The Truths about Winter Air

In the southeast US, I really enjoy the coolness of fall and winter after a long hot summer.  Winter air feels fresh and clean, but why is that?  And is it always fresh and clean?  What about humidity? What about static electricity?

There are so many reasons that winter smells are different!

Our sense of smell relies on several things: odor molecules, and our noses’ smelling equipment.  

• Molecules within air, including odor molecules, move more slowly in colder weather, so we are less likely to receive good or bad odor molecules. (wonderopolis.org) 
• Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions slow down at colder temps.  Many VOCs (like terpenes) have strong smells, but less so with lower temperatures.
• Humid air is generally better at trapping and delivering odorants through the atmosphere, and better at depositing those particles to the associated olfactory receptors. Winter air is drier and therefore delivers odors less efficiently. (seeker.com)
• We perceive less smells in cold air because the receptors and vessels within our noses are constricted. This means two things: they move more deeply into our nasal passages, and fewer fragrant molecules can travel through them.
• There is a nerve in the human body that gets stimulated when breathing in cold air called the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is responsible for the tingly sensations caused by spicy food and mint. This could be a reason as to why the smell of cold air is associated with “fresh” and “clean”. (tonichealth.co)

What about air pollution in the winter?

Surprisingly, air pollution can be worse during the winter than the summer!  This happens when something called an “inversion” forms.  There are several different types of inversions (which are well-explained in this video from the University of Illinois Extension), but they all involve a warmer layer of air above a cooler layer of air, restricting air movement and causing pollutants to be trapped near the earth’s surface.  For example, a city located in a valley and close to a mountain is more liable to experience temperature inversion than other cities. The cold air is denser and heavier; therefore it often slides down the mountain slope and ends up in a valley, leaving the warmer air above.  (airlief.com)  Inversions can last from several hours to several days.  

In addition to inversions, the burning of fossil fuel increases during the winter.  Industrial sources stay roughly the same throughout the year, but household heating and emissions from the vehicles are getting higher during the colder days of the winter.  In lower income countries, where it’s normal to burn garbage and coal for heating, the levels of PM2.5, carbon monoxide and other toxins increase significantly. (airlief.com)

“Stubble burning” is a practice in India during April-May and October-November each year, where farmers set their fields ablaze after harvest to clear the ground for the next crop.  It produces horrible air pollution in Delhi and other cities.  Unfortunately, lack of education on the damage to soil by burning and some profitable alternatives for the stubble cause farmers to continue the practice, despite the pollution.  (sciencedirect.com) Surprisingly, stubble burning is tolerated and even regulated in some countries like Australia and Canada (wikipedia).

(Lack of) Humidity in winter air causes dehydration

Cold air can hold less water vapor, which is the cause of lower relative humidity of winter air.  This drier air can literally suck the moisture out of your body in a myriad of ways. (performancehealthcenter.com)

1. In cold weather, the body’s thirst response is diminished (by up to 40%) even when dehydrated. (study) This happens because our blood vessels constrict when we’re cold to prevent blood from flowing freely to the extremities. This enables the body to conserve heat by drawing more blood to its core.  Maintaining the body’s core temperature becomes more important than fluid balance, but because of this, the body is fooled into thinking it’s properly hydrated. Thus, in cold weather, we are less likely to drink water due to diminished thirst.  
2. Our kidneys aren’t signaled by regulating hormones like they normally are to conserve water and therefore urine production increases, a condition called cold-induced urine diuresis.
3. Nasal passages can dry out even though they feel like they are being flooded with moisture because of condensation (cold air hits warm nostril and water vapor instantly condenses!)
4. We don’t even realize we are sweating because sweat dries quickly in cool, dry air.  The added weight of boots, heavy jackets, and layers of warm clothing help our bodies conserve heat, yet make the body work harder and may lead to producing more sweat than usual, yet this increased perspiration evaporates quickly in the cold dry air, so we often do not realize we are sweating. 

Therefore, it’s super-important that you drink as much or more water during winter than summer.

Here’s are some suggestions:

• Don’t rely on caffeinated hot beverages to fill you up!  Drinks like coffee and hot chocolate are actually diuretics (they pull water from your body).  If you need to drink something hot to warm up, try herbal tea, hot water with lemon and honey, or warm milk.
• Carry room-temperature water in insulated bottles so that it doesn’t chill into an icy drink.  Although drinking cold water can feel invigorating and increase alertness, it has more negative consequences in your body including thickened nasal mucus, increased blood pressure, teeth sensitivity, and headaches. (svalbardi.com)
• Drink water before, during and after you exercise!
• Wear layers and try to be aware when you start to sweat, to adjust them accordingly.
• Juicy fruits and vegetables and broth-based soups can increase your hydration. 

Humidifiers should not be the first choice to increase humidity in the home.

According to energyvanguard.com, “the cause of dry air in winter is air leakage, so air sealing is the first and best way to keep your humidity from going too low.”  Because running a humidifier is not free, the newly humidified air leaks out just as fast as dry air comes in.  It’s a losing battle!  In addition, humidifiers need to be chosen and used judiciously because they can breed mold, and increase PM2.5 in the air (check out our post here).  They can also cause condensation and mold problems in the building itself.  

What about static electricity?

It’s true, shocks from static electricity are worse in the wintertime because of lower relative humidity.  Static electricity is a buildup of ions in a body, and the lack of moisture in the air allows them to stay put until you touch something that “grounds” you like a metal doorknob.    That’s because dry air is an insulator, not a conductor.  There are several ways you can reduce static electric shocks during the winter:

• Wear more cotton clothing, because wool and synthetics tend to be insulators. Cotton absorbs more moisture from the air, though, so this can work against you in cold temperatures.
• Leather-soled shoes will “ground” you more than rubber-soled shoes, because rubber is an insulator.
• Dryer sheets can reduce static cling by equalizing electrons formed by clothes rubbing together, but many are not recommended to use because respiratory, developmental, endocrine, and reproductive effects. (for example Bounce Sping Fresh Dryer Sheets, ewg.org)  Amazingly, you can combat static in your dryer instead by crumpling up a few pieces of aluminum foil into balls and throwing them into your dryer with your clothes, to keep them static-free and separated. (Dryer Sheet Alternatives)
• Use a bipolar ionizer in your home, such as the Whole Home Polar Ionizer, Air Angel or Germ Defenders.  These devices release a balance of positive and negative ions into the air, which help to equalize the charge in your body and sanitize surfaces.  It’s a win-win, which leads us to our last truth:

Winter air allows pathogens to stay afloat and viable for longer

Researchers have known since at least 2010 that epidemics of influenza almost always followed a drop in air humidity.  (study) The reasons for this are several: dry air allows the virus particles to float for longer times in the air, and since water vapor in the air may deform the virus’ surface, lack of water vapor keeps its infectious weaponry intact. (BBC.com)  According to the Sterling Chart below, (from a 1986 paper titled, Indirect Health Effects of Relative Humidity in Indoor Environments) you can see how the optimum humidity to ward off bacteria, fungus, and respiratory infections would be about 40-60%, but avoid going higher because of condensation and mold issues.  Keeping our homes sealed from the ingress of dry air and our bodies hydrated will be the best bet to landing in that zone!

Source: energyvanguard.com

After reading this article, you may be a little disappointed in winter air, but with awareness about the possibility of increased air pollution, dehydration and static electricity, you can take precautions and enjoy it just as much as any other season!

What’s the difference between dangerous mold and good fermentation?

Maybe you’ve heard about fermented foods as one of the latest health fads, and are wondering (like I was), what’s the difference between green cheese discovered in the back of the fridge, and “good” stinky cheese, kombucha or sauerkraut?  They all seem to use microbes to change the flavor, so how can we tell the difference?  

