Breathe better - Tips for the home

Well this started short and sweet but became longer as I went... so I decided to make it a blog post.

I have some friends struggling with this lately as well as myself after this lingering cold/flu I had. So I put together a list below of some ways to change the environment to lessen the chance of an asthma attack, sinus problems and for breathing better now and in the future. Hopefully it's some things you may not have thought of. This can also help with other allergies and sensitivities. Don't feel pressure to do them all at once but mostly it's good to know what is around you and what could be happening. Trust me, when you cannot breathe you'll consider anything! These are also great things for Spring cleaning and to consider changing in the home even if you just want it healthier.  For you, family, children and pets alike. (These are the secrets the healthy rich won't tell you.)

• Detectors: Cannot stress this one enough. Maybe you can't breath because of a low CO or gas leak. I know, I was in denial of this before I got sick. Carbon Monoxide DIGITAL Detectors are best for testing peak levels all the time and gas leak detectors are good to do at least twice a year on all your heating and appliance areas. It's actually more common than you think at 8/10 houses having leaks that we personally checked. These should always be at zero no matter what others consider as "healthy levels".
• Your water. Buy a shower filter! If you have unfiltered town water with chlorine it can cause breathing havoc. Especially when heated or steamed and if you: use it, clean with it, cook with it, drink it, flush it, do laundry with it, grow plants/food with it, dishwasher and most of all SHOWER in it, it will get into your lungs. I recommend an entire filter for all your water but if you can't at least do the shower and the ones you drink/cook with. Not all filters are created equal so do your research. Chlorine has been known to cause asthma problems and is a quite common story I hear from parents with children who got asthma from taking swimming lessons in chlorinated pools. 
• Mold? It can cause many problems. Do NOT under any circumstances use bleach or other heavy duty products on it, it is proven that it makes it grow more. Use vinegar water and get the sun on it. Open the windows. If you have a bad mildew/mold problem in the entire building (and listen to your instincts) I say leave, it's not repairable no matter what the specialists and professionals say. Trust me; I've been there.
• Clean the house at least once a week with earth-friendly products and wear a mask or open the windows while doing it.
• Don't wear a mask for long extended periods of times or days. This can do more harm than good and weaken your lungs.
• Avoid pets with fur or feathers. I know, but it's true. :( All I can say to make these better is be careful of the products you use on your pets. An animal can be natural and less harmful when they are without all the human added products. This even goes as far as kitty litter as most are toxic.
• Consider replacing carpeting with hardwood floors or tile. If you are renting and cannot do this, buy a very good vacuum and open up the windows and wear a mask when you use it.
• Avoid places with new carpets.
• Keep the humidity in the house low.
• Open your windows to fresh air at least once a day if you can and only if it's good out. This includes wintertime.
• Indoor plants are great to help clean the air; just make sure you choose ones that you don't get triggers from. This is why living Christmas trees can cause pine allergies to happen during winter.
• Rid your environment of all chemical scented products, air fresheners, deodorant sprays and candles. Good alternatives are real organic citrus fruits or organic and distilled-water processed essential oils.
• Flowers bought at stores now get sprayed with scents and spray paints. Be weary of these kinds.
• Replace your personal care products with chemical-free versions or make your own with the natural basics (Colorful Canary or YouTube how-to videos are great for this).
• Wash the bedding (sheets, pillow cases, mattress pads) weekly or bi-weekly and in only hot water - NO detergents, fabric softeners or dryer sheets. This goes for your sleepwear, loungies and PJ's too.
• Replace bedding made of down, kapok or foam rubber synthetic materials with cotton and organic bedding. A good resource for this is gaiam.com or do a search for organic bedding.
• Try to buy only furniture and beds without the fire retardant or stain guard sprays. You may need a doctor's note for this and some places charge additional $50-$75 fee to not have it. A great place to find this type of furnishings is The Futon Shop online and they will ship to your door: thefutonshop.com
• Believe it or not but some clothes may be causing some issues. If you ever had mildew smelling clothes your best bet is to toss them out and replace them. Sometimes it can be taken out with white vinegar but if it returns they have been contaminated. Even some polyesters can cause you to feel suffocating or stuffy so try cotton around the head, neck and chest area when you can.
• I used to love thrift shops, yard sales and flea markets just as much as the next person. Just be careful with some items you pick up as they could come with someone else's problems you don't know about. This goes for things that absorb. Mold or cigarette smoke even get into wood or fabrics and does not come out... so beware!
• On the other hand buying new can cause triggers too. If you get something with leather, plastics or electronics if can let off fumes of the newness and chemicals of whatever it was made/dyed with. This can cause breathing problems. You can off-gas them yourself in a heated shed, in the sun or running it outside until the fumes dissipate. Some do this daily for a couple weeks depending on what it is. They say it takes 2-4 years to off-gas a new car from all the materials it was made with.
• New phone? New ear buds, new hair accessories, new necklaces made with plastics, new mouth guard or new plastic sunglasses? All these kinds of products that are new around your face and airways can trigger attacks. Avoid using them near your head for long periods of times until they are worn in. You probably should avoid phones by your head for other reasons anyway.
• Switch your laundry detergent to a natural earth-friendly and safe alternative. Or make your own with great grandma's two staples: vinegar and/or baking soda. Bonus: It not only will help with breathing but will also help with skin problems!
• Your hair! And face products. Yes, products you use on or around your face can cause breathing problems. Consider natural and organic or unscented shampoos, conditions, hairsprays, shaving creams, make-ups, creams and styling products. Don't forget toothpastes too!
