, putting more strain on anchor points so that they’re eventually not able to be supported and fall down. If the downspouts get clogged, sometimes it’s not easy to clean them out!   There are gutter guard products that can keep most of the debris out of your gutters, but no product is perfect and will eventually require cleaning.   The other important thing to do while cleaning gutters is to inspect for rot or water intrusion along the roofline and siding, and check the condition of your roof, so that any damage can be repaired before major water intrusion causes mold issues.  Check for stinging insect nests (wasps, bees, hornets) from below before you go up on a ladder, so that you can disable them before they disable you!

• Clear away dead wood, leaves and trash.  Of course, lawn mowing and fun in the backyard can’t happen with downed limbs and sticks in the way, and more importantly, dead wood and leaves promote termites.  If you have garbage service, you can find out which days they will pick up yard debris; if not, haul them to a more wooded section of your property where they can safely decay.  Trash and broken furnishings are invitations for mold, crawly pests and mosquitoes to take residence, so put on some gloves and haul it all to the curb or to the dump!

• Clean windows.  I never thought of it this way, but clean windows = a clean bill of health.  Here are some of the nasty stuff that can cling to your windows outside and even affect your indoor air quality (source: Fish Window Cleaning):

• Bird Droppings - Contact with bird excrement, which can carry up to 60 diseases, can lead to many diseases.

• Mold and Mildew - These fungi are often found inside homes, but they can also thrive on windows. Mold and mildew exposure can aggravate respiratory allergies as well as chronic respiratory conditions like asthma.

• Pollen - Pollen can accumulate on window panes and sills, contributing to the sneezing, eye irritation and congestion often associated with pollen allergy - even when indoors!

• Dust - Windows can accumulate plenty of dust - and worse - dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic, insect-like pests that love dirty windows and can cause respiratory issues and allergic reactions because of their feces, which may create airborne health hazards.

• Clean mold off sidewalks, decking, siding and landscaping: older homes that are not sealed tightly will have more air flowing into the house, even when doors and windows are closed.  Do you want it to be clean, fresh air, or air that has passed over mold growing on the side and perimeter of the house?  There are safe ways to wash it off, and it’s also necessary to trim overgrown bushes and trees so that the areas around the home can dry out and not harbor mold.  Mold can also grow on mulch, and raking your mulch regularly allows it to dry out and receive fresh air which prevents mold from growing.  Try to set a regular schedule for watering your plants too, because if you are watering your plants everyday, your mulch is wet every day. That means you are helping to create the perfect damp environment for mold to grow on your mulch. Instead, try to water your plants once or twice per week to give your mulch time to dry out. (calblendsoils.com)

Indoors, there are jobs that go beyond “spring cleaning” because they don’t produce the satisfying visual results of a clean floor…yet are oh-so-important to keep up the health of your home.

• Clean your kitchen exhaust vent.  I know, the grease is gross but that’s why you need to do it–especially if your vent is recirculating air back into your kitchen!  Some filters can be placed directly into your dishwasher–let the machine do the work!  If it’s one that is a simple stainless steel mesh, you can order a new filter and toss the old one. Other safe ways to clean the filter are to use salt, baking soda and vinegar (check out this short video) or baking soda and dish detergent (here’s the tutorial).  Both of these methods require really hot water because melting the grease off the filter takes the least effort.

• Clean out the refrigerator.  If you like to throw things away (it is oddly satisfying), cleaning the fridge is probably not a bad chore!  Clean shelves and good organization are nice little paybacks at the end.  Although one website says that the crispers and meat storage bins should be cleaned once a week(!), I think it’s more realistic to aim for 4 times a year.  Realsimple.com gives a good game plan on when and how to clean it.  If you find that you need some extra organization bins to help keep it clean and organized check these out (8 for $23). While you are in the cleaning mood, cleaning the refrigerator coils will help your fridge to last longer and cool more efficiently (check out our tips here). 

• Dust the vents.  If you dust your vents weekly, bravo!  (apparently you and Martha Stewart are on the same schedule).  If not, use the soft head on your vacuum cleaner extension to suck up dust before it gets airborne with the next blast from your air conditioning or heating.  