Fermented foods are defined as “foods or beverages produced through controlled microbial growth, and the conversion of food components through enzymatic action” (my emphasis, from 2016 study).   The main difference, it turns out, is the intention and methods (control) of allowing food to ferment.   Fermented foods have been around for a loooong time.  When you have foods that are notoriously difficult to preserve (dairy) in a hot climate (the middle east and Africa), fermentation happens naturally and quickly.  As long ago as 10,000 BCE, people figured out how to control the natural bacteria present in cow, sheep, goat and camel milk to produce yogurt.  This is called “thermophilic lactic acid fermentation”. (Living History Farms)  This continued for centuries and in 1910, a Russian bacteriologist, Elie Metchnikoff, attributed the longer average lifespan of Bulgarians (87 years) to increased fermented milk consumption, and a particular strain of bacteria used in their fermented milk products.  Certain strains of “Lactobacillus bulgaricus” were shown to be able to survive and flourish in the human stomach and intestines, making them the first “probiotics” discovered.   Probiotics simply are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially your digestive system. (webmd.com)  The “cultures” of live bacteria and yeasts in fermented foods make them full of natural probiotics.  However, ancient peoples (through the 1900s) were likely not eating them for their health benefits.  Fermenting was simply a form of food preservation.  Cheese, bread, vinegar and beer are all products of fermentation.  Food can be fermented naturally using the microbes that are present in the food itself, or by adding a “starter culture” that has the desirable microbes included. (2019 paper)

Many studies have been conducted on the health benefits of fermented foods.  Some have been proven, and others are disputed.  For example, compounds known as biologically active peptides, which are produced by the bacteria responsible for fermentation, are also well known for their health benefits. Among these peptides, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) have a blood pressure lowering effect, exopolysaccharides exhibit prebiotic properties, bacteriocins show anti-microbial effects, sphingolipids have anti-carcinogenic and anti-microbial properties, and bioactive peptides exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, opioid antagonist, anti-allergenic, and blood pressure lowering effects. (paper investigating the health effects of fermented foods). As a current health hot topic, it’s best for you to do your own research on any fermented food you want to start including in your diet. 

There are many types of fermentation that are culture-specific, having such a strong smell and/or taste that to the uninitiated, may be called “rotten”!  In fact, “one person’s delicious fermentation is another person’s disgusting rot, and according to fermentation guru Sandor Ellix Katz, “Learning a sense of boundaries around what it is appropriate to eat is necessary for survival. But precisely where we lay those boundaries is highly subjective, and largely culturally determined.” (americastestkitchen.com) This is the case for hákarl, an Icelandic delicacy often referred to as “rotten shark”, Surströmming, a Swedish fermented herring product, natto, a slimy fermented Japanese soybean dish, and century eggs, which are fermented for 3 years in some Southeast Asian cultures.  (18 stinky foods around the world).

Okay…we know that heat and microbes will break down food whether or not we initiate it, so just what kinds of “control” can we exert over fermentation?

One key is just as invisible to the naked eye as the microbes themselves: air.  Fermentation is generally an anaerobic process, which occurs in an airless environment. Most desirable bacteria thrive in this oxygen-free environment digesting sugars, starches, and carbohydrates and releasing alcohols, carbon dioxide, and organic acids (which are what preserve the food). Most undesirable bacteria that cause spoilage, rotting, and decay of food can’t survive in this anaerobic environment. (Living History Farms)  Unfortunately, this reference does not point out at least one major exception: Clostridium botulinum, which produces botulism.  In order to keep vegetables from developing undesirable mold, for example, they are “weighed down” under the fermenting liquid so the food does not contact the air. 

According to Paul Adams, a researcher for America’s Test Kitchen,  we have a few other tools to keep the fermented product safer and less smelly:  salt, temperature and acidity.  For example, allowing cucumbers to sit in room temperature water will usually produce a scummy pink slime in short order, but changing the water for brine (saltwater) will produce some nice tangy pickles.  Brewing beer has its best results when controlling the temperature, so brewers have developed methods to decrease or increase the temperature of their kegs depending on the ambient air temperature.  Finally, acidity is a tool for controlling fermentation.  pH is the measure of acidity or alkalinity in a solution and pH changes due to changing chemical composition produced during fermentation.  pH also can control the species of microbes in fermentation.  For example, the low pH (acidity) of kombucha, owing mainly to the production of high concentration of acetic acid, has been shown to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Campylobacter jejuni. (2019 paper) According to Utah State University Extension Service, for fermentation to be successful at eliminating all potential pathogens, the pH level must drop below an acidity of 4.6 verified by using a pH meter or test strip.  Foods that “appear” to be safe can still contain harmful pathogens.

What’s the difference between yeast and mold?

Yeasts and mold are both considered fungi.  Yeasts are microscopic fungi consisting of solitary cells that reproduce by budding. Molds, in contrast, are multi-cellular and occur in long filaments known as hyphae, which grow by apical extension (extending into fresh substrate). Yeasts do not produce spores; molds do.  Yeasts can grow in aerobic (with air) or anaerobic (airless) conditions; molds only grow in aerobic conditions.  Regardless of their shape or size, fungi are all heterotrophic (cannot produce their own food) and digest their food externally by releasing hydrolytic enzymes into their immediate surroundings (absorptive nutrition). (Introduction to Mycology textbook) Here is a highly magnified photo of the two:

Photo source: microbenotes.com

As a company concerned about air quality, HypoAir is typically anti-mold except where it’s cultured and processed carefully for medical and gastronomical reasons (like penicillin and cheese)!   Penicillium (P.) roqueforti, P. glaucum, and P. candidum are some common types of mold that are used in cheesemaking.  (thecheesemaker.com)  I’ve found out through researching this article that there are other types of mold that give fermented food its characteristic flavor and possible health benefits.  For example tempeh, an Indonesian fermented soybean cake, and Miso, a traditional Japanese paste of fermented soybean used to make miso soup, both contain molds that have no detrimental effects to humans.  Likewise, yeasts are familiar to those who make bread, but Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage reported to have originated in northern China, is also made with yeast.  The critical aspect of making each of these foods is providing the correct environment, including temperature, pH, humidity and salinity, to encourage the good fungus and discourage bad fungus!

Of course, there is a lot of information on the internet about making fermented foods at home.  Not all of them advise the safeguards that are necessary to prevent harmful bacteria from giving you life-threatening food poisoning, so it’s best to compare them to a source such as the USDA.  For example, this guide on safely fermenting food at home recommends starting fermentation only on fresh, clean vegetables and using non-iodized salt.  In addition, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has tips and tested recipes.

If you have any doubts about the safety of fermented food, throw it out!  The website fermentools.com gives the following advice on when to do so:

• Visible fuzz, or white, pink, green, or black mold.
• Extremely pungent and unpleasant stink.
• Slimy, discolored vegetables.
• A bad taste.  If your taste buds are offended, be safe and spit it out!

If you follow the safety guidelines, you can explore the world of fermented foods and maybe even make your own food combinations to surprise family and friends! (Who wouldn't like a delicious jar of well-preserved food?)

Hosting Responsibly

‘Tis the season for gathering together for celebrations!  More than a few years ago, “hosting responsibly” might be taken to mean monitoring alcohol consumption and driving.  Now, it also means providing good air quality where participants don’t need to worry about breathing in germs.  What a difference a few years (and a pandemic) makes!

In November 2022, in grocery stores, malls, airports and airplanes, masks and distancing are no longer mandatory.  There are also no mandatory distinctions between vaccinated and unvaccinated people.  I realize that although most places present as pre-pandemic, these norms can change at any time, and many people are still concerned about virus transmission and their health.  This elephant has been dressed up well, but he’s not going away, so it’s best to acknowledge him!

Letting your guests know about your preparations means letting them know you care, and make them even more eager to attend!  How can we get started?  Here are some questions for the host:

Is your home or gathering place well-ventilated? 

Here are a couple ways to tell:

1. Do odors persist for hours if you don’t do anything to abate them?  This might be a little tricky to answer, because it’s definitely a good idea to use your kitchen exhaust fan while cooking, but if you clean up the food bits, wake up and can still smell last night’s dinner, there is likely a problem.
2. Is the carbon dioxide level in your home below 1000ppm?  It’s really helpful (and surprising) to use a portable CO2 meter in your home and elsewhere.  It let me know that my house (built 1982 with building paper as the air barrier) is quite leaky at about 520-550 ppm CO2, but on the other hand, my parents’ house (renovated 2020) seems to be quite tight and in need of more ventilation (1500ppm)!  The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which is the dominant organization in establishing proper building ventilation rates in the US,  is hesitant to use CO2 levels as an indication of proper ventilation in homes and businesses because of lack of research and a number of variables.  However it does state in a white paper on indoor CO2 levels: 

• Indoor CO2 concentrations do not provide an overall indication of IAQ, but they can be a useful tool in IAQ assessments if users understand the limitations in these applications.
• All else being equal, higher CO2 concentrations correspond to lower outdoor air ventilation rates and the potential for an increased risk of airborne transmission.
• Rather than using indoor CO2 concentration as an indicator of desired ventilation rates, several analyses of airborne infection risk have used CO2 as an indicator of the “rebreathed fraction” of indoor air (the fraction of inhaled air that was exhaled by someone else in the space). (Yuck!)

