“But wait a minute,” some of you are already saying, “there’s no problem with MY home, there couldn’t be, it’s: Brand new; Perfectly clean; Just remodeled; MINE!

I know, I know. We all assume our homes are safe and healthy places. After all, look how much we spend on them! Our home is often the single largest investment we make in a lifetime; what more could there be to it than that? Actually, there’s quite a bit more to it and you’re about to find out.

Problems can quickly arise after people move in, especially if they are already sensitive or have health challenges such as asthma or allergies. The tricky thing most people face with these kinds of “beginning” health problems is that people don’t realize they are being triggered by their home. Even if they do suspect it’s their home, it can be difficult to pinpoint the main source, as all these chemicals interact with each other and you start to live in a sort of chemical soup which leaves you feeling generally unwell.

Recognizing that you are allergic or reacting to something in your home can be challenging. Most people are familiar with common allergens such as cat and dog dander, pollen, and dust. But in our homes we are exposed to so many other environmental substances in our air, water, food, and personal care products that pinpointing all the triggers has become a highly complex problem. We are rarely exposed to one single chemical or substance in isolation but rather an interacting mixture of many that can fluctuate throughout the course of a day. Usually the process of elimination is where the most answers are found.

The Healthy Versus The Unhealthy Home

At first glance this title may bring to mind ideas of dirty, germ-ridden, bug-infested homes versus sparkling clean, beautifully decorated, well-maintained homes. There are many obvious health problems associated with the first home: cockroaches make most people cringe and they create all kinds of problems.

But what I want to talk about is a whole other arena in which what may look new or clean and beautiful is actually highly toxic and dangerous to your health.

Bedrooms

» Carpets

Carpet has been associated with a growing number of health problems. In a typical carpet, toxic chemicals may be found in the fiber bonding material, dyes, backing glues, fire retardant, latex binder, and the fungicide, antimicrobial, and antistatic and stain-resistant treatments

Outgassing from new carpeting can persist at significantly high levels for up to three years after installation. The most common carpet backing, synthetic latex, contains approximately 100 different gases, which contribute to the unpleasant and harmful ‘new carpet smell’.

Besides these chemical toxins, other characteristics are associated with carpets. They act as “sinks” and “emitters.” As a sink, carpets hold onto substances such as dirt, dust, dead skin, pollen, dander, etc. They can also absorb humidity and liquid from spilled drinks and children’s accidents. As emitters they can absorb and then re-emit substances such as odors and Volatile Organic Compounds [VOCs]. When you consider all these factors, carpet can be quite a biologically and chemically active source of pollution in the home.

If your mind draws a blank when you think about what to put on your floors besides carpet, be reassured, there are many lovely alternatives available today. There are hard wood floors, bamboo, tile, pigmented concrete, natural linoleum, and cork to name the most popular ones. Throw rugs work well with all of these floor coverings and they are easy to keep clean and freshen. Just take them outside, shake them off, and let them enjoy the fresh air for a while. Once you’ve oriented yourself to this cleaning routine you won’t ever want to go back.

» Closets

Most bedrooms contain a closet of some sort to store clothes in. Some are built into the wall with doors covering them, some are recessed open spaces without doors, some are a freestanding piece of furniture called a wardrobe. Like our modern day bedrooms, today’s closets have become multi-functional sections of our bedroom that are used for hanging clothes, storing unused clothes, gathering dirty clothes, and providing a home for toys, photo albums, stamp collections, and things that won’t fit in the garage any more. What does your closet look like?

Ideally, your closet should contain your clothes and any other inert items needed on a daily basis. There should be no chemicals, no freshly dry-cleaned clothes, no hobby and craft items, no cleaning products, no cat litters, etc. Closets need ventilation so do keep doors open from time to time; otherwise they can start to smell strange and even grow mold. If you do notice any unusual smells remove everything and find the source. Don’t put some fragranced product in there to mask the smell.

Avoid using mothballs and try a non-toxic alternative. An old-fashioned approach is to store your clothes in an airtight container and add natural pieces of cedar wood. Some people are sensitive to natural cedar smells though and may need to use some dried lavender instead.

» Wall coverings

I don’t recommend wallpaper, especially vinyl wallpaper, for two reasons. First, it stops your walls from breathing, and second, the glue required to fix it to your walls introduces more chemicals. If moisture gets trapped behind it, mold can grow. Vinyl also outgasses noxious fumes. When it comes to the interior surface of your walls, natural plaster is best. It allows your walls to continue to breathe and remain healthy. Natural pigments can be added for color.