• Deodorants: closer to your airways than you think, try a chemical-free, paraben-free, unscented deodorant and avoid the spray kind. Some folks only use baking soda.
• Less is more. Pack away big dust collectors for the time being and see if that helps. Metal, glass, ceramic and some woods are the safer nic-nacs.
• Heating sources can be a possible trigger: Oil, woodsmoke, pellet, non-efficient OSWB or dry forced-air heating is not good for breathing conditions. Switch to a cleaner heat.
• Do not burn garbage in a barrel or a fire pit. It causes dioxin in your surrounding air around the home and for others trying to breathe.
• Blow fans out not in with an open window elsewhere. Look up how to properly circulate the air in your home with fans. I did it wrong for many years.
• Purchase an air filter for the room you are in the most and/or one for the bedroom. One company I like is Austin Air Filters. (We sell them at BetterHouseDoctor.com) Avoid putting them in the kitchen or turn off so cooking fumes don't absorb into it.
• Some recommend air conditioning. While this may help some I'm not completely sure I agree with this one. Be careful because they can leak freon and/or collect mold easily.
• Teflon. This one is an ah-ha moments. Switch to stainless. They suggest those with pet birds even go without this common asthma trigger because they have such small sensitive lungs... so imagine what it does to humans while always cooking over it. Can help other pets breathe better too! A good rule of thumb: if indoor birds or small pets can't breathe or be around it, we shouldn't either!
• Take a break from cooking and eat more non-cooked meals like salads or sandwiches. This avoids cooking fumes or burning meals in or around you or the home. This includes BBQ smoke/charcoal and gases which can trigger attacks.
• Gas cooking range stoves are known as a common trigger when lit. The same with gas hot water tanks and gas heating.
• Ventilate while cooking. This used to be a given but these days people have done the opposite.
• Stop idling... with your motor vehicles and motorcycles inside or out while being inside or out of the vehicle. Idling is dangerous for breathing, especially in your garage, even with the door open. Get it out as soon as you can or avoid using garages at all. Many garages are confined spaces connected to under the home and bedrooms and it can effect air quality. I know this seems common sense but you'd be surprised how many do this.
• Consider what is stored beneath you. We used to store tons of stuff in our basement, home repair items, materials, paints, varnishes as well as doing the projects in the basement and that's a big no-no for air quality. Think about it, it's under where you sleep and not far from your pillow. This is also true for those with storage drawers underneath their beds. Same with garages under the home. Consider a shed or purge stuff that could be hurting you.
• Where does your heating vent? Where does your dryer vent? If these pipes are on the side of your house near windows and entrances this can cause major problems. Avoid opening these windows and check for air pockets so it doesn't leak back inside your home.
• Cedar... anything. Closets, steps, walls, decks, mulch, people even put strips under their beds... You may think it's natural but it is not good to have in or around the home when it comes to breathing. This is similar to toxic moth balls. 
• Where do you work and what do you live by? Do your neighbors pesticide? Yes, you can easily bring it the outside into the home. Some of the most common illnesses and breathing problems come from toxic work environments brought into the home on clothes, shoes and  pets. Mill workers, farmers with chemical-spray farms, office jobs with carpet cleaners and deodorizers at work can all be sources. I know some people that wash work clothes in a separate washer. If you can't do that at least do them as separate loads from other clothes/blankets and hang them in the sun when possible. Blank loads in between these washes can also help.
• Use low VOC or VOC-free, eco-friendly, safe products for home repairs and/or renovations.
• Do not do major home renovations to your house such as painting, varnish, sanding, insulation, etc., without a mask or during cold months where you cannot open up and have adequate ventilation, (even if you are using safer materials). If you have no choice, during these times, do not allow pregnant women, children, those with illness or those who have trouble breathing around it for at least one month or longer depending on materials used and sensitivities... and always open the windows! Better safe than sorry.
• Of course the obvious as we all know is to avoid smoking of any kind or those who smoke. 1st, 2nd and 3rth hand cigarette smoke can all be bad. It can also get on clothes. And don't leave out woodsmoke or bonfires! Many don't consider woodsmoke but it is a fact that these particulates cause breathing and asthma problems. Mostly because of the materials used these days or not an actual fire but only smoldering smoke. I know some who say they make sure their loved ones smoke/burn outside only but I'm sorry to say it can still effect you. Do some research on this.
• Remember you can still get breathing or asthma triggers from small things you would never think of, like printer inks, magazines, plastics, foods, dairy, spices, as well as temperature changes and other locations outside the home or other people with products that don't agree with your lungs. Another simple rule of thumb for products: if you can't eat it it's probably not good for your air either. 
• Eco-friendly and Green do not always mean good. They can be toxic too and cause asthma. Recycled tires may be good for the planet but does not do any good for someone allergic to rubber, as one example. 
• It should also be noted that the terms "clean" and "sterile" mean different things to different people. If you have breathing problems this does not consist of toxic cleaning products like bleach or other similar cleaners. It usually means vinegar, lemon, hot water or steam cleaning.
• Once you get your environment fresh or find a fresh air spot... learn some slow yoga breathing exercises. Remember to breath through the nose and exhale out the mouth. This warms the air and makes it easier on your lungs.

Did I miss something? Questions? Feel free to add your own non-toxic and non-medication tips.

*Sources gathered from a number of places online, my struggles with asthma and from life experience. For entertainment purposes only. Seek medical help in emergencies.

In memory of my Chipper Love Bird ~ I wish I would have known all these before you died.