Apr 19, 2007 12:05 am US/Eastern
Go Green: Reduce Air Pollution In Your Home
CBS 2 HDTV Has Info You Need To Thwart Indoor Toxins
by Kirstin Cole
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
Carbon monoxide detectors are necessary in every home to keep you and your family safe from a very dangerous odorless gas.
CBS
Here's a scary figure: the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air pollution is actually five times worse than outdoor pollution.
Smoke in the kitchen, mold in the bathroom, dust in the living room, indoor air pollution has been linked to serious health problems. But there are actually very simple things you can do to detox your home.
"Go in the kitchen and check the burners. Simply turn on the gas burner and check for excessive yellow tipped flames, which means that the gas is not properly burning and carbon monoxide is being released into the air," explained John Kupsch, Technical Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute.
It's so simple, but could safe a life. And all you have to do is call your local utility to have your burners adjusted. Scents from cleaning products are not only irritating, they may be harmful. So to cut down on fumes, you can try one without added perfumes, like Seventh Generation's all-purpose cleaner.
"Mold can be found anywhere in the home where there's excessive moisture. So in order to get rid of the mold, simply mix a quarter cup of chlorine bleach with six cups of water; scrub the surface with a brush or a sponge and then continue to keep the space well ventilated to remove the excess moisture," Kupsch said.
A professional radon tester can check your home for this odorless, colorