Living Healthy in a Toxic World | Tip #3

Sharing tips from Living Healthy in a Toxic World, written by David Steinman and R. Michael Wisner and giving you my own thoughts and experiences in become healthier. It has to start somewhere, why not here and with me?

If you missed the previous tip, you can read it here – DAILY TIPS.

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Tip #3: “Pull The Rug Out”

Have you heard of the saying “wall-to-wall carpets? There was a time when everyone wanted carpeting in their homes. Getting away from that hard, cold hardwood floors seemed like a blessing to many people. But now, we are learning what’s in those carpets.

Have you ever thought about your carpet? Other than seeing the dirt stains on it and vacuuming the floors? What about the process of creating a carpet? Never mind that carpets are the perfect trap. They trap led, dirt, fleas, and dust mites that travel into your nose, dogs, and cats.

Time to go back to the good ol’ hardwood floor! It is healthier and cleanier for us.

Did You Know?:

Until the 1950s most carpeting was made from natural fibers such as cotton or wool. These days carpeting is produced from a witches’ brew of chemical toxins that can contaminate your home’s air. New wall-to-wall carpets are covered with a synethetic backing that can expose you to toxic chemical gases.

Many brands of carpets are treated with moth repellents, mold retardants, and pesticides, all of which poison both the bugs and you.

Toluene, xylene, and styrene are nerve toxins found in carpeting.

Common symptoms reported by people suffering from toxic carpet exposures include: difficulty breathing, burning eyes, headaches, nausea, rashes, and various illnesses from a weakened immune system.

Most conventional vacuum cleaners pick up large dirt particles but spit smaller ones out the exhaust.

Simple Things To Do from Tip #3:

Replace your carpeting with hardwood floors.

Use linoleum made from all natural materials (not “synthetic linoleum”, which contain chemicals).

Ceramic tile for a unique look.  Install it with nontoxic cement adhensive.

Use natural fiber wool and cotten throw rugs.

Leave your shoes at the door. Reduces tracking in lead and dirt.

If purchasing new carpet, buy natural wool or cotton without chemical additives and latex backings.  Use nontoxic padding.

Dont’ use industrial glue to install carpet. Good ol’ Elmer’s will do fine.

When new carpet is installed, leave the room and allow the area to fully air out for at least a day. Renting a industrial cleaner and steam cleaning new carpets with hot water only will remove some residual chemicals.

Apply a carpet seler, which provides a protective coating, thereby reducing what you breathe.

Don’t use industrial cleaners or spot removers. These contain highly toxic ingredients.  Liquid natural soap in a carpet steam cleaner will do just fine.

Use a vacuum that won’t exhaust toxins into your home.

Well, what do you thing about your carpet (if you have them) now? We have some carpet that I would love to replace, but we can’t afford it right now. I think for now, I will try and rent an industrial cleaner. Try and get all that I can out of the carpets and pay more attention to how I treat my carpet from now on. No more purchasing spot remover products. Now it’s time to put into action a natural carpet stain remover.

fam_hydrogen_peroxide_pint-4080 Hydrogen Peroxide - replace the cap of your hydrogen peroxide bottle with a spray nozzle - spray directly on stain, allow to sit, and then pat dry! Simple right?

Thanks for stopping by and reading.

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