• Clean the fans.  Fans (ceiling and portable) are really important to keep air circulating in your house.  Air circulation prevents mold by causing excess moisture to evaporate from soft furnishings instead of settling into it.  Air circulation also prevents stale air pockets in your home, aiding air conditioning and heating.   Finally, air circulation helps dilute VOCs and pollutants from inside your home, so that you are less affected by them.  For all these reasons, it’s important to keep your fans clean!  If you have ceiling fans with a normal height ceiling (8-10 feet), then try this ceiling fan blade cleaner instead of getting up on a ladder.   If you use it every other week or so, you can keep your fans clean without having to break out the ladder, soap and water.   If you are not so diligent and the dust is pretty thick, you can try this trick from bobvila.com: take an old pillowcase and slip it over one blade to catch the majority of dust while you move it off the blade, then use a damp microfiber cloth to finish the job.  

• Clean the dishwasher.   Dishwashers are, unfortunately, a great place for mold to grow: you got warmth (check), water (check) and air (check).  Given these optimal mold breeding grounds, the dishwasher needs deep cleaning every once in a while (like, at least once a year) to keep your dishes sanitized and looking their best.    Here’s a video on how to do it.

• Clean the washer and dryer.  Laundry rooms can get pretty dirty and dusty, considering that all the dirty clothing of the household passes through them every few days!  Cleaning the tops of these appliances will give you a visual boost, but keep going.  Take time to wipe the seals with sanitizing or disinfecting sprays and cloths (check out our non-toxic list here) and run a full load of laundry in your washer on the hottest setting with EC3 Laundry Additive to get the mold out (a non-toxic bleach alternative).  Make sure to disconnect and clean the dryer vent at least once a year to prevent lint from building up–it’s a fire hazard!

• Get your chimney cleaned.  If you have used your fireplace in the last few years but not cleaned the chimney, don’t wait til the snow comes down to worry about whether it needs cleaning!  A professional service will also check the damper at the bottom so that it will seal off when you’re not using it, and the guards at the top of the chimney to prevent critters from coming inside.

Of course, we know there are zillion things that can keep you from accomplishing these cleaning chores, but there are ways to lighten the load: make a deal with your best friend (my house this week, your house next week!), good music, and setting one goal at a time are just some of the tips we recommend for any de-cluttering or cleaning job.  Then, there is the “having guests” incentive: guests are a sure motivator, provided you invite people often enough!    Finally, but most importantly, these jobs are all part of maintaining a healthy home, and it’s a good feeling to know that you and your family are breathing clean air and using clean appliances.  Keep up the good work!

Wait–I thought mold was only a problem during the summer!

When humidity levels in your home plummet during the winter months due to dry outside air and even more drying heated air inside, it’s easy to think that mold could not possibly be a problem during the winter.  We’re sorry to have to debunk that myth, but sadly mold is a year-round problem!  It flourishes in environments between 60 and 80 degrees and can grow wherever moisture or humidity is present. It’s a problem in the winter because it can grow in your walls and attic, places where it’s hard to detect. (Maryland HVAC company Griffith Energy Services)

Why does mold occur during the winter and where does it get the moisture to grow?  The answers lie in temperature differentials and air leaks.  Warm air that escapes the building envelope can cause condensation when it hits a cold surface (heat energy travels from hot to cold areas).  The worst part is that many of these unregulated “meeting places” of warm air and cold surfaces are deep inside your walls, attic, basement or crawlspace, going undetected for months until it becomes a BIG problem.  Here are some specific problematic places:

• Do you have ice dams on your roof?  Ice dams occur near the bottom edge of a roof, and they are formed when snow melts on the roof above your attic (usually due to missing or insufficient insulation), runs down the roof to the edge and refreezes, causing a buildup of ice at the edge of the roof.  The ice can even force its way underneath shingles and sheathing, and when it reaches the attic space, will melt again and “rain” in your attic!  The condensation can drip onto insulation, run down into cavities, and cause a lot of mold.  It’s quite a damaging problem in any climate that can get freezing weather and precipitation; even just a dusting of snow can form an ice dam.  Plugged gutters that fill up and freeze can also form ice dams if they are too close to the roofline.  Here’s the “anatomy” of an ice dam:

Source: icedamcompany.com

• Plumbing pipes that run through poorly insulated walls can create a cold surface on which warm air from the home can condense. 
• Glass is not a great insulator; a single-pane window will have an R-value of 1 and the standard double-pane window will have an R-value of 2 (see our article on insulation for an explanation of  R-values).  Warm air inside condenses on that cold glass, and condensation that runs down windows can pool on the wooden jambs and framework, allowing mold to grow. 
• The basement is another place where there is often high humidity, and windows, steel doors and penetrating pipes can be cold surfaces on which condensation will form, which mold loves.  