So, although ASHRAE did not set these values (contrary to misquotes), the generally accepted values are consistent with these:

Source: Washington State University Extension Energy Program

So, if you take a reading on your CO2 meter and find that the difference between the indoors and outdoors is less than 650 ppm (which is normally about 1000 ppm indoors), your ventilation is “acceptable”.  Above that level, your guests will have complaints of fatigue, loss of focus and concentration, and an uncomfortable ‘stuffy’ feeling in the air, all of which indicates you are not getting enough fresh air. (Kaiterra.com)  Keep in mind that with more guests, more ventilation is necessary to keep the CO2 level down!  You can crack windows to add more ventilation.

Do you have active air purification?  If so, let them know!  Just as businesses are proud to advertise that they use HypoAir products to keep their clientele safe, don’t hesitate to let your guests know if you are using active air sanitation like the Whole Home Polar Ionizer, Air Angel or Germ Defenders.  In addition, a fresh furnace filter in a higher MERV rating and/or use of a standalone HEPA filter also increase the air quality. 

How about making your gathering indoor-outdoor?  If you have a patio or yard, string lights and a firepit or chiminea make for a cozy, festive ambiance!  In addition, the opening of doors when guests enter or exit adds fresh-air ventilation to your indoor space. If you decide to light a fire in the fireplace, cracking a window will help the fire burn better with less chance of backdrafting smoke into the room.

Have you thought about food and beverage service?

If we had a throw-away mentality before COVID-19, unfortunately the pandemic has only made it worse.  Restaurants have embraced using disposable food trays, utensils and drinking glasses for sanitation, however I suspect it is now more for convenience.  According to this 2020 study, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain viable on inert surfaces, with varying lengths of time depending on the surface: four hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, 48 hours on stainless steel and up to 72 hours on plastic.  With this evidence showing that cardboard and plastic are not anti-viral, you don’t have to follow suit with everyone else regarding what you serve on.  Instead of having a large trashbin in the center of the party (although some garbage is inevitable for sure), why not fill one side of the sink with soapy water, or leave a basin with soapy water, in which to submerge dishes?  I’ve always enjoyed using real dishes over plastic or paper, so if your gathering is smaller than your collection of plates, it’s not taboo to use china and stainless steel. Marking drinking glasses with a marker or tag ensures that everyone keeps their own!  You could even DIY inexpensive beverage glasses with your guests’ names as favors.  If you decide to go with single serve drinks, cans or bottles are still best marked to avoid confusion.

What’s more important, though, is how you serve.  It’s wise to designate 1 or 2 people as “servers” who can add helpings to individual plates in order to reduce handling of the serving utensils.  If “seconds” are available, it’s best to use additional clean plates to avoid contamination.  Wrap utensils in individual napkins pre-party so that no one has to dig through a bin to get their own.  

Set containers of hand sanitizer throughout your space, and most importantly at the food and drink service area.  

Have you made sure the bathroom is clean and inviting?

• Provide antibacterial soap and individual paper hand towels
• If you have a bathroom vent, consider installing a switch protector or sign so that it stays on throughout the party to keep the bathroom air fresh(er!)
• Instead of buying deodorizers that can add toxic chemicals and VOCs to the air, re-package some TotalClean in a pretty glass bottle and label “air freshener”--it really deodorizes well!

Will you have chemically sensitive guests?

Ask guests to notify you if they have chemical allergies, so you can keep it scent-free if necessary.   If you've ever had a smell irritate your nose or even cause a headache, you have a inkling of what Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) sufferers go through.

• It’s hard to pass up candles and sprays in holiday scents, but try to do it for the sake of your friends!
• It’s also wise to use unscented, natural products like TotalClean to get a thorough clean on all surfaces without any scent.
• Ask other guests to abstain from using scented personal items like perfume and deodorants.

Spread the warmth from your fireplace…not the air pollution!

With temps turning colder and guests coming over for the holidays, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be nice to start a fire in the fireplace soon?  With Thanksgiving a week away, I decided to make sure that it would be a joyful experience and not a regret!  Here’s some tips for getting your fireplace and wood ready.

The fireplace:

• If you haven’t had the chimney cleaned in several years after using it, call a professional for this job and make sure they use HEPA filters in the vacuum.  
• If you are not having your chimney cleaned (if so the cleaner can do this check), check that the damper is working properly:  Get some safety glasses on and a flashlight for this one.  Moving your head underneath the fireplace opening, use the lever handle to open the damper and make sure it stays open when you release it.  Hopefully you do not have the surprise of wildlife or a lot of debris being released when you open it!  Close it again until you get ready to start the fire, making sure that it closes fully and seals (see next point).
• Sealing the fireplace damper when the fireplace is not in use is really important.  Inadequately sealed fireplaces are noted as being one of the worst air leakage sources in the home. According to the D.O.E.3, by weatherstripping the fireplace, the typical U.S. home can reduce air leaks by 14% or more. (hearth.com)  Here some ways of sealing your chimney, some of which would be better avoided:
  • Top mounted chimney dampers don’t seal the chimney space off from your home, meaning that the combustion products and cold (or warm) brick is still exposed to your air.  These aren’t highly recommended.
  • Plugs are inflatable devices that seal off the chimney when it’s not in use.  The problem is that they can deflate with colder temps, allowing air to leak through, causing it to need to be reinflated sometimes.  Sometimes the product itself leaks. 
  • Glass doors don’t adequately seal off the chimney, even though they look nice.  The solution: a magnetic, insulated cover will stop the drafts if your fireplace doors are sealed to the masonry.
• A grate is really helpful to help your fire burn cleanly and not smoke too much.  Why?  A grate gets the wood up off the floor and allows air to circulate under and through the logs.  (This is the key to those new smokeless fire pits–air holes along the bottom of the fire pit get adequate combustion air to the wood!)  Check that your grate is sturdy.  If it is corroded or broken, take it to a welding shop for repairs.  You don’t want a pile of logs shifting and rolling or throwing a cascade of sparks when you’ve already started your fire!

The wood:

• Only burn wood that is completely dry, which usually means it was cut and stored over 6 months ago.  Only burn hardwood,
• Don’t buy firewood a long distance from your home.  Although it may look clean and dry, wood that is harvested over 50 miles from your home may have species of pests (eggs and insects) that are new to your area and by transporting them, you could unleash an invasive pest to the trees in your county. (Forestry Commission) 
• Be selective about what kind of wood you burn indoors.  Stay away from wood with a lot of resin, such as pine and spruce, because burning it forms creosote that can cause a chimney fire.  Never burn treated wood or particleboard, as these release toxic fumes. (Family Handyman)
• It's important to store all firewood outdoors until you're ready to use it, because firewood will naturally have some mold on it.  Storing it outdoors not only keeps the mold spores from entering your home but it also reduces the risk of spiders, ants and other unwanted insects from coming inside as well.  (firewood-for-life.com)
• If you encounter wood with a lot of visible mold, it’s best not to bring it inside at all!  If the mold is on the bark, you can try to knock the bark off with a hatchet or hammer.  Remember, mold spores spread easily through the air and disturbing a mold colony just by moving the firewood (and stacking and then tossing it into a hot fireplace) will release millions of spores into your home!

What about firestarters?

• Firestarters are easy to buy at the hardware or grocery store, but it may be harder to determine if their ingredients are safe and non-toxic.   In a 2014 study, burning synthetic firewood logs increased breast cancer risk in women by 42%.  Wood and synthetic logs are sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which cause mammary cancer in animal experiments. Both contribute to residential air pollution, but researchers found that only the synthetic logs were found to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
• If you have any concern, take the safe route and make these firestarters easily from cardboard egg cartons, wax and sawdust (great project with your kids!)  The only caveat I would add is not to use just any candles for wax; paraffin candles are made from petroleum products, and soy candles are from hydrogenated oils that usually contain some paraffins.  If you can find it, unscented beeswax is the best!

Test it out! 

• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
• First and foremost, make sure the damper is open and any plugs or stops are removed before starting a fire.  Use your safety glasses when looking up into the chimney!
• Always clean out cold ashes from a previous fire before starting a new one.  If you use your fireplace frequently, an ash vacuum is really helpful and speeds up the job.  Don’t use just any vacuum to suck up ashes, as vacuums without a HEPA filter will blow them all over the room!
• Prime the flue: this means getting a flow of air going up the chimney.  The cleanest, simplest way is use a hair dryer on the hot setting, or a blow torch: just hold and point it up the flue for a few minutes. 
• Place a few firestarters or balled up newspaper under the grate and some kindling (small pieces of wood) on the grate.  Start the fire with a long-handled igniter. 
• When the kindling is burning well, place a few logs on the grate.
• Does your fireplace smoke? (does smoke roll out of the top of the opening into the room?)  If so, the opening may be too large in relation to the flue, causing air to stall at the top of the firebox and allow smoke to come out into the room.  Here is a great video explaining the concept and how to fix it (or buy the right smoke guard and screen if you’re not a welder).  A smoke guard is a strip of metal that extends from the top of the opening down into the fireplace 4-8” to make the opening smaller and improe draft.  This article tells about an aluminum foil trick on how to size the smoke guard before you buy one, plus other reasons the fireplace may be smoking.
• If there’s no smoke coming into the room, add more logs slowly, making sure to place them with good air flow from below. 

