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Techniques to reduce indoor air pollution

We all spend a lot of time indoors, whether it is in our own Tri-Valley homes or at our place of business.  Most people don’t realize that often the air inside our home could be more of a problem that the air we are breathing outdoors.  This is especially true during the winter time when opening your windows becomes more of an infrequent event.

An article by Consumer Reports magazine, goes on to list a variety of sources that cause indoor air pollution and ways to reduce their negative impact. I have listed some of those below from the article.

Problem Sources:

• The fireplace
• Air fresheners
• A shedding cat or dog
• Dusty furniture
• Aerosol spray
• Dust mites in bedding
• A poorly ventilated kitchen range

Solutions:

• To discourage dust mites, encase your pillows, mattresses, and box springs in dust-mite-proof covers. Wash very dirty or dusty laundry in the hottest water.
• Ventilate - Cooking, cleaning, using hair spray, and polishing your nails can release volatile organic compounds that are linked to a variety of health problems. Use exhaust hoods or fans in the kitchen and bathroom to reduce your exposure and minimize humidity that can cause mold and mildew. Before you use your fireplace, make sure the flue damper is wide open. Poor ventilation can allow pollutants to stay in the air.
• Eliminate Odors - Find the source of bad smells and clean it up. Using a box of baking soda in the area instead of air fresheners makes more sense.  Air fresheners cost more and can contain VOCs and phthalates.
• Clean Effectively - Because dust can harbor pollen, pet dander, bacteria, mites, mold, and mildew, dust furnishings regularly with a damp rag or an electrostatically charged duster. Vacuum often.
• Control Pets and Critters - Seal cracks and crevices and put food away. You’ll be less apt to attract pests and need to use pesticides. To minimize your exposure to pet dander, don’t allow pets to hang around slleping areas and on furniture.

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Get Tri-Valley Kids Involved on President’s Day

This coming Monday is Presidents Day, also known as Washington’s Birthday.  It is interesting to learn about the history behind why multiple names exist for this holiday.  The official federal holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of February. My wife was thinking about some ways to ramp up our celebration of this day with our kinder and third-grader, making this day more than just a day off of school for them.  I thought I would share a few of her ideas:

• Bake a cake together for Washington’s Birthday. She was thinking of a box cake mix with an American flag in frosting and just possibly berries or sprinkles, but check out this blog’s intense listing of presidentially-inspired desserts.
• Visit the Whitehouse’s site for kids. This is an informative site with loads of information. Her best bets for kid appeal are the following: the White House/Presidents, the White House/First Ladies, Photos & Videos (especially Photo Galleries (there’s a real cute one of Bo in the snow!), and the White House/Air Force One.
• Peruse the website for George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, especially under the Learn tab. There are some very cool facts and photos for the kids to view, as well as just plain fun games and puzzles under Washington’s World for Kids.

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