Fresh air is an integral part of healthy indoor air quality

» Windows

Without fresh air and adequate ventilation the everyday pollutants we generate in our homes have nowhere to escape and so accumulate to dangerously high levels indoors. Oxygen levels become depleted and carbon dioxide levels rise causing drowsiness, headaches, and poor concentration. Is it really so surprising that asthma is skyrocketing and is the number one reason for absenteeism in schools? Our children are deprived of fresh air while at the same time bombarded with pollutants. What else can we expect their little lungs to do?

The good news is, it’s easy to open a few bedroom windows and let fresh air in. It won’t cost you an arm and a leg either. Would you rather pay a heating bill or a medical bill? Fresh air is an integral part of healthy indoor air quality. If your home is built correctly in the first place you will be able to conserve plenty of energy and open your windows at the same time. We sleep with our windows open at night all year round: wide open in the summer, slightly open in the winter, but always open. Over the course of an eight hour night oxygen supplies diminish, especially if you have more than one person sharing a bedroom. This one simple thing—keeping windows open to some degree at night—can be a key factor that contributes to people waking up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Try it yourself and see. If you live where the outside air is heavily polluted you may have to close your windows and run an air purifier instead. In this situation, sometimes you can find a period of the day or night where outdoor pollution levels drop; it just takes a little detective work.

Make the most of these times by opening your windows and letting your home breathe.

» Window coverings

Most window coverings are made of synthetic fabrics treated with chemicals to make them wrinkle resistant. The recommended dry cleaning process further contributes to their chemical content.

Synthetic materials are not only made from petrochemicals, they also generate static electricity, which attracts dust. Static electricity is what gives you that little electrical shock or spark when you touch something, for instance after walking around on synthetic carpeting and then touching a metal car door. Some people are very sensitive to static electricity and find it makes them feel agitated or nervous; some people have difficulty sleeping.

Even natural fabrics can be problematic because ultraviolet light breaks them down over time, creating dust and the need for frequent replacements. If you must have fabric window coverings, as a general rule choose certified organic materials. Other alternatives to fabric are naturally finished wood shutters, louvers, metallic venetian blinds, or bamboo roll downs. I have even seen windows that have retractable shades sandwiched between double windowpanes.

» EMR

Whether you believe electromagnetic radiation causes health problems or not, at least take a precautionary stance when it comes to the bedroom. Better safe than sorry. In my personal experience as a Building Biologist when EMR is reduced in the bedroom, people sleep better [including babies and children] and feel more rested in the morning.

The tricky thing about EMR is that it is invisible and the strength of some fields can fluctuate, depending on the time of day and on whether an electrical appliance’s motor is running or not. We want to ensure that the head of the bed, and hence our heads, are not being bathed in electromagnetic radiation all night long when we are trying to sleep and rejuvenate.

The best air freshener is fresh air

» Fragrance

Many people today, have become addicted to fragrance. By now you are probably asking, “How can someone become addicted to fragrance?” or “What’s bad about fragrance?” To answer these questions you need to ask what fragrance is made from.

A single fragrance can contain as many as 600 different chemicals! Wearing perfume is probably one of the simplest and quickest ways to add to your body burden. Air fresheners contain chemical fragrances. Many fragrance chemicals affect the brain and nervous system. Some effects are immediate and transitory while others are chronic.

The healthiest choice for a little aroma is to use a small amount of pure grade, organic essential oil. Make sure chemical solvents have not been used in their extraction process. To disperse an essential oil, I prefer small electrical diffusers rather than ones you suspend from a light bulb. Light bulb diffusers tend to gather dust and can change the properties of the essential oil when heated. They can also burn or fry the oil, producing polluting byproducts. Keep in mind that even pure essential oils can be irritating to some people.

Candles in a bedroom can create a soft and relaxed mood. Choose candles made of pure beeswax or non-toxic soy without aromatherapy additives, and avoid candles with lead wicks.

If the reason you got started using fragranced products in your bedroom is because it has a bad smell, find the source of the smell and fix it rather than distract yourself with chemicals. The best air freshener is fresh air.

» Furniture

The main thing to look out for is furniture made of particleboard and plywood. Particleboard is used so extensively because it’s cheap to buy. New furniture made of particleboard is the worst offender for offgassing large amounts of formaldehyde. With existing furniture, check the bed, the back of bedside tables and drawers, desks, and worktables. If you discover particleboard you can either seal it or get rid of it. Choose solid wood furniture finished with something non-toxic like beeswax.

»Toys

Some children like to have cuddly toys close by while they sleep. The question to ask is, what are these toys made from? There have been many concerns raised in the last few years about PVC [better known as vinyl] toys and the chemicals they contain. Take an inventory and see how many PVC toys you can find. Replace as many as you can with toys made from traditional materials such as wood, cloth, and natural rubber. These alternative materials were often used for toys before the rapid increase in plastics and are among the best alternatives.