Measure it so you can improve it!

There are several great old quotes that still hold true today:

“You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” (often attributed to Peter Drucker, “father of management thinking”, Forbes.com) 

“When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind: it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be.”  (Lord Kelvin, British scientist, oxfordreference.com)

Ok, so we need to measure if we really want to know what is going on.  When you’re talking about air quality, sensors are the key!  Whether you are a homeowner or a professional, an economical sensor is a valuable thing.  Here are some of the best and their many uses.

Air Flow 

There are several instruments that can be used to measure airflow.  HVAC techs use manometers or anemometers  to verify whether the installed ductwork and fans are performing as designed.  There are also many uses for these around the house!  Here are a few:

• Hold it below your kitchen exhaust vent fan to see if it is moving enough air out of the kitchen (you can do the same for the bathroom exhaust fan)
• Hold it below your return air intake when the filter is clean, and when it is dirty, to see how much a dirty filter impacts your air flow.
• Install a pollution-filtering window screen and window fan, and check the fresh airflow in and out of the room (see our post here). 

Here’s an inexpensive anemometer that not only measures wind speed, it also measures the temperature.  In order to get a volume air flow measurement in cubic feet per minute (CFM), set the output to read feet per minute and then multiply it by the square footage of the duct or window you’re measuring (width in inches x length in inches divided by 144). 

Air Pressure

We’ve written quite a bit about the “pressure” of your home; ideally it will be “balanced” so that outside air is not being pulled in through cracks and crevices (other than fresh air ventilation).  How do you really know, though, without measuring?  Air pressure sensors are called manometers and here are some other uses for them:

• Checking the pressure drop across a new higher MERV filter (we recommend MERV 13 for the best home filtration).  You can make a small hole in the filter in order to feed one of the ported tubes through, and seal it later with some tape.
• Check the negative pressure in rooms with the door closed, to see if the HVAC returns are getting proper air flow.  In this post we discuss tackling the problem of getting enough air movement with closed doors.  

Here’s an inexpensive manometer that detects pressure or differential pressure (with two ports) and has readouts in several different common units. 

CO2 

If you’ve read our post on CO2, then you know how important this pollutant can be to your wellbeing.  Too much CO2 comes from not having enough fresh air ventilation, and can be a big factor in feeling groggy, less energetic, and causing brain fog and poor mental performance.  Of course, then, you’ll want to measure it in your home and workplace, your car, and maybe even in your classroom, church or other public meeting place.  Here are some sensors that will help you do that:

• To get the most bang for your buck, AirThings 2930 WavePlus combines 6 sensors in one unit: Radon, CO2, VOC, Humidity, Temp, Pressure (Barometric pressure) for about $200.
• InkBirdPlus makes a unit that tells CO2, temperature and humidity, which are 3 key measurements for home use.  It can be hung on the wall or be portable.  This unit is about $69.

PM and VOCs

Particulate Matter (PM) is not only dust–it’s smaller than that!  Dust ranges in the 2.5-10 micron range (check out the following diagram), but when there’s smoke or cooking involved (which happen in the home all the time), particles can be less than 1 micron.  That’s where you can really see what’s going on when the toaster burns your bread!  

Source: visualcapitalist.com

Formaldehyde is a toxic VOC that is a common “off-gas” component of new furniture, flooring and pressed-wood cabinets.  It can be measured separately or as a part of Total VOCs (TVOCs).  Those who like to have their nails manicured and painted may or may not be in shock if they took a VOC meter into the salon…the same could happen in a busy restaurant with “open kitchen” concept.  Here are some sensors that you can use in the home or business (gasp!) to make sure you’re ventilating or wearing a mask when appropriate.

• This model by Temtop has a sleek design for your desk and measures PM2.5, Formaldehyde and Total VOCs ($90).
• Temtop Air Quality Monitor measures PM2.5, PM10, Formaldehyde, temperature and humidity, TVOC and AQI, with solid ratings on Amazon ($149).

Some sensors look like a sleek medical device and some look like a machine from Inspector Gadget, but remember, they will give you information your nose alone can’t tell you.  If you take out your sensor in a public place and someone asks you about it, you may be able to impart some timely wisdom that will help them, too!

Will a Radiant Barrier Help My Home’s Air Quality?

Radiant barriers have been a “hot” topic for the last few years: If to install them, where to install them, and how to install them.  Are they worth the work and cost?  It’s time well-spent to do some research before diving in with such a project.

Radiation is one of the three types of heat transfer, along with convection and conduction.  A radiant barrier is a material with a shiny surface that reflects radiant heat back outside the home.  If the barrier gets dusty or is installed incorrectly, however, it does not work well. 

According to Attainablehome.com (a builder’s website devoted to building of modern, sustainable, and high quality homes that is within reach of household incomes), properly installed radiant barriers can reduce heating costs in the hottest months in southern climates, if the home’s air conditioning system is located in the attic. It can also offer a degree of protection to that equipment when the barrier is installed over the equipment, “shielding” it. 

In colder climates, however, radiant barriers are not recommended for several reasons.

• The savings in reflecting heat away from the home in summer is minimal.

• Cold climates can allow moisture to condense behind the barrier, creating mold issues.  Perforated radiant barriers can reduce this problem, though.

What is “properly installed”?  Here is a good video showing installation of a radiant barrier over a garage.  Radiant barriers:

• Need an air gap: don’t install the barrier sandwiched between existing insulation, as it can conduct heat into it.  For instance, do not install radiant barrier foam board (such as LP’s Techshield) and sprayfoam over it. (energyvanguard.com)

• Need to be relatively clean: dust will reduce the effectiveness of the barrier, so installing on the attic floor is not recommended in most cases. 

• Must be the right type for your home/climate. There are:

• Perforated and non-perforated: Perforated barriers allow vapors to escape through the barrier, reducing the chance that moisture or mold will build up behind it.   If you live in a hot, humid climate and have a vented attic, a highly permeable barrier like “Super-Perf” from AtticFoil is recommended to allow moisture to pass through. 

• Made with insulation or board attached to the radiant surface

• Must not block air flow in the attic.  Most vented attics have soffit and ridge vents, so do not block the air flow between these two, or moisture issues may result.

In a 2010 article that still applies today, energy advisor Martin Holladay stated there are 5 factors that determine whether a radiant barrier is a good option for your home (discussed in this video):

• Do you live in a hot climate?  Yes = consider radiant barrier.

• Do you live in a humid climate?  Yes = the radiant barrier must be carefully and correctly installed so that moisture problems are not created.

• Do you have a one-story home?  One story homes tend to have larger roofs to cover the livable square feet, so a radiant barrier in a one-story home will be more effective than a two-story home of comparable square feet.

• Do you have air ducts in your attic?  Yes = consider radiant barrier to shield them.

• Is the air barrier installed correctly?  This is imperative, so the barrier has to be compatible with the insulation in your attic.

In times of low-cost energy, installing a radiant barrier may not be worth it. (energyvanguard.com)  For example, in Houston in 2011 (a hot climate in a year with similar kilowatt-hour (kwh) energy cost to today), a homeowner could save about 180 kwh per year with a radiant barrier installed on their 2000 sf newbuild home, considering that it is installed under the roof decking and the only additional cost was the more expensive barrier under the decking ($200).  This is about $25 per year savings, which would be an 8 year payback if there is no mortgage, or only about 50 cents per month if there is a mortgage (check the article for the explanation!)  It’s not a whole lot, but if energy prices go up (they will at some point), the savings could be more.

According to this video, LP Techshield (an OSB board with aluminum coating on one side) produced an 18 degree reduction in temperature in a doghouse.  Another video using the same product achieved an 8-10 degree reduction in a real house. 

So, how does all of this affect your air quality?  At HypoAir, we are in favor of not adding things that harm you or your home, so adding a radiant barrier to an existing home must be carefully considered.  Here are some steps to check whether it is right for you: 

• If you have an unvented attic, a radiant barrier is likely not to benefit you.  If you have a vented attic, make sure the vents are not blocked and there is sufficient insulation in the walls/floors of the attic facing the conditioned space. 

• Consider the current state of your attic and take temperature and humidity measurements in the attic and in the home as a “baseline”.  