How can your dry indoor air hold so much water vapor to make condensation?  It doesn’t seem possible until you consider the dewpoint.  It’s true, air at 50% relative humidity does not have enough moisture to sustain mold growth.  The answer lies in the dewpoint of that air.  Check out this fun dew point calculator (well, I think it’s fun and incredibly useful!)  Make sure that the little blue dot is set to solve “dew point” and the units are set to deg F (or deg C if you are used to Celsius).  Now, use the little sliders to adjust the temperature and humidity to your normal indoor environment (get one of our humidity sensors if you don’t have one!), and watch how the dew point changes.  For example, 75 degF at 50% relative humidity = 55 degF dew point.  That means that any surface below 55 degF can cause water vapor to condense out of your “dry” air!  If you put your hand on a single pane glass window when it’s snowing or freezing outside and warm inside, I’m sure you’ll agree this could be a potential problem.

How can we prevent winter mold?

Look up and pay attention to your ceilings, upper stories and attics.  Since heat rises, it makes sense that the warm air from your home may cause the most problems in your upper parts of your home where warm meets cold.  Humid air will accumulate in the upper areas of your home right along with the heat.   Bring your humidity sensor upstairs (if you have a 2nd story on your home) and note the increase. 

• Seal around can light fixtures and other openings in the ceiling. 
• Cathedral ceilings are especially prone to mold, because the heat and humidity rise high in your home and hit the roofline (typically there are no attics above cathedral ceilings) that may be poorly insulated.  (Check out these videos by a mold restoration company in Kansas City).  If you replace your roof, consider increasing insulation in cathedral ceilings either by spray foam, or adding rigid foam boards above the sheathing.  Here’s an article by a building science expert on how to install rigid foam boards in roofing.
• Make sure ceiling fans are moving counter-clockwise during the heating season, to draw warm air down.  
• Seal the attic stair hatch (if you have a collapsible attic stairway) with a zippered or velcroed containment like this one, which can also save money on your heating bill.  If you have an attic access that is simply a hole cut in your ceiling with trim and loose-fitting plywood or drywall above it that you lift up to get into the attic, try to find a way to add weight to the piece of drywall or plywood (so it sits down snugly) and seal the edges with foam weatherstripping so that gaps don’t let air through.

Mold sometimes forms in plain sight during the winter.  Often bedrooms that are not used are closed off from the rest of the house, but lack of ventilation can be a recipe for mold.  It’s best to open the door and turn on a fan in the room to prevent mold growth on cold corners and walls.  Be vigilant to check north-facing walls, corners and closets, as these can be the coldest in your home.  If you discover mold in a closet, check out our article (see #6) for tips on keeping it mold-free once it’s been cleaned. 

If you have single-pane windows, you don’t necessarily have to replace them to “up” their insulation or R-value and avoid the condensation that can lead to mold.  Here are a couple of solutions:

• Insulated drapes can prevent warm air from hitting cold windows–just make sure they go all the way to the windowsill or floor and fit closely along the sides, to make a “seal”. 
• There is conflicting evidence whether window films (that are cut and fit to “cling” to the glass of your window) and shrink-fit window insulation actually reduce condensation on your windows.  This article by an Australian company brings up two important points: that radiant energy will still flow through the window film, and the air-tight seal required for the shrink-fit system to work will seal moisture into the space between the window and film (not good).  If condensation is a problem on your windows, it’s not clear whether these two solutions will work. 
• “Indows” are inserts that fit inside your windows (how clever is that name!).  They are custom made from measurements you provide and fit snugly against the frame with compression seals and are supposed to increase the R-value of single pane windows to 94% of double-pane windows.  This short video shows a customer measuring and fitting his new Indow.

