If You Are Painting
— Try to use low or zero VOC paints.
— A John Hopkins University study found more than 300 toxic chemicals and 150 carcinogens are present in paint.
— They include acetone, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, lead, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, and xylene.
If You Are Carpeting
— Use 100% Wool or other natural fiber organic carpet.
— Use carpet padding with jute or felt.
— Regular carpet can have hundreds of different chemicals including formaldehyde, 4-phenylcylohexene, styrene, toluene, benzene, xylene, pesticides, and anti-fungicides.
— Formaldehyde is in the glue that holds the different color scraps of carpet padding foam together.
— There is more formaldehyde in the padding than in the carpet itself.
If You Are Adding Cabinets
— One of the biggest sources of chemical pollution indoors is new cabinets.
— The biggest release of formaldehyde from cabinets happens in the first six months. It can take up to ten years for cabinets to finish emitting formaldehyde.
— Use real wood cabinets.
— Formaldehyde is used in construction because it is a good anti-microbial.
— Just for fun, look up the correlation between Aspartame, and Formaldehyde.
Don’t Mask the Mold Smell With Fragrance
— Are you using a “plug in” to cover up mold odor? As many as 600 separate chemicals may be used in a single fragrance formula.
— The most common ingredients in fragrance are toluene, formaldehyde, acetone, benzene, and methyl chloride.
— The bulk of chemicals in fragrances are petro-chemicals similar to gasoline.
— The chemicals in fragrance are neurotoxins that suppress the immune system
How Safe Is Your Lawn?
— Of the thirty-four most commonly used lawn chemicals, eleven cause cancer, twenty cause nervous system poisoning, nine cause birth defects; and 30 cause skin irritation.
— Pesticides attach to the bottom of shoes and are tracked into the house. Since pets and children spend more time in contact with floors, carpets and other dusty surfaces, they have potentially more exposure. (Bong,Jennifer-Children at Risk)