• If possible, you could conduct a small “experiment” in a part of your attic that faces the sun by installing one roll only (best if it shields some ductwork) and seeing how it affects attic and home temperature and humidity.  

• If this test is favorable, continue with installation of the rest of the south- or west-facing sides.  Although I could not find much information about it, radiant heat is not very applicable on the north-or east-facing walls in the northern hemisphere. 

• If humidity increases with the test spot under similar atmospheric conditions, it’s best to terminate the experiment and remove the barrier. 

Radiant barrier material is not very expensive, so if you can install it yourself, it can provide energy savings going forward.   It’s best to take your time and research the pros and cons of installing it in your home and not succumb to pressure from a salesperson, however.  Overall, it should not increase your energy use or humidity levels, so make sure to hold the manufacturer and/or installer to their claims.  We’d love to hear from you on how radiant barrier affects your home’s atmosphere!

Do you need more INSULATION?

When seasons change it’s easier to get a fresh perspective on how well your home is performing against the elements, or we would say how well the building envelope is “sealed”.  Because it’s very difficult and expensive to build a home that is perfectly sealed, everything else is relative to the best-case scenario.  It’s best to have a good idea of what kinds of insulation are out there, before even requesting estimates to improve your insulation, so you know what the experts are talking about!  We can start by discussing what insulation does, how it is rated, and then move on to what types of insulation exist and what they do for our building envelope. 

Heat is a source of energy, and here on the surface of the earth on Monday through Sunday, energy naturally obeys certain laws (we won’t go into any sub-atomic or supersonic cases here). According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, heat flows from hot bodies to cold bodies.  If the sun has heated up your roof and it’s cool inside because your air conditioning is running, the heat of the roof will try to flow into your cool house.  It’s just doing what is natural, like water running downhill!

Insulation is what we use to stop or retard the flow of heat, whether it’s trying to come in like the above example,  or go out on a cold winter’s day.  It’s like putting on a fluffy down jacket over your warm body, to keep the heat where you want it.  Some heat will undoubtedly escape through the openings and seams, but if you had to spend all day, every day outside, you will want the best insulation, tightest seams and the smallest openings you could get in that coat!  That’s the picture.

To rate the possible types of insulation you can stuff in the floor, walls and ceiling, we have “R-values”.  R-values measure an insulation’s resistance to heat flow; lower R-values allow more heat flow (not good) than high R-values (better).  Typically R-values can range from R-10 for some flooring materials to R-60 for some dense attic insulation materials. (Forbes Home)  These are all based on 1” of thickness, though, so one inch of R-30 is roughly equivalent to two inches of R-15. 

According to the Department of Energy, nine out of ten homes in the US are underinsulated.  (energystar.gov)  Therefore, chances are good that your home could use more insulation.  This map of the US shows 7 zones, which are basically increasing “delta T” or temperature difference between the interior and exterior of the home.  For example, the northernmost extremes in Zone 7 have the greatest temperature difference during the winter, so will need the most insulation.  It also gives guidelines on where and how to add insulation.

Because heat rises (an important part of the “stack effect” in your home), the most effective place to add insulation is in the attic.  Keep that expensive heat inside where it belongs!  This chart shows by the number of stars what value is obtained by adding insulation in the attic vs. floor (lots).  

Everything has an R-value–even carpet and glass.  Here’s a chart that shows the R-values of many common building materials.  Manufacturers generally price the insulation according to its R-value–meaning that the highest R-values are most expensive!   Because heat transfers in three different ways (convection, conduction, and radiation), some materials are better at retarding the transfer in one or more ways.  Here are the differences:

• Convection is heat transfer from fluid to fluid.  Because air is a fluid for these purposes, air barriers (air sealing) is important to stop air from outside your home stealing heat from air inside your home.  Fiberglass batts with a paper facing are not great for protection against convection, but they are better than loose fiberfill.  Air can move through fiberglass batting, and it can actually move loose fiberfill out of the way.  Spray foam, when correctly applied, is one of the best convective thermal barriers. 

• Conduction is heat transfer from solid to solid.  Most homes are built with 2x4 or 2x6 studs of wood that are joined directly to sheathing, then roofing or siding.  Without a conductive thermal barrier, cold from outside conducts directly through the siding, to the sheathing, to the wood stud, to the interior drywall.  Brrr!  This is why you can usually “see” the framing of a home on a thermal image on a cold day.  Conduction of heat in this manner is also called thermal “bridging”.  Newer building techniques suggest that a layer of rigid foam board between the siding and framing isolates the framing and prevents it from conducting heat into or out of the home.

• When there is no direct contact or fluids between two bodies, heat transfer can still occur through thermal radiation.   Waves of electromagnetic radiation from the sun reach our planet and roofs everyday, and on cloudless nights, the warmth is reflected back into space.   Radiant barriers, either as part of a rigid foam board or on their own, have become popular additions in attics to retard heat radiation.  In order for radiant barriers to be effective, though, they can’t be sandwiched between other layers of insulation.  I won’t discuss radiant barriers in this article, but you can read more about them here. 

Here are some other pieces of information about insulation that it’s important to know:

• Many types of insulation, like fiberglass and sheep’s wool, are “fluffy” because they are using the insulative properties tiny pockets of air within them.  Therefore when installing fluffy types of insulation, you want to “fluff” them out (wearing a respirator of course), not compress them, as compressing them actually decreases their R-value. 

• Although the Department of Energy says that fiberglass batt insulation is fine for new construction or even laying over old insulation in attics, the building industry does not agree.  According to Family Handyman, batt insulation simply does not cover well in the attic because of its shape and inability to fill odd crevices and voids.  Of cellulose and loose fiberglass, cellulose has slightly higher R-value but fiberglass is more widely used in attics.  

• Every insulation type must be correctly installed in order to achieve its rated R-value!

• Loose fill insulations are very popular for ease of application and decent R-values, but in terms of air quality, most have the ability to generate dust and PM2.5.  If you are looking to use loose fill, make sure your HVAC ducts are sealed well and the area using the loose fill (for example the attic) is air-sealed from the rest of the home.

Here are the types of insulation grouped by where they are generally used:

Attic: Make sure that you have done the best air-sealing possible before adding insulation to your attic.  

Cellulose is recycled, ground-up paper with boric acid added for insect control and fire resistance (Family Handyman).  It comes in dense sacks and is installed with a blower.  Installation creates a lot of dust, but professionals can do a “wet-spray cellulose” that adds a small amount of water to keep the dust down and slightly increase the R-value, which is 3.5 per inch.  

Loose Fiberglass:  Fiberglass is small strands of glass that clump to form fluffy insulation.  It is also densely packed in bags that must be blown in.  It is very itchy to the skin and irritating to the eyes and lungs, so be careful to use full-body protection or hire a professional to install it.  It also can get entrained into your HVAC system if any ducts in the attic have leaks in them.  Fiberglass is lighter than cellulose so that if wind-washing occurs (where air/wind enters the attic through cracks), it is not a good choice for protection against heat convection. R-value: 2.5 per inch

Spray-Foam Insulation:  Spray foam generally comes in two varieties, open cell and closed cell.   To get anywhere near the R-49 recommended in attics of zones 5-8 on this chart, you’ll need to think about using closed-cell spray foam or adding rigid foam board when you replace the roof (see next point).  Open cell foam deforms easily when you poke a finger in it, and has an R-value of approximately 3.6 per inch.  Closed cell foam is typically used in extreme temperatures and under homes, because it has a higher R-value of 6 per inch, and it’s very hard, making it almost impervious to critters that tend to chew through insulation.   Besides being used as an air barrier, it’s also a total vapor barrier, and it adds a lot of structural rigidity to the cavity it’s sprayed in.  The downsides of spray foam insulation include the use of toxic blowing agents that, if improperly installed, can cause long-term off-gas issues (see our post here).  It is also difficult to detect leaks and insect damage behind the spray foam, so that major damage can be done before the problem is evident.  Spray foam must be installed by experienced professionals, and the cost is accordingly higher than other types of insulation!

Rigid foam board insulation:  Installation of foam board in attics is not as easy as blowing in loose insulation, but it adds a lot of  R-value as well as protects against conductive heat transfer.  It gives some of the closed-cell properties of spray-foam, without the offgassing (most of the off-gassing is accomplished at the factory) and installation cost (it can be installed DIY).  The most popular types of foam board are EPS (expanded polystyrene) and XPS (extruded polystyrene).  Polyisocyanurate is made of urethane and is a newer, popular choice with an R-value of 6 to 8.   The easiest way to install these boards is during roof replacement, but they can also be used to create a conditioned attic by screwing them to rafters with special fasteners like drywall (video).  Seams and penetrations can then be sealed using foil tape. 