Even if you don’t plan to replace siding on your home, there are companies that can increase your exterior wall insulation in discreet ways so that mold doesn’t form inside walls.  It may be possible to add insulation between the studs by either removing a layer of siding at the middle or top of the first floor, or drilling through the interior wall.  Then loose fill or spray foam can be blown into the cavity, and the siding replaced or the hole patched.  (attainablehome.com)  Loose fill can be sheeps wool, cellulose, fiberglass, hemp, cork or a mixture of agricultural products, like ClimaCell.

Make sure you check the basement regularly to ensure that everything is dry, so that you won’t be surprised by mold.  We have a lot of tips on preventing mold in the basement in this article. 

Finally, suit up with some warm layers and take a walk around your house to see where cold air might be seeping in from the outside.  Evidence of animal intrusion, missing siding, fiberglass insulation peeking out, missing shingles, and exterior mold or rot are all areas to address.  Don’t let dry winter air fool you, because unregulated “meeting places” of warm air and cold surfaces can produce moldy consequences!

Could you improve your breathing?

From singers to athletes to the elderly with COPD to the young affected by asthma, there are millions of people who desire to breathe better.  Thankfully, doctors and scientists have studied the respiratory system for a long time and invented some pretty cool non-drug treatments and methods that can really improve the quality of your breathing.  We’ve written an article on How to have clear sinuses; this article focuses more on other ways to breathe better, including methods, exercises and devices.  

Wim Hof is a Dutchman, nicknamed “Iceman” who has become famous for doing unnatural feats like swimming under arctic ice and running barefoot in ice and snow.  He claims that his breathing techniques will lead to tangible health benefits: more energy, lowered stress levels and an improved immune system. Breathe properly, Hof claims, and oxygen levels in the tissues increase and adrenaline floods the body, granting strength that we didn’t know we had.(discovermagazine.com)  It also allows him to have control over fears that adverse situations (like plunging into cold water) initiates.    While the researchers still have no solid theory as to why breathing and cold exposure seem to dampen immune activity, they suggest that the release of adrenaline during such breathing plays a role. The spike in adrenaline was linked to increased levels of an anti-inflammatory protein, and decreased levels of proteins, called cytokines, responsible for signaling the immune system.  Some followers of Hof were tested and found to have less inflammation, fever and nausea after being injected with an inflammatory agent during their breathing routines, than others who did not perform the techniques.   There have been other breathing techniques like the Valsalva Maneuver (used to clear an ear blockage, clear a heart arrhythmia, or get rid of the hiccups) and Lamaze, which increases tolerance to pain and aids relaxation.  Knowing that breathing and specifically, holding your breath produces (at least temporary) physiological body changes, regular practices may produce longer term benefits.  Here is a beginner’s video tutorial on Hof’s breathing method (10 minutes).  Whether you choose to use these changes to dive into icy waters or just enjoy life with less stress and illness, is up to you!  For more information about deep breathing techniques and benefits, check out our article here. 

Exercising devices

If you’ve ever had a lung infection or had to do a breathing test, the doctor may have handed you a bulky plastic device with a tube called a spirometer. This device assesses how well your lungs work by measuring how much air you inhale, how much you exhale and how quickly you exhale. (mayoclinic.org)  It’s economical, for sure, as there are no electronics involved.  However, it’s not very portable for anyone who has a busy lifestyle and wants to continue treatment and strengthening.  This is where a plethora of newer (literally) hand-held devices come in.  Some exercise your inhalation muscles (inspiratory), some exercise your exhalation (expiratory) and some do both.  Besides lowering stress and improving athletic performance, doing 30 breaths per day on a spirometer for six weeks lowers systolic blood pressure by about 9 millimeters of mercury, according to researcher Daniel Craighead, an integrative physiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder.   Those reductions are about what could be expected with conventional aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling. (NPR.org)  The following were taken from the review “7 Best Lung Exercisers…” 

• The Airphysio is an OPEP (oscillating positive expiratory pressure) device, which means it uses a pressure system, similar to a balloon to enact some pressure into your lungs, allowing you to train your breathing and clearing the mucus.  It’s easy to use and carry with you, and comes in low, average and sports lung capacity sizes (from $60).

• The Airofit Breathing Trainer is designed for serious athletes and those who want to really increase their breathing capacity and endurance.  It is adjustable and allows you to train Respiratory Strength, Accessible Lung Capacity, Anaerobic Threshold, and other areas of your breathing.  It is bluetooth capable to link with an app for coaching and monitoring your progress (from $129).

