As the weather gets colder we are not only buttoning up our coats but also our homes. Indoor air quality is estimated to be 2 to 5 times worse than outdoor. This time of year when our houses are closed up tightly and we are spending more time indoors, it's particularly important to be mindful of your indoor air quality.
This is part 1 of things you can do to improve your indoor air quality. Check back Friday for Part 2:
- Go European - Do as many people in Europe do. Open your windows and air out your house daily, even if it's cold. You don't have to open them wide or leave them open a long time. But opening your windows will go a long way towards clearing the air in your home.
- Ditch the Petroleum - candles that is. Most candles are made from petroleum wax. When it burns it creates the same soot as a diesel engine. Those comforting holiday fragrances usually contain hormone disrupting pthalates and 30% of wicks contain lead, an neurotoxin. Instead choose soy or other vegetable wax and aromas from all natural essential oils with cotton wicks. Be aware that your vegetable wax candle may not be 100% petroleum free. Many manufacturers add soy wax to petroleum just so they can call the candle "soy wax." For more on the negative health effects of candles read this.
- Go Smoke Free - Don't let holiday visitors smoke in your house. It's almost 2011, do I really need to say why?
- Do Vent - Use your vent over your stove to remove smoke and pollutants from cooking, and use the vent in your bathroom to remove excess moisture to avoid mold.
- Clean Green - Conventional cleaning products are big contributors to poor indoor air quality. Use non-toxic alternatives or make cleaners yourself.
- Slip on the Slippers - Make your house shoe-free to avoid tracking in every pollutant you've walked through all day. Think about all the places you walked...through gasoline at the gas station, through pesticides on grass or near flower beds, near a construction site, etc. Everything you walk through gets brought into your home and tracked throughout if you don't leave your shoes at the door.
- Dump the Dust - Dust and vacuum twice a week to remove pollutants, dust & dander, especially if you have pets.
These are all very easy ways to have a significant impact upon the air quality in your home. Be sure to check back on Friday for part 2, or subscribe to the RSS fee for my blog by clicking the button above.
Edited to add: Part 2 is now available here.
Surinder Saini
said on November 11, 2010
Danika Carter @Your Organic Life
said on November 11, 2010
Sara Kenny
said on November 15, 2010
Danika Carter @Your Organic Life
said on November 15, 2010
Most, but not all, of them seem to have 100% cotton wicks. But since they don't all say that, I'd be cautious of the others or ask them about the wicks. There is no information about their scented candles. Since they ususally note their environmentally responsible characteristics, I'd assume they are using a fragrance that contain phthalates.
All of these are assumptions based on reading the product information. To know for sure I'd recommend calling or emailing Ikea and asking them directly. Given that, even without knowing the specifics about the fragrance and some of the wicks I personally would probably pass just based on the paraffin alone. There candles are very cheap...a good indication they are using cheap ingredients.