Bathrooms

With multiple bathrooms comes increased plumbing. Increasing plumbing increases the possibility of faulty parts or workmanship. Undetected slow leaks, can harm the building and the inhabitants’ health. Burst pipes can wreak havoc within minutes. Dislodged seals around drains in showers can create more undetected leaks.

Hair and debris in drains can lead to blockages, overflows, and sewer gases.

The volume of humidity and condensation produced by multiple showers and baths each day creates moisture challenges which if unchecked can lead to mold problems.

Let’s take a closer look at the bathroom in layers.

• Never use carpet in a bathroom; it will inevitably become damp, inviting mold and bacteria infestation.
• Good ventilation is critical. Install an exhaust fan that moves enough CFM [cubic feet per minute] of air to effectively remove moisture.
• Half bathrooms, which may only contain a toilet and small washbasin, should have a window that opens. Fresh air is the best air freshener. Mechanical ventilation is also essential in a half bathroom.
• Showers should have glass panels to contain water.

Our water now contains numerous toxic chemicals and residues including pesticide residues, heavy metals, arsenic, lead, radon, and industrial chemicals, some of which were banned years ago. All of these chemicals can react with each other creating their own new toxic substances.

During a seven to ten minute shower in warm water, you will inhale and absorb through your skin more chemical contaminants than you would ingest from drinking a gallon of the same water. Is it any wonder some people don’t feel well after taking a shower? Water filtration in homes has become essential. Depending on your budget, at least install shower filters in bathrooms.

» Lighting

Unfortunately, most of us spend over 90 percent of our time indoors where ordinary light bulbs do a poor job of reproducing the full spectrum of light created by the sun. The imbalanced light produced by ordinary bulbs causes eyestrain and fatigue, distorts the color of objects, and reduces contrast. Though you might not spend a lot of time in your bathroom, some of the activities we perform there, such as tweezing eyebrows and shaving, greatly benefit from more natural light. In particular, applying cosmetics in full spectrum light will produce much better results. You may find some of your color choices are not as attractive as you thought once viewed with natural light. It’s good to know what everyone sees when you step outside! Full spectrum light bulbs provide a more balanced light by filtering out the excess yellow and green light emitted by ordinary light bulbs. And they last four times longer than ordinary bulbs.

» Water heaters

Electric hot water heaters do not generate combustion by-products and are therefore considered cleaner than gas hot water heaters. However they can generate strong EMR. Check your hot water heater, and if you find high AC magnetic fields have an electrician look at the wiring.

Never use carpet in the kitchen

Kitchens

Kitchens are the heart of our homes. Deep within all of us is an ancestral memory of gathering around the hearth for warmth, food, friendship, and to experience a feeling of connection to the place we call home.

Our kitchen needs to be vitally connected to the rest of our home. Like the heart that pumps the life force and blood throughout our body and the emotional center that when nourished sustains us in our busy and often unpredictable lives, kitchens help keep us alive. Kitchens have dramatically changed over the years, particularly since World War II when the family structure began to change.

I believe that if we put our attention back on the kitchen, if we orient ourselves towards health and remember our home is a living organism, then family and friends will return to the kitchen and we will rekindle the nourishment needed to strengthen and protect our bodies in these environmentally harsh times.

For a healthy kitchen

• Never use carpet in the kitchen, it will inevitably become damp from spills and accidents inviting mold, and if kitchen carpet is not kept meticulously clean the daily deposit of food debris will invite pests. Area rugs can be used for decoration or a little extra cushioning underfoot in spots like in front of the kitchen sink.
• Windows need to open to allow the moisture generated from cooking and cleaning to escape and let fresh air in. Also, a sturdy ventilation hood should be installed over the stove. This needs to be vented to the outside of the house.
• Any built-in items such as kitchen cabinetry should be free of synthetic formaldehyde.
• Large EMR-generating appliances such as refrigerators should be placed away from places where people spend large amounts of time and preferably needs to be placed against an outside wall.
• A point-of-use water filtration system should be installed and attached to the kitchen water tap.
• Water pipes should be made from non-toxic materials.

» Ventilation

A healthy kitchen needs great ventilation. Everyday cooking and cleaning generate significant amounts of indoor pollution. Opening windows while cooking or running the dishwasher will help, but for best results, install a good quality range hood above the stove and properly vent it to the outside of the home.

