The Everything Guide to a Healthy Home: All you need to protect yourself and your family from hidden household dangers

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Overview

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air in our houses is up to five times more polluted than air outside--so it's clear that our homes have become fundamentally unhealthy places. But there is hope! With this guide, you'll learn the immediate changes that make your home--and your life--healthier and safer by neutralizing the toxins, radiation, and chemicals that threaten the average ...

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The Everything Guide to a Healthy Home: All you need to protect yourself and your family from hidden household dangers

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More About This Book

Overview

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air in our houses is up to five times more polluted than air outside--so it's clear that our homes have become fundamentally unhealthy places. But there is hope! With this guide, you'll learn the immediate changes that make your home--and your life--healthier and safer by neutralizing the toxins, radiation, and chemicals that threaten the average house.

Inside you'll find:

  • Instant-fix checklists that will immediately make your home, workplace, and school safer
  • Room-by-room explorations of the most common and avoidable threats
  • Special tips designed to protect vulnerable infants, children, and pets
With detailed checklists that are ranked by the projected health impact of making the fix, you'll be able to make real, concrete improvements to the health of your home. Whether you make every change or just a targeted few, the decisive steps in this guide will result in a safer, more comfortable, and more livable home for you and your family.
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Editorial Reviews

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Each year, household accidents cost tens of thousands of human lives and billions of dollars, but most of us are still playing catch-up with learning about the dangers of the places we inhabit. The Everything Guide to a Healthy Home is a one-stop tutorial on protecting your loved ones and yourself from perils that lurk in the home. (P.S. This isn't just a book about bathroom falls and electrical mishaps. Author Lisa Stockwell pays due attention to dangerous materials and other environmental dangers.)

— Michelle Marozik

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781440530579
  • Publisher: Adams Media Corporation
  • Publication date: 2/18/2012
  • Pages: 304
  • Product dimensions: 7.90 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author


Kimberly Button is the Green Living Expert for Daytime, a nationally syndicated TV show. She offers private home consultations, and has frequently spoken about how to create healthier living environments for organizations such as the Girl Scouts of America and the city of Orlando. In 2009, she was awarded the Heart of Green Local Hero Award.
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Table of Contents

Top 10 No-Cost Ways to Create a Healthier Home 10

Introduction 11

01 How Healthy Is Your Home? 13

Redefining the Meaning of Health 14

Causes for Concern 16

Where the Problems Come From 18

New Homes versus Old Homes 21

Do You Have to Change Your Lifestyle? 23

02 Common Household Dangers 25

Mold 26

Lead 28

Radon 32

Carbon Monoxide 35

03 Indoor Air Quality 41

The Problem with Indoor Air 42

Dust and Dust Mites 44

Heating Systems 47

Air Fresheners 49

Keeping Your Air Clean 52

Air Filtration Systems 54

04 Water Quality 59

Safe Drinking Water Act 60

Drinking Water Contaminants 61

Testing Your Water 65

Filtering Your Tap Water 66

Bottled Water 69

05 EMFs and Radiation 73

Radiation 74

What Is an EMF? 77

EMF Sources in the Home 79

Microwaves 81

Cell Phones 82

Sunlight 83

06 Decorating Your Home 87

Furniture-The Hard Elements 88

Furniture-The Soft Elements 90

Paints 92

Window Coverings 94

Throw Pillows and Blankets 96

Lighting 96

Candles 97

07 Flooring 101

What Flooring Will Work Best for You? 102

Pros and Cons of Flooring Materials 104

Anatomy of a Carpet 105

Hard Flooring 107

Area Rugs 110

Existing Flooring 112

08 Kitchen 115

Nonstick Cookware 116

Plastics in the Kitchen 118

Avoiding BPA 120

Avoiding Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) 123

Avoiding Polystyrene 124

Proper Food Storage 126

Exhaust Fans 127

09 Cleaning Products 131

Dangers of Household Cleaners 132

How You Are Exposed 133

Unhealthy Cleaners 134

DIY Solutions 136

Purchasing Green Cleaners 138

Specific Cleaning Concerns 139

10 Bathroom 145

Shower Curtain 146

Shower Filtration 147

Towels 150

Toilet Paper 152

Bath Mats 153

Medicine Cabinet 154

11 Killing Germs 157

Not All Germs Are Bad 158

Antibacterials 161

Hand Sanitizers versus Hand Washing 164

Disinfectants 166

Steam Cleaning 167

12 Personal Care Products and Cosmetics 171

Shocking Truths about Cosmetic Regulations 172

Avoiding Unhealthy Ingredients 174

Label Claims 177

Cleaning Up Your Cosmetics 178

Shopping for Cosmetics 180

13 Bedroom 185

Mattress Risks 186

Choosing a Healthy Mattress 188

Pillows 191

Bedding 193

Adding Comfort and Protection to Your Bed 195

14 Babies and Children 197

Why Children Have Different Needs 198

Cribs and Bedding 199

Diapers 202

Bottles 204

Food 205

Toys 207

15 Pets 211

Why Pets Are More Vulnerable 212

Common Household Toxins 213

Toys 214

Sleeping Areas 216

Bathing and Grooming Products 217

Flea and Tick Control 219

Cat Litters 221

16 Pest Control 225

Products Designed to Kill 226

Methods of Exposure 228

Human Health Problems 230

Fix the Causes First 231

Alternative Ways to Kill Pests 234

17 Less Toxic Pesticides 235

Hiring a Professional 237

Lawn and Garden 241

Weed Killers 242

Fertilizers 245

Lawn Equipment 247

Professional Lawn Care 249

Eco-Friendly Landscaping 251

18 Outdoor Living 257

Pools 258

Hot Tubs 260

Hazardous Materials in the Garage 262

Decking and Play Sets 265

19 At Work 271

Electronics 272

Work Locations 273

The Most Common Workplace Offender 274

What You Can Do 277

Fighting for a Healthier Work Environment 279

20 Encouraging a Healthy School 283

Lack of Regulation 284

Environmental Hazards 285

Parental Support 289

Talking to Teachers 290

Suggest Alternatives 291

Outfit Your Child 293

Appendix A Further Reading 295

Appendix B Organizations That Support a Healthy Home 297

Index 299

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