• The Breather is well-designed, affordable at $50, and easy to use.  It has 5 exhalation and 6 inhalation adjustable pressure settings to be used by people of varying goals, from athletes to COPD patients.

WellO2 is a product designed in Finland that uses resistance training and warm, moist air to improve lung function and open airways.  For athletes, deep breathing during WellO2 training stimulates the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the mind and improve sleep for better (athletic) recovery. (wello2.com)  For the elderly and those who struggle to breathe, it strengthens lungs and abdominal muscles, as well as helps to reduce congestion and clear sinuses.  It can help singers to warm up their voice before performances and stay well.  At 229 Euros, it’s not a cheap device, but could contain quite a few health benefits. 

Nasal aids

Maybe you’ve heard of BreatheRight strips, which were all the rage in the 1990’s-2000’s.  These are still very popular external devices, for athletes and those who are prone to nosebleeds or sensitivity in the nasal cavities.  Nasal stents are the next generation of these type devices, designed to open up your nostrils for better breathing while you are wearing them.  Check out this video of an ENT surgeon reviewing some of them. 

• The Turbine claims to increase nasal air flow by 38%, and are designed for athletes to get the best breathing for the best sports results. Their trial pack includes 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large for $14.  They are reusable for 10 times per set. 

• Mute is a nasal stent that is designed for use during sleep, to breathe and sleep better, and snore less. Their trial pack includes 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large for $8.

• Airmax Nasal Dilators are $15 per set and made out of soft, flexible material to help optimize airflow for better sleep up to 76.1%. 

If you aren’t satisfied with your breathing or your health, why not give one or more of these a try?  They have less side effects than drugs, are less invasive than surgery, and could improve your life with better sleep and energy.  We’ve got to make the most use out of what’s free–the air around us! 

How to choose a Whole-Home Dehumidifier

If you have problems keeping the humidity below 60% in your home, we’ve written a lot on ways to lower it.  The first and foremost one should be to check for hidden air leaks in your building envelope.  Look for and correct the biggest ones first, to reap the most benefits.  To the untrained eye, these might not leap out at you, so a short visit by an energy inspector can discover big-ticket savings. Just recently, I found a big one that I should have recognized years ago: a shaft made for ventilation ducts going from my attic to my first floor was open and uninsulated!  No wonder my 2nd-story bedroom can be very cold or very warm–and I’m sure this wasn’t helping my humidity problem.  

If you have sealed up obvious air leaks, insulated appropriately, and are not considering upgrading your central air conditioner, then you can consider adding a whole-home dehumidifier.  We wrote a little about them here, but I found out a lot more recently when I had to select one for my own home!  

Sizing the dehumidifier depends on several things:

• Square footage of your home: if you have 8-foot ceilings, this directly correlates with rated square footage for dehumidifiers.  If you have higher ceilings, this additional volume will reduce the rated coverage of the dehumidifier.

• Where you are located geographically (exterior temperature and humidity) and/or how well sealed your home is:  Homes located in more humid climates and those that are only  loosely sealed will need more capacity in dehumidification, because humid air from outside can rapidly infiltrate the air inside a leaky home.  Infiltration rates also vary throughout the year. Infiltration can be greater in winter if the temperature difference between inside and outside is greater. For example, 75 degF inside and 0 degF outside in winter, versus 75 degF inside and 95 degF outside in summer. Infiltration rates depend on wind velocity and direction and also on the building envelope construction. (energy-models.com)

The following chart gives capacity in the number of liters of water a machine can remove from the air in one day.

Dealing with Earthquakes

Just like many other controversial topics, there is conflicting evidence on whether earthquakes are increasing.  Some news sites say that there is no increase in earthquakes; it just seems that there is an increase because reporting methods have gotten better (usgs.gov).  However, a journal for the insurance industry reports that earthquakes are increasing in US oil regions.  This 2021 article “reveals that tremors of above the magnitude of 2 on the Richter scale quadrupled in 2020…The oil and gas industry is contributing to the increased seismic activity through its practice (of) the saltwater disposal through underground injection.”  Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico were the areas studied, and more frequent and larger events continue to occur.  In addition, new research published in 2023 confirms that fracking causes slow, small earthquakes or tremors.  Fracking is the process of injecting high-pressure fluids to extract oil and gas.  Using liquid carbon dioxide for fracking instead of wastewater could be better for the environment in order to keep carbon out of the atmosphere, but because it’s a liquid, it can still cause tremors and earthquakes.