» Cabinets

Many kitchen cabinets contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals. With time these levels will drop but what will happen to someone’s health in the meantime from breathing in these fumes on a daily basis? I am also concerned about storing food in new cabinets with high formaldehyde levels. I have found no studies done on the possible contamination of food stored in high formaldehyde cabinets, but it seems plausible that as chemicals volatize in confined areas like cupboards, these chemicals could contaminate the food stored there.

I posed this question to Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D. who was a toxicologist/immunotoxicologist and author of the book, The Poisoning of Our Homes and Workplaces: The Truth About the Indoor Formaldehyde Crisis. He replied, “Since formaldehyde easily forms covalent bonds it could bind to food. After all, this is the mechanism by which formaldehyde antibodies are determined.” Anyone fancy formaldehyde-flavored cereal for breakfast?

Open the kitchen windows and ventilate the space. You could also paint a special sealant on the cabinets to try to stop the chemicals from escaping. If you are planning to build a new house or remodel your current kitchen, be sure to choose formaldehyde-free cabinetry.

» Small appliances

Many kitchens contains a vast array of smaller appliances that are all plugged in and ready to go. The main health concern here is the amount of EMR being generated unnecessarily. Even if an appliance is not in use, it will still create an AC electric field while plugged in.

Take stock of your own kitchen and see how many smaller appliances you have which are plugged in. Can any of these be unplugged while not in use? Can any of these be stored and put away until needed? It is much simpler and quicker to clean your healthy kitchen when you have fewer appliances to navigate around.

» Cooking utensils

Over the years, concerns about cookware continue to surface. In the 1970s aluminum cookware was linked with Alzheimer’s disease because of the elevated levels of aluminum found in the brains of some Alzheimer’s patients. Many people have since phased out using aluminum pots, pans, and cooking foil as a preventative measure. As a first step, I would recommend getting rid of any non-stick pans and replacing them with glass, stainless steel, or cast iron; all of them are tried and true for safety.

» Food storage

Another important consideration, besides the type of cookware you use, is how you store your food. Some plastics can leach chemicals like hormone-disrupting phthalates into whatever they come in contact with. If you currently use plastic containers to store food in, switching to glass would be a better choice. Instead of the plastic sandwich bags we send our children to school with, use natural cellulose sandwich bags. These switches are easy and simple. Nowhere in the house are small improvements felt as much as in the kitchen.

» Flooring

Kitchen floors are subjected to much wear and tear, dampness, and large amounts of food debris. Hard surfaces are the best for kitchen floors. If a little extra cushioning is required in key areas of the kitchen where you stand for large amounts of time, such as in front of the sink or stove, a thick throw rug or mat will usually do the trick. These will need to be vacuumed or shaken outside on a regular basis.

The Family Room

The family room is one of the most frequented rooms in the house and consequently often contains, and is used for, all kinds of everything. Today’s home typically has several television sets: one in the family room, one in the kitchen, and one in the bedroom. The average viewing time is four to six hours a day.

What you may not know is that TVs do a lot more than throw pictures up on a screen. They also give off small amounts of ionizing radiation in the X-ray band near the screen, and the entire set emits a broad band of non-ionizing frequencies including 60- Hertz power frequencies, radio frequencies, and light frequencies. As a general rule, the larger the screen, the stronger the fields will be, unless you have a large projection-screen model, in which case the stronger fields will be near the projection unit.

Remember to check the safe distances and positioning of all the television sets in your home, particularly those in bedrooms.

Magnetic fields can enter your home from the outside if you live near a high-voltage power line

All things electric

» Wiring

What you are about to read may be shocking to your health— pun intended! Have you ever heard of Electrobiology? It’s the study of the effects that electricity has on the human body. You may have heard of EMF, which stands for Electromagnetic Fields. A more accurate term when discussing these phenomena is Electromagnetic Radiation, or EMR. When people say “EMF” they are usually only referring to AC magnetic fields, whereas EMR refers to both AC magnetic and AC electric fields, both of which can affect our health. In Building Biology we use the term EMR. The only indications of a problem may be subtle health effects like having difficulty falling asleep at night or waking up tired in the morning, both of which could be attributed to dozens of other reasons.

AC electrical fields can result from a variety of things including unshielded and ungrounded wiring in walls, faulty wiring, faulty installation by the electrician, and unshielded and ungrounded electrical appliances. AC magnetic fields can result from net current on water pipes or gas pipes and certain appliances.

In general, electrical appliances that remain plugged into the wall, even when not in use, will still create an AC electric field. Magnetic fields can also enter your home from the outside if you live near a high-voltage power line. As you cannot shield yourself from these fields the only way to prudently avoid them is to live away from such locations.