Walls: Of course, the best time to insulate well is during construction.  However, insulation can be added to walls during siding replacement.  Here are typical wall insulations and their values: 

Fiberglass batts:  Fiberglass has been the standard for many decades now, but its R-values are limited to R-13 for a 2x4 wall, and R-20 for a 2x6 wall (since fiberglass has an R-value of 3.7 per inch,  and a 2x4 stud is 3.5” wide, it gives a value of 12.95). (learnmetrics.com)  This is not very much for northern climates, and it doesn’t address conduction transfer, so you may choose to add rigid foam board to the exterior before the siding. 

Mineral Wool batts: Mineral wool is a fiber insulation, similar to fiberglass, but is made from natural materials and not glass. There are two kinds of mineral wool available for home insulation – rock wool, which is made from fibers of stone and slag wool, are fibers made from iron ore waste.  Additional benefits of mineral wool is that it is an excellent acoustic insulator and it’s very fire-resistant. (What is mineral wool insulation?)  The R-value is about 3-3.3 per inch for a brand-name mineral wool called RockWool.  (bobvila.com)  Mineral wool is also made into boards, with an R-value of about 4.0 per inch.

Sheeps Wool batts:  For those who are sensitive to other types of insulation, or want to use some of the most natural building products available, sheeps wool fits the bill.  What you will need to ascertain, however, is if synthetic adhesives are used, and how sustainably and humanely the sheep are raised and sheared, because the industry has the potential to generate abuse.  Sheep’s wool can also regulate the humidity in your home: it can absorb around 33 percent of its weight in moisture without ever losing its insulating ability.  (buildwithrise.com)  The R-value of sheep's wool insulation ranges between 3.5 and 3.8 per inch, due to millions of tiny air pockets in the folded wool.  Sheeps wool can also come loose in bags for blowing in behind netting (see “loose fill” section below). 

Hemp batts: Hemp has an R-value of approx. 3.7 per inch, making it a very good insulation.  It is sustainable because the hemp plant grows fairly quickly (only 90-120) days, and the product uses only about a pound of raw material per square foot of R-13 HempWool, one brand name for this product.  According to BuildwithRise.com, hemp insulation is non-toxic. It is a plant-based product that contains no VOCs, no chemical binders, and does not off-gas. Hemp insulation is hypoallergenic, repellent to mold, pests, and insects.  One drawback to hemp insulation is that it is not naturally fire-resistant, so fire retardants must be added to it, potentially adding chemicals with sensitivities or toxicities. 

Recycled Denim Batts: It’s unlikely that you have enough old jeans to insulate one 2x4 cavity, but the recycled clothing industry has more than enough!  Denim insulation is actually a combination of recycled jeans and post-industrial denim and cotton, not just denim alone. The fabric is shredded and treated with boric acid to make it flame retardant, and insect, pest, and mildew resistant. (builddirect.com)  It also comes in loose fill for attics and walls, and has approximately the same R-value as fiberglass: 3.5 per inch.  It doesn’t require special protective equipment to install, but it is more difficult to cut and can take a long time to dry if it gets wet. 

Cork:  Cork is a remarkable material.  It’s harvested by hand from trees that live from 150-250 years.  Only the bark is removed every 9 years, without harming the tree.  Most of the world’s cork comes from Portugal.  ThermaCork is a product that is made from the bark and water in a superheated steam process.  It has an R-value of 4 per inch, which is on the high end.  It can be used on the interior for soundproofing, flooring and partitioning, as well as exterior walls and roofing.  It’s non-toxic and sustainably produced. 

ClimaCell: ClimaCell was developed out of an effort to find a scalable alternative to EPS, which is more commonly known as Styrofoam®. (businessinsider.com)  It’s made with paper and corn starch so that it’s fully recyclable and is a preferred packing material for cold shipments.  In residential use, it’s made in loose fill, batts and rigid boards, but only mainly available in European markets at the moment  (start saving all your cold-pack boxes!).

Rigid Foam Boards: EPS and XPS are great choices to protect the structure because of their “closed cell” insulative properties and vapor barrier properties.  Polyiso can absorb moisture, though, so it cannot be in contact with the ground or wet surfaces.  They can be installed during siding renovations or additions.  Check out this article where rigid foam insulation was used to create a continuous air barrier between the garage and the home (genius!)

Spray foam: As stated above, spray foam has good insulative, air barrier and in the case of closed cell foam, vapor barrier properties that make it an excellent choice for walls during construction.  It can also be retrofitted into existing home walls by removing a layer of siding, removing the old insulation and filling the stud cavities from the exterior.  (Removing old insulation before installing new)

Loose fill:  If you live in an older home that was poorly insulated, 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 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.

Loose fill is also a popular choice for new construction, when it is used with netting to contain it.   Netting or fabric is stapled to the studs and insulation is blown into each cavity until it is full. The only problem with this is that it may settle over time, leaving gaps at the top.  

Floors:  If your home is built above the ground, it’s important to consider where your building envelope lies: at the floor, or at the ground?  If you have a crawlspace, consider closing it off and conditioning it, so that humidity and mold from the ground are not sucked into your home.  If you decide to keep the crawlspace open and ventilated, however, additional insulation can be added to the underside to keep cold air from leaking out in summer or penetrating in winter.  Any insulation should have good water-resistant properties to avoid absorbing moisture and breeding mold.

Rigid foam board is great for insulating the walls of conditioned crawlspaces.  This type of insulation may be faced with silver foil, with the foil facing inward toward the crawl space. Though the rigid foam is the chief insulator, the foil adds a bit more energy savings by reflecting heat into the crawl space. The foil, too, acts as a vapor barrier. (thespruce.com)

Closed-cell sprayfoam could be used on walls of conditioned crawlspaces, but they would need to be clean and dry first.  More often, it is used under the floors of ventilated crawlspaces to provide the thermal insulation, moisture and air barriers needed to keep the home more comfortable. 

“New” Insulations

Residential insulation is evolving all the time, and one thing we are watching is Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs). With the absence of air in their core, they resist all types of heat except radiation, and often they are covered with a radiant barrier that closes that gap.  They are quite expensive at the moment and shapes/sizes cannot be cut on the job, but they are very promising for roofing especially because of the need to reject heat at this high-access point.  Like other emerging technologies, we expect these to become more widely and cheaply available in the next decade. 

Aerogel is a gel is most commonly made from silica (silicon dioxide), where the liquid portion of the gel has been replaced with air or another gas.  It’s very low density but with high-crush strength, and has an R-value of 10 or more per inch.  It’s used in thin strips and sheets to eliminate thermal bridging, and also available in blanket form.   Aerogel is supposedly “low-dust” compared to loose fiberglass and batts, but silica is dangerous to breathe in so respiratory protection is still required when installing and cutting it. (A Look at Aerogel as Insulation) In addition, it repels water so it can protect your structure from water damage.  Alas, its cost is prohibitive for most residential projects at the moment.

There’s only a few year-round climates that don’t need insulation (Hawaii, anyone?), so it’s always good to stay on top of potential thermal leaks and new developments in insulation.  It’s a case of sowing some money and effort to reap comfort and energy savings down the road! 

Unplugging for your sanity and your health

At this holiday time of year, there are so many competing digital signals that it feels like my brain is being overloaded–emails about sales, gifts and events, advertisements on TV and the internet playing constantly, and music playing on every shop and street.  I checked (yes, online of course!) and digital sensory overload is a thing: our senses send more information to our brains than we can process.  Healthy brains have highly refined “filters” that can discard most information that is not relevant, but information overload or stress occurs when people suffer from the fact that the amount of information they are confronted with is greater than their capacity to process it.  This is not unlike the stress that people who have conditions like ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism experience; they have atypical filtering that can result in painful sensory overwhelm.  (fastcompany.com)  Today’s world is a sensory onslaught that can leave us drained and disoriented.  This short video is an animated version of how you might feel after a day of being “plugged in”!

Digital overload can be an even more prominent problem to those who have a chronic illness or physical limitations, because they depend on technology to help them and/or to provide a distraction from pain or boredom.  (thehealthsessions.com)

Physical symptoms of digital sensory overload may be trouble sleeping (the blue light of digital devices delays the manufacture of melatonin), eyestrain and headaches; if addiction to digital devices is severe, it can lead to decreased bone density (from lack of physical activity), weight gain (again from sedentary behavior), increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. (goodrx.com)  Emotional symptoms include increased irritability and fatigue, and people who use their devices excessively have a greater chance of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. (thehealthsessions.com)

Reduced productivity from digital overload takes a heavy toll on businesses today.  Consider this: employees may take as long as 24 minutes before they are fully focused on the task they were doing before opening an email!  Sending messages to friends, scrolling through open applications, and seeing unread emails all effectively distract us while completing a task. (workspace365.net)  Those who work from home can confirm that unless you have a dedicated room and time boundaries, telecommuting successfully and efficiently is often harder to do than going to the office!