California has hundreds of “fault” lines (a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which allow the blocks to move relative to each other) (usgs.gov), two of the most infamous being the San Andreas fault in southern California and the Hayward fault in the San Francisco bay area in northern California.  Here is a picture of what frequent earthquakes look like (source: earthquaketrack.com):

If you live in a zone where earthquakes are frequent, you’ll know that the effects of earthquakes are manifold. Here are some of them: (source: getuhoo.com)

Dust:  “A case study was done in New Zealand following the 2010 earthquake that hit Canterbury, along with its aftershocks. The data from the study shows that PM10 particulate matter levels hit 140µg/m3 over a 24 hour period, which is well over the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (NESAQ) threshold of 50 µg/m3. The amount of PM2.5 concentration also hit 127µg/m3 at this time, about 90% of the level of PM10.”

 “The vibrations and tremors hitting buildings and homes loosens up dust and drives them into the air. Tectonic shifts can disrupt sediment and expose them to the air where they linger as particulates for days or even longer. Even in homes the jolt can release dust that is normally packed away and bring them out into the open, underscoring the importance of keeping a clean home.”  

We agree; it’s important to have dust control measures in place before a small or large earthquake shakes things up!  Here are our top ways of controlling it:

• Minimize carpet and fabric furniture if possible

• Frequent vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum 

• Use of a MERV 13 filter (if possible) in your furnace/HVAC

• Use of a standalone HEPA filter in areas where you spend a lot of time (living room, bedroom)

• Brush and bathe pets weekly if possible

• Keep several MERV and HEPA filter changes, as well as N95 masks, on hand for use during emergencies.

Fire and water damage:  According to earthquakeauthority.com, the primary damage in an earthquake is caused by surface rupture and ground displacement, when the ruptured fault produces vertical or horizontal movement on either side of it.  However, liquefaction is another odd consequence that damages pipelines too: solid soil will change into a “liquid” during violent shaking, causing support systems to fall away.  When this happens, pipelines break and fires can start, spewing all kinds of chemicals into the air, ground and water.  In this severe case, you should have an evacuation plan if this kind of disaster affects your immediate neighborhood.  If you are experiencing these pollutants from several or miles away, shelter in your home if possible, and keep windows and doors closed with the HVAC on “recirculation” mode with minimal fresh air.  Here are some ways to mimimize the pollutants you’re breathing inside:

• Use of a MERV 13 filter (if possible) in your furnace/HVAC

• Use of a standalone HEPA filter in areas where you spend a lot of time (living room, bedroom)

• Keep several MERV and HEPA filter changes, as well as N95 masks, on hand for use during emergencies.

• For fresh air, you can use a Window Ventilation Filter to keep smoke, dust and pollution out of your home. 

• Units like the Germ Defenders and Air Angels will help to mitigate harmful contaminants by converting them to larger particles that will fall to the floor. 

Landslides and Tsunamis: Landslides are the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a sloped section of land, and are caused by rain, earthquakes, volcanoes, or other factors that make the slope unstable.  (nationalgeographic.org).  Obviously, this type of earth movement will trigger a lot of dust and pollution released into the air as earth and buildings and infrastructure are demolished in the path of the landslide.  Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. (noaa.gov)  The wave can cause catastrophic flooding upon hitting land, which brings building devastation and mold to the buildings that are not destroyed.   

There are “early warning systems” in major quake zones, however they can only provide warning to those outside of the epicenter (10 miles or more), and they only provide warnings of larger, more violent earthquakes. (caltech.edu).  

Preparedness is key.  In addition to the measures listed above, you can also prepare an evacuation kit in case you have to leave your home, which of course is useful in disasters other than earthquakes.  Judy.co is a company devoted to emergency kits that include water, food, power and tools so that families can survive for short periods following a disaster.  With advice from this page at ready.gov, you can build your own kit.  We sincerely hope that no one is injured or affected by such a disaster in their lifetime, but sadly in areas like northern California, this is not what experts predict will happen.  Earthquake risks can be high in the beauty of the South Pacific islands, the mountains of Mexico, and the plains of Oklahoma, so wherever you live, be aware and be prepared!