» Phones

Phones are another main feature of both homes and offices. Traditional or standard telephones connect directly to a telephone wiring system. These are the ones you have to plug into the wall and the handset is connected to the base with a curly cord. These older models have been replaced in many homes with the cordless/wireless phone. These phones are popular because of the flexibility they provide.

Wireless phones are similar to traditional phones with one exception: their sound signals are transmitted in the radiowave and microwave frequencies [RF]. Studies have shown that the RF radiation’s heating effect on the brain can affect cognitive function, memory and attention, and can weaken the blood/brain barrier, whose function is to prevent potentially dangerous chemicals from reaching sensitive brain tissue.

I decided to get rid of the cordless phones in my home and have gone back to traditional phones, which have lower EMR, and no RF.

» Computers

Computers can emit strong EMR like television sets. The biggest difference is that computer users usually sit within a foot or two of the screen, especially if the keyboard is attached. Is your computer close to a sofa or chair where people often sit? Remember to keep at least 30 inches from the front of a screen and at least 40 inches from the sides or back of the computer.

» Lamps

If you have upright lamps or table lamps, check to see if they have three-pinned plugs or not. If your plugs have only two pins they are ungrounded and can emit strong AC electric fields when plugged in as well as AC magnetic fields when switched on. As we often sit close to our lamps to read, we come in contact with these fields. The simplest solution is to move your lamps three to six feet away from where people sit, as the strength of fields diminishes with distance.

From a Building Biology perspective your home is your “third skin,” your outermost layer

» Your home is a living organism

An architect may spend a lot of time designing the proportions and the look of a house, how many rooms, where to put the refrigerator, and so on, but you’d be surprised how few architects know anything about how to design a healthy house or about the health impact the building materials they specify have on the occupants.  Aesthetics are no guarantee of health.

I am no architect, but when I discovered Building Biology and how the health of a building affects the health of its occupants, I began to understand buildings from a completely new perspective that I found fascinating. Anyone with an ounce of intuitive sense can grasp these basic concepts easily. Women and mothers in particular do very well; I think it’s because of our nurturing tendencies. Building biology is a very nurture-oriented science. It all begins with considering your home as a living organism — rather like having another member of the family. After all, doesn’t a home require a certain amount of time, energy, and care, just like everyone else?

From a Building Biology perspective your home is your “third skin,” your outermost layer. Your physical skin is the first layer and your clothes are the second layer or second skin. As you start thinking of your home this way, and how it interacts with you and your family, you realize it’s all interconnected. Everything from the materials used to build your home, to the furnishings inside, to how you care for it, need to be considered in an overall plan for health. You have to think holistically and you have to think in terms of systems. When everything works together to support everything else in this way an optimally healthy environment is achieved. To use an anatomical example, if you were attempting to build yourself a healthy body from scratch, and you could choose each major organ and any supporting systems, wouldn’t you choose the healthiest, strongest organs you could? After all, your body has to last you a lifetime. It would be no use choosing a really healthy heart but then using really flimsy veins and arteries: that system would break down sooner or later with catastrophic results. This is one of the key differences between the conventionally designed homes we see everywhere today and the healthy design that we are talking about.

Let me give you some more analogies to take this idea further. In order for a home to be healthy it needs to be able to facilitate a balanced exchange of air and humidity, just like our physical lungs do. This process is a form of breathing. A breathing home needs to be able to allow humidity and air to move in and out of its walls. Homes need to be able to keep warm or stay cool, just like we do. Thinking this way creates a whole new relationship to how things are supposed to function within our homes. It makes it more personal and easier to understand once you have got the basics. And guess what? You’ve already got most of the basics because you have your own body as a study guide! For example, don’t you feel better when you get some fresh air and sunshine? Well, so does your home. Doesn’t high humidity or low humidity affect how comfortable you feel? Well, it affects your house this way too.

This is how I propose we learn about our homes, how to live in them, and how to take care of them. You may even discover some intriguing things about your own health along the way. In fact you might find it an interesting experiment to use a personal health problem you may be currently challenged by and identify the parallel in your home and see if it needs fixing.

The post Is your home safe and healthy? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

1. Make good use of mirrors

Strategically placed mirrors can reflect light in a room and will add the illusion of square footage without costly renovation. You have plenty of options here, from freestanding mirrors to reflective tiles. Go through the room and figure out where a mirror or two might be appropriate and attractive. I recommend at least one over-sized mirror as opposed to many small ones.

2. Cut back on clutter

Clutter results in a feeling of confinement, even in medium to large-sized rooms. If you have clutter, like stacks of unread magazines, overstuffed bookshelves, toys strewn about, extra seating for the 20 guests that ‘might’ visit all at once, and random items on every surface, start clearing it away. You’ll automatically open up more space.

