Archive of posts tagged toxic
How Do You Test If Your Firewood Is Ready To Burn
To get the most heat and least amount of pollutants from firewood, it is best to use dry wood. There are four simple steps to drying firewood: split, stack, cover, store. Firewood should be seasoned for at least six months before burning – hard wood for a year. It should be split, stored outdoors off […]
Keep Your Firewood Burning Hot, But Not Smoking
Wood burning fireplaces and stoves are popular. They not only provide heating but they also create a cozy ambience that most people enjoy. However, it is important to use the right firewood and to use them right to maximize the heating benefit and minimize health hazards. When firewood burns, it generates smoke which is a […]
Safer Sofa Foam Exchange Announced for Bay Area
You may have heard about the problem with flame retardants in polyurethane furniture foams. If you haven’t, I highly recommend reading the Chicago Tribune’s exposé on the flame retardant industry: Playing With Fire. The California flammability standard, known as TB117, in effect required manufacturers to use toxic flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane furniture foams. For […]
How To Clean Up Mold
Most of this blog is from the “Help Yourself to a Healthy Home” guide from HUD. We generally suggest hiring an established remediation company with professionals certified by the IICRC but many cannot afford to pay for that service or don’t feel it’s necessary. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Mold Protect yourself when cleaning up […]
Mold in the Home – What to Do?
What to do about mold in the home, how to avoid it, how to clean it up, is mold testing a good idea? etc. This blog focuses on residential mold tips. Many of these best practices are drawn from the following government-sponsored resources on healthy homes: Help Yourself to a Healthy Home, US Department of […]
Least Toxic Pest Control at Home
The Pest Management Workshop, held in Moraga, CA early October, was organized by Parents for a Safer Environment (PFSE), a very dedicated advocacy group of parents in the San Francisco Bay Area founded by Susan JunFish. The workshop taught attendees to use less toxic, long-term and economical methods to control common insects, rodents, and weed […]
Healthy Building Ingredients – (Not) A Piece of Cake
If people cared as much about their buildings as they did their dinner – organic, gluten-free, and vegan shoppers would be demanding better buildings! There are many similarities between building a house and baking a cake. There’s a basic recipe, ingredients are purchased and sifted through, there’s a rising process, add some pretty finishes – […]
Truths and Myths of Wool Carpet
I have previously written why I like wool carpets. Here are some more thoughts on common misconceptions. MYTH: Wool carpet stains easily. TRUTH: Because of its unique molecular structure as you can see by the picture, it has burrs that keep moisture spills and stains from soaking into the fiber. This is what the synthetic […]