Creativity, a birthing of new thoughts and ideas, is also severely limited by digital overload.  Neuroscientists have shown that boredom is good for our brains’ health: “Boredom can actually foster creative ideas, refilling your dwindling reservoir, replenishing your work mojo and providing an incubation period for embryonic work ideas to hatch.” (Forbes.com)  Nevertheless, with a smartphone, boredom is never a “problem”. 

Here’s some interesting facts about our brains and heavy digital use: (Per Matt Richtel, Technology Reporter, New York Times, on npr.com)

• “Multi-tasking” is a myth; we are not truly doing multiple things at the same time.  What you are basically doing is switching rapidly among those tasks, not doing them at the same time.  It does not make us more efficient.  It makes us significantly less efficient.

• Heavy multi-taskers or technology users have more trouble filtering out irrelevant information, more trouble staying focused, and more trouble, remarkably enough, switching between tasks. 

• The compelling need to “check” email or messages is called intermittent reinforcement; it makes us think that there may be something fascinating waiting for us, so we constantly check, and when we do, we get a dopamine burst, a little rush of adrenaline. In the absence of checking, we feel bored, so we are actually conditioned by a kind of neurochemical response.

If you are feeling overloaded with digital media and information, there are positive steps you can take to regain peace of mind.  It may not be easy at first to cut back on media exposure, but the results are worth it. 

1. If you can, take a vacation with less or no digital media exposure. There is a “three-day rule” when it comes to vacations: it takes approximately three days for our bodies and minds to become more relaxed, and without your phone or tablet or computer, this might be hard, but will pay dividends to your mind and body.  (For more science on how long your vacation should be, check out this article).  How often do you truly experience solitude today?  Solitude is psychological detachment from society for the purpose of cultivating the inner world of the self. It is the act of emotionally isolating oneself for self-discovery, self-realization, meaning, wholeness, and heightened awareness of one’s deepest feelings, and impulses.  A survey on “wilderness solitude” was conducted at the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area in Montana in 2017, and it used four core dimensions of the 21st Century Solitude Scale: De-tethering from Digital Connectivity (disconnecting from email and other devices), Physical Separation (being away from crowds, being isolated), Introspection (thinking about who you are and your values), and Societal Release (to be away from the rules and constraints of society).  The opportunity to completely “disconnect” for days at a time is completely unique in today’s society, and the study illustrated that this type of solitude is a physical, psychological, and societal phenomenon.  (International Journal of Wilderness)

2. Since true solitude is hard to create, sometimes it’s practical just to establish better boundaries for device exposure, in time and space.   Here’s some suggestions for boundaries (goodrx.com):

1. Set alarms for device use, or set only a few times a day for checking messages.

2. Turn off notifications from social media and other unnecessary notifications.

3. Use only one device at a time…this is getting harder…

4. Create tech free times, like at night when you can use the “do not disturb” function to keep from being awakened in your sleep.  Use other times of the day to connect with real people like family members, or take a walk outside. 

5. Finally, create tech-free zones in your home where you enjoy other activities (like the dining room table).  

Biofilms are bastions of BACTERIA

Far from being harmless documentaries about someone’s life, biofilms are dangerous bacterial growth that causes a “film” over the surface that is hard to remove.  Scientists have found that persistent infection problems in places such as hospitals, nursing homes, food processing plants and drinking water distribution systems is not due to free-floating “planktonic” bacteria.  Over short periods of time (hours and days), complex surface-attached communities of bacteria form, held together by self-produced polymer matrices (long chains of organic molecules made by the bacteria themselves).  (from Beyond Risk: Bacterial Biofilms and Their Regulating Approaches)  These are called biofilms, and their persistence is very problematic to our health and quite a few industries. 

Essentially, whenever you use a toothbrush or go to a dentist for teeth-cleaning, you are engaging in “biofilm control”.  In fact this is how biofilms were first described–when the inventor of the microscope, Anton Von Leeuwenhoek, saw microbial aggregates on scrapings of plaque from his teeth. (Biofilms: A microbial home)  Here are some more facts about them from this article:

• Biofilms form on virtually all surfaces immersed in natural aqueous environments.
• Bacteria in biofilms are 1000-1500 times more resistant to antibiotics than free-moving bacteria (also known as their planktonic state).
• Biofilms have been found to be involved in a wide variety of microbial infections (by one estimate 80% of all infections).  Such infections include periodontal disease, musculoskeletal infections, osteomyelitis (bone infections), bacterial prostatitis, native valve endocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s lining and valves), cystic fibrosis pneumonia and GI infections, all of which can be  persistent and chronic.

Although it can happen quickly and is microscopic, the growth of a biofilm happens in 5 distinct and complex steps.  In a nutshell, these are (from Beyond Risk: Bacterial Biofilms and Their Regulating Approaches):

• reversible attachment, where bacteria attach to surfaces
• irreversible attachment, involving interaction between bacterial cells and a surface using bacterial adhesins
• extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production (helps strengthen the film)
• maturation of biofilm (bacterial cells synthesize and release signaling molecules to sense the presence of each other)
• dispersal/detachment (cells release and go back to an independent lifestyle).

Source: bellalindemann.com

Why do bacteria form biofilms?  It appears to be a survival strategy of “strength in numbers” to provide protection for bacteria and make them more suitable for the external environment under certain conditions.  What’s good for them, is mostly bad for us.  Biofilms are like fortified castles of infection.

Biofilms are the major mode of microbial growth, and the most challenging problem in drinking water system disinfection. Not only do biofilms contain life-threatening microbes, the way they coat the inside of pipes promotes corrosion, and reduces heat transfer.

The good news is that ancient, non-toxic materials like copper and silver are useful in sanitizing drinking-water systems.  The first installation of a copper‑silver ionization system in the United States was in 1990, where a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hospital showed that Legionella colonization of distal outlets (those located farthest from the source) was reduced from 75% to 0% in 3 months.  When the ionization unit was deliberately inactivated, recolonization of bacteria was delayed, and the water system remained free of Legionella for an additional 2–3 months; accumulation of ions inside the biofilm was demonstrated to be the basis for the prolonged bactericidal effect. Copper‑silver ionization has been used to control Legionella in hospitals worldwide. For example, ten cases of Legionnaires’ disease occurred at the University of Wisconsin hospital from 1985 to 1995, despite hyperchlorination. Following installation of copper‑silver ionization, Legionella was eliminated from the drinking water system and no cases were diagnosed.(Silver Ion-an overview)

Biofilms also occur on marine equipment like ships’ hulls and water-cooled heat exchangers.  Organisms like algae, barnacles and mussels build up on underwater surfaces, called “biofouling”, and cause adverse effects of slower speed and increased fuel consumption on a ship’s hull and reduced heat transfer in heat exchangers.  To combat biofouling, paint that contains copper is commonly applied to hulls, and new silicone coatings are being developed.  (Paint and Coatings Industry magazine)  For heat exchangers, slippery coatings are also a solution, as well as iodine bubble systems that can safely kill organisms and prevent them from attaching.  This is particularly helpful in sensitive marine habitats and fish hatcheries (Hatchery International).

Bacteria may have developed biofilms for survival, but scientists have found ways to penetrate the films.  

• Biofilms on teeth can be controlled by a variety of mechanisms.  These are basically mechanical (remove with toothbrush, water pick, dental floss), or chemical (dissolve it with enzymes, antibiotics, alchohols and other rinses).  (Biofilms: A microbial home) Regular maintenance to control biofilms is key to keeping that “coat” of slime from building up, but some of that bacteria could be protected us from more harmful microbes.  Check out this short video if you want to see the colonies of plaque in your mouth!
• Silver nanoparticles can penetrate through the bacterial biofilms to completely destroy them and can even prevent microbes from developing biofilms.  Silver nanoparticles can also be combined with antibiotics to increase the penetration power of the antibiotics. (The silver lining: towards the responsible and limited usage of silver) 
• Iodine is another natural inhibitor to biofilm.  Titanium implants treated with an iodine coating were shown to have significantly less biofilm growth of Staphylococcus bacteria than the control implants (study on rats).   Iodine is a key ingredient in our TotalClean multi-surface,  multi-purpose cleaner.  
• Some scientists are developing microscopic spiky surfaces that actually inhibit attachment of biofilms.  (statnews.com)
• Electrical microcurrents can also disrupt the bacterias’ ability to form biofilms. Arizona-based Vomaris Innovations markets a wound dressing called Procellera that generates microcurrents to aid in wound healing. (statnews.com)
• Because the bacteria within biofilms use a method of communication called quorum sensing, methods to interrupt this communication have shown to be successful in interrupting the establishment or continuity of the biofilm.  Foods and food-based supplements such as turmeric (containing Curcumin), garlic (containing ajoene and allicin), apple cider vinegar, vanilla beans, oregano oil (containing carvacrol) pomegranate (containing ellagic acid), and cinnamon (to name but a few) have been scientifically proven to disrupt or prevent biofilm formation. (Natural Biofilm Disruptors That Work)  Another list of quorum sensing inhibitors is found here. 

If you have chronic symptoms in your body (like gut or sinus infections) or your home (like mold or odor) that just won’t let up, a biofilm could be the culprit, and there may be a non-toxic, non-drug solution out there to overcome it.  Most often, a combination of natural therapies will be the best solution.  Functional medicine doctors and mold specialists alike are familiar with biofilms and can guide you to better health.  Also, polar ionizers like the Germ Defender, Air Angel and Whole Home Polar Ionizer act similarly to silver ions as the ions cling to the surface of bacteria and viruses and inhibit their ability to infect.   With biofilms, it’s a matter of working smartly and intensely–don’t give up!

How can bacteria possibly grow in/on my soap?

Well, it seems like a conundrum to me: our use and promotion of antibacterial products which actually have bacteria growing in them.  It’s like finding out your bar soap has bacteria on it (ahh, unfortunately it does).  So what’s the purpose of washing if the soap we are using has bacteria?

There are some heavy duty questions.  We’ll tackle them by splitting them up into parts.

Part 1: The science of soap and its intended purpose

Let’s go back to the purpose and method of washing our hands (or actually any part of the body): to get us clean.  Clean means the removal of dirt and germs, but not the killing of germs.  Our bodies naturally produce oil, and a lot of dirty surfaces have oil in them, making dirt stick to our hands and difficult to remove with water alone.  Why? Because oil and water don’t mix.  Here’s where the chemistry of soap helps.  Soap molecules are elongated and have two ends: one end that loves water (hydrophilic) and one end that repels water (hydrophobic).  When you lather your hands with soap, the end that repels water sticks to the oily dirt, and the end that loves water, well of course sticks to the water, and the soap will help lift away the oily dirt from your skin.  Any germs in the dirt are loosened with it and flushed down the drain when you rinse well with water.  Thus, the purpose of washing with soap is not to kill germs, but to wash them away!  

Part 2: Antibacterial Soaps

Antibacterial hand soaps first came on the scene after 1984, when David Poshi and Peter Divone filed for a patent for “antimicrobial soap”, which used triclosan to kill microbes. (The FDA, Soap, and Superbugs)  After several decades, the safety of triclosan came under scrutiny (it is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that may cause cancer), and in 2013, the FDA called for data proving that triclosan was safe for everyday use and more effective than preventing infections than products that didn’t contain it.  After manufacturers had not provided the necessary proof, in 2016 the FDA ruled companies couldn’t sell triclosan-containing consumer products such as antibacterial soaps anymore and stated that washing with antibacterial hand soap is not any more effective than washing with soap and water. (Triclosan)

These rules from the FDA don’t apply to handsoaps used in healthcare settings, or hand sanitizers or antibacterial wipes.  So in these cases, triclosan is allowed because of the ability to kill germs even when water is not used to flush them away.  

Part 3: The ability of soaps and even antibacterial soaps to harbor bacteria (!)

Hopefully the understanding of how soap works to loosen dirt and germs from our hands will help to override the gross fact that soap, like most other moist substances in the house, can harbor bacteria.  For normal (non-antibacterial) soaps, It all goes back to biofilms.  Biofilms are thin, slimy layers of bacteria that adhere to surfaces and to each other.  (For more on biofilms you can read our article here.)   The slime on your teeth in the morning and the slime in the dog’s water bowl are both examples of biofilms. 

Biofilms are colonies that protect the bacteria from eradication by scrubbing, or drying out, or in the case of antibacterial soap, from agents that can directly kill it.  The slime is a coat of armor to the bacteria living beneath it!  

If bacteria can form a biofilm, it’s set to thrive, because biofilms are particularly hard to eradicate.  We brush our teeth in the morning, and wash out the dogbowl, but guess what–the biofilm is back the next day, if not a few hours later.  So, it’s not surprising that the longer a container is used and has water in or around it, the more likely there’s a biofilm on it!  This goes for our water bottles, contact lens storage cases, and yes, bar soap dishes, handsoap, shampoo and body wash containers.  In fact, a study in 2011 showed that about 25% of soaps sampled from public restrooms in the US were contaminated with more than 106 colony-forming-units (CFUs) per ml (for reference, the maximum amount of contamination for eye cosmetics or baby products is 100 CFUs per gram or ml).  

Refillable containers for many different products are still thought to be the best practice to reduce plastic waste, and they do accomplish that one goal.  However, the way they are refilled is very important and can substantially increase the risk for biofilms to grow and contaminate the soap inside.  In another 2011 study, 14 refillable soap dispensers were sampled in one elementary school, and all 14 had significant bacterial contamination, which resulted in a 26-fold increase of gram-negative bacteria on hands after washing with the contaminated soap!  In a school setting, of course there adults and children, and although hand-washing technique was not dictated, washing with bacteria-contaminated soap increased bacteria on the hands for both.  Bacteria levels dropped drastically after the soap containers were changed out to accept sealed refill packets (bladders of uncontaminated soap).  

What are the lessons here?  

• Although the FDA’s position on antibacterial soaps is probably true (antibacterial soaps do not provide any measurable benefits over plain soap outside of a healthcare setting), it is made on the premise that the soap or the container is not harboring bacteria!  

• Refilling your soap container without using sealed soap refills may expose you to increased bacteria.  This is because without extensive cleaning of the dispenser, humid air that fills a nearly-empty dispenser is probably enough to enable a biofilm to take hold, and without thoroughly cleaning your soap dispenser, the new liquid soap poured into it becomes contaminated, too.  This article by GoJo, a soap manufacturer, outlines the risks of refilling your soap dispenser from larger containers of soap and lists these facts about soap dispensers (from article Evaluation and remediation of bulk soap dispensers for biofilm):

• Once dispensers are contaminated with biofilm, even cleaning and soaking in bleach has been proven ineffective, as biofilms are highly resistant. 

• It takes only a tiny number of remaining bacteria from the biofilm community to recontaminate the soap and dispenser. Recontamination occurs rapidly – within two weeks.

• Contaminants can be present even when not obvious or visible (that’s why we call them “microorganisms” – you need a microscope to see them).

• Biofilms can be found in bulk dispensers made of any materials (plastic, stainless steel, etc.).

Therefore, if you use liquid soap, making the switch to sealed soap refills or single-use dispensers is safer for everyone who uses the soap!   The problem is that there are virtually no “natural” soaps for the home that use sealed soap refills.  There are many “solutions” online for cleaning soap dispensers, but they are more than likely ineffective– this article showing that even industrial chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide and benzalkonium chloride were not able to completely eradicate a biofilm of salmonella after it was allowed to establish for only 7 days.

• Many people prefer solid bar soap to liquid soap for washing.  However, solid bar soap that sits in water allows a slimy biofilm to form that nurtures bacteria with dead skin cells and water.  If you use solid bar soap, make sure to use a dish that allows water to drain off the soap (so it’s not sitting in a puddle of water) and one that is not porous, like a good ceramic or metal dish.  Wooden grate soap dishes are popular and very “zen”-looking, but think about wet wood and all the microbes that it can sustain!   Don’t be tempted to use that “soap water”, either.  To get rid of bacteria on the surface,  washing the bar soap thoroughly with water drastically diminishes the risk of bacteria surviving on the soap. It is also recommended to wash the container where the bar soap is kept often to keep the goo from developing.  (The Shocking Truth About Bar Soap And Germs)  Check out these soap dishes:

• For wall-mounting: Tiilan Self Adhesive Bar Soap Dish, $13

• For sinks: Ceramic Soap Dish Stainless Steel Soap Holder, $9

• For sinks:  Bolagar Ceramic Soap Dish with Stainless Steel Drain Tray, $10

• For sinks and showers: WYOK 2-Pack Soap Dish with Drain Soap Holder, $8 for 2

Although it seems like an insult to a frugal, ecologically conscious mind, the most healthy soaps come in liquid single use dispensers or a bar soap situated on a well-drained soap dish.  You might keep these in mind the next time you see a super deal on a liquid soap refill, and even reconsider the merits of old-fashioned bar soap.