3. Avoid bulky and unneeded furniture

The more bulky your furniture, the more space it’s taking up and the smaller your room is going to look and feel. If you’re feeling cramped, it may be a good time to sell what you have and purchase furniture more appropriately-sized for your space. You may even be able to switch furniture from one room to another. Perhaps you don’t need a bookcase in your living room, for example, and it can be transported into your home office or bedroom.

In addition, sometimes furniture doesn’t need to be in a room at all times, especially if it isn’t used very often. For instance, if there is an extra dresser in a room for your sister who only visits once a year, perhaps you can move it out of the room it’s in, and into your store room to help you store other materials. Sliders will help you easily move furniture from one room into another as long as no stairs are involved.

4. Think about form and function

Form deals with how something looks, whereas function deals with how it actually works. When you don’t have a lot of space to work with, function is very important. For instance, maybe you have always wanted an ottoman, but it seems like a waste of space in a room that has limited square footage to begin with. In this case, you might opt for an ottoman that ‘opens’ and provides you with extra storage space.

5. Paint colour matters

A ceiling that’s painted white will draw the eye upward and immediately give your room a larger look… it will make the ceiling appear taller. At the same time, try not to paint the walls of a small room in a dark colour. Dark colours give the illusion of small, and light colours give the illusion of big.

6. Go for fewer, larger room accessories

Very often, when people have a small room to begin with, they choose many small, decorative items. However, doing this ends up making a room look even more crowded. Choose just a few select home décor items that are larger than a watermelon, but pack a punch in colour and style. Less is more.

7. Don’t cover your windows

A friend of mine doesn’t have any window treatments on her windows at all. Whenever I walk into her home, which in reality isn’t that large, I feel like I’m in a mansion. The light pours in and every room seems huge. Just because curtains and drapery is the way many people go, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. Worried about privacy? Just get shades that can be pulled down in the evening, and kept up for the remainder of the day. Check out this article for help on how to choose the perfect curtains for your windows.

The post 7 surprisingly easy ways to make your room look larger appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

My moment of revelation

Innovation is the driving force of nature and, as immortalised in Jurassic Park, ‘life will find a way’. Plants in the wild don’t grow in a particular place. They just grow haphazardly in every nook and cranny. While on a trek up north, I was walking through some dense forests when I happened to have a sort of ‘eureka’ moment… plants in jungles adapted to their environment, thriving in the limited space they could find that hadn’t already been claimed by some other form of vegetation.

When I got back to work, I found myself with a client whose penchant for cleanliness appeared to be at odds with her desire for indoor gardening! Her stipulation that there should be no pots on her floor or mud in her house might seem obsessive, but was justifiably so, as her daughter was allergic to dust. This posed quite a challenge, but we found a solution—inverted gardening!

Upside-down gardening

Inverted gardening is the art of growing plants upside down, with the roots to the sky and shoots to the ground. Using the Japanese art form called Kokedama [gardening without using a pot] we made these beautiful upside down planters using peat moss, perlite, laterite and coco peat. What we discovered during the process blew our minds!

The perks of inverted gardening

If pests and blight are wrecking your plants, it might be time to turn your garden on its head. When dealing with overhead plantations there is a reduced risk of rotting or attacks from pests. No longer will you have to cage, stake or weed your plants or battle cutworms and other ruinous critters to put fresh tomatoes on the table. And, there are other advantages to growing plants upside down:

1. You don’t have to till the soil
2. There is no need to support or to stake plants
3. You can grow a wide variety of vegetables
4. Watering is much easier, and the plants are more vigorous
5. What’s most enticing is that there’s no weeding at all!

What you need to do to get started

You can buy pricey containers that are meant specifically for the inverted growing technique, but if you don’t want to dig too deep into your pocket, you can use a simple method we figured out at the nursery—the trick is to get the rootball right. Make a cricket ball-sized rootball with perlite and coco peat; tie a string tightly around the root and then use a moss sheet to encase the rootball of your plant. Tie it together and place the rootball very carefully in a pot. Pull the string through the base of the pot and you can now suspend it in a nice sunny spot in your balcony. Over the years, I worked with several plants and I found that some plants adapted better than others. Here is what I learned:

Plants best suited to inverted gardening

Tomato

Heirloom, Beefsteak or Cherry, the tomato is a popular plant because it is easy to grow. Cherry tomatoes are a good choice and flourish in this type of container because of their small size.

Beans

Pole and bush beans thrive in upside-down containers. However ensure that you
water them adequately and place them in a sunny area.

Peppers

Bell peppers and hot peppers are good choices for an inverted garden. Hang them in a sunny spot and keep them well watered.

Cucumbers

Choose smaller pickling cucumbers as they are easier to grow upside-down. Bush cucumbers are not a good choice and don’t do well in inverted containers.

Eggplant

The small varieties of eggplant grow nicely and are easy to manage in an inverted pot.

Sweet potatoes

These tubers grow fantastically and the size of the tubers are considerably larger than that of the ones grown on the ground.

Herbs

Home grown herbs aren’t just fashionable, but they’re coveted by most health enthusiasts and culinary experts. There are numerous herbs like basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano and mint among others that thrive with this method of gardening.

Non-edible ornamental plants

There are loads of ornamental plants that make quite a statement when used with the inverted gardening technique. A few favourites include:

Phalaenopsis orchids

Commonly known as the Moth orchid, these are excellent ornamental plants that can perk up any space. Keep in mind that over-watering can kill them.

Pony tail palms

These grow well in a temperate climate, but cannot withstand the cold and should be placed indoors. When repotting the plant, ensure that it keeps all its roots. To maintain its original shape, do not snip the ends of the leaves.

Bilbergias

These are evergreen perennials and they have rosette-forming, brilliantly-coloured flowers. They are epiphytes, which means they absorb moisture and nutrients from the air.

Syngonium

This is a commonly cultivated houseplant. It needs to be repotted every second spring. Pruning will keep the leaves more arrow-shaped and make the plant bushy in appearance.

Moss roses

In India it is called the Nau Bajiya or the 9 o’clock flower since it is in full bloom at nine in the morning. It is a small plant that requires almost no attention to help it grow. It has vibrant flowers that can brighten up any room.

The pitcher plant

Pitcher plants are intriguing plants to grow and make great conversation starters. They need ample sunlight and moisture. Most pitcher plants are carnivorous and will help you keep pesky insects away.

Agave

The agave is most commonly confused with the cacti or aloe family; though it looks similar to each of these plants, it belongs to neither family. Agave is a desert plant, so it doesn’t require constant watering. However, some species of agave have sap that can irritate the skin and most agave have thorns that can cause injury.

Caring for your inverted plants

Hang your upside-down plants in a sunny location and water them well, making sure that water reaches the bottom of the root ball. The water should in fact run out of the bottom. Watering requirements for your upside-down garden will usually vary depending on the plant species and local climate. In most places, especially during periods of hot, dry weather, your upside-garden will require watering on a daily basis, if not more frequently. Make sure you take out the dry leaves and prune any shoots growing out of shape at least once a month. Liquid fertilisers such as vermiwash are useful, but should only be used annually. Make it a point to redo the root balls once every two years for the ideal growth of your inverted plants.

Who is this for

As your plants grow, you may notice them reaching upward towards the sunlight. This is completely normal and will eventually cease as the plants get larger or begin bearing fruit. While the entire process may seem a bit whacky and outside of normal methods, but upside-down gardening is a great way to enjoy beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables, without the inconveniences of traditional gardening. What’s more, it doesn’t take up a whole lot of space, making this the perfect alternative for urban gardeners and others having little ground space. Upside-down gardening also provides the additional benefit of having your plants at eye level, eliminating the need for bending or stooping, whether you’re watering or harvesting.

These inverted pieces add great aesthetic value to your surroundings, making them perfect as centre pieces or displays at exhibitions. Businesses often use them to give the workplace an earthy and yet modern décor, while doctors often display such inverted pieces in their waiting rooms to create a soothing environment. No matter how inverted pieces are used, they lend both practical and aesthetic value to your habitat.

This was first published in the December 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

The post No Space for Plants at Home? Try Inverted Gardening appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

1. Food Storage Containers

Plastic storage containers are an economical way of storing food. However, they contain chemicals that negatively affect our health. Two of the most toxic chemical compounds found in plastics are bisphenol A [BPA] and phthalates, both of which act as endocrine disruptors. This means they obstruct proper hormone function. As a result, your body’s reproductive, developmental and neurological function can be adversely affected.

Alternatives

Always choose glass jars, bottles and other items whenever possible. Moreover, you can also use stainless steel containers for food storage

2. Furniture

Flame retardants like PBDEs are so pervasive in today’s furniture that they are difficult to avoid. These chemicals are well-known endocrine disruptors that have shown to raise a person’s risk for infertility, cancer, and thyroid suppression. Many flame retardants may actually be implicated in weight gain. PBDEs are breathed in and can accumulate in the blood, making them highly pervasive.

Alternatives

Always purchase furniture that is clearly labelled “PBDE-free” label. Slowly replace old furniture with healthier, perhaps natural varieties, like bamboo or wood. Many retailers are beginning to offer eco-friendly furniture alternatives; you can keep an eye out for these when doing furniture shopping. Also, opt for natural upholstery fabrics, like cotton or wool.

3. Shampoo

Many people don’t realize the toxic toll that shampoo takes on the body. Most conventional shampoos contain harmful chemicals like parabens, sulfates and polyethylene glycol. Parabens and sulfates are highly toxic and have been linked to certain types of cancer, as well as neurological and development disorders. Moreover, polyethylene glycol can cause skin irritations, liver abnormalities and signs of kidney disease.

Alternatives

Fortunately today, there are a number of natural and organic shampoo alternatives that don’t contain any chemical additives whatsoever.

4. Clothes

It may surprise you to know that your favorite pair of jeans could be decreasing your health and vitality. Clothes made with non-organic materials, like polyester, are a major source of hidden toxins in your home and everyday life. Azo dyes are often used to color jeans, and these toxic chemicals have been banned in certain parts of the world.

Alternatives

Opt to buy clothes that are made from 100 per cent organic or natural fibers like cotton, wool, or hemp. It may be challenging to find jeans that are completely organic, but look for those that are made with 100 per cent cotton and contain no artificial dyes. Contact your favorite retailers and ask them what they use to manufacture their products.

5. Holiday Decorations

Holiday season generally involves decorating our homes with various, colorful things. However, many decorative items sold in shops and markets can actually create a toxic environment in your home. Most of these items are made from harmful chemicals, like lead and phthalates, which permeate the air and enter your body through the nose and mouth.

Alternatives

Homemade holiday decorations are simple to make, provide memories for years to come, and usually don’t contain any harmful chemicals. The Internet is filled with recipes for holiday decorations, often consisting of natural foods like cinnamon and applesauce. Plus, they give you an opportunity to recycle waste products! Alternatively, you can ask retailers for decorations that are free of lead, phthalates and BPA.

6. Garden Pesticides and Fertilizers

One of the most toxic areas in your home can be your garden soil. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have been known to cause a whole host of illnesses, including neurological disorders and cancer. Additionally, once they infiltrate the soil, they take a long time to degrade. Daily exposure to this toxicity is a definite health hazard.

Alternatives

Learn about incorporating sustainable, organic practices in your garden, even if it is just a windowsill garden. Slowly replace chemical additives you use on a daily basis for natural ones to reduce your toxic load.

Related » 8 Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Gardening

7. Carpet

That new carpet smell is actually a host of chemicals that are being released into your home. Many carpet manufacturers use perfluorinated compounds or PFCs that are highly toxic and have been known to cause many illnesses, including thyroid problems, infertility and high cholesterol. Triclosan, which is often used in carpet backings, has been linked to health problems, like asthma, hormone imbalance and eczema.

Alternatives

Find retailers who specialize in carpets made with organic fibers that are not treated with any type of chemicals. You can find carpets made from wool, coconut husks [coir], jute, and sisal.

8. WiFi

Wireless Internet is a controversial health issue because modern business has yet to fully embrace its health concerns. Some research has shown that WiFi could affect certain sensitive individuals by interfering with mood and cognition.

Alternatives

The best defense against WiFi is protection and limited exposure. Some manufacturers produce WiFi-blocking curtains and clothing that can reduce radiation exposure. If possible, use a wired Internet system in your home, or, at the very least, place the router far away from your sleeping and living quarters.

9. Laundry Detergent

Most laundry detergents contain surfactants, compounds that strip away oils, irritate the skin, and contribute to respiratory conditions. Some detergents also contain chemicals that can increase estrogen levels in the body and lead to things like infertility, depression, and increased breast cancer risk.

Alternatives

Always purchase natural or organic laundry detergents whenever possible. You can find biodegradable laundry soap and powder at most organic stores or markets. Also, instead of adding fabric softener, try adding a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to your clothes.

10. Paints

Most people keep cans or tins of paint in the storeroom or garage. However, long periods of exposure to conventional paint can lead to health problems. Paints give off fumes called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Some research links VOCs to liver damage and neurological disorders. Using these paints in your home will also provide a route of exposure.

Alternatives

Choose paint varieties that are VOC-free. Consult the paint company’s website to see if they have VOC-free paint.

Related » Hidden Dangers of Indoor Pollution

Conclusion

Unfortunately, our world is full of toxins that we just can’t always control. Even the mental and emotional toxins we experience in our lives are not completely avoidable. However, you can start with what you know and work your way up. Begin with making your home toxin-free, and then you can move onto detoxifying your body, mind and spirit.

The post These 10 Common Things in Your Home That Pose a Serious Risk to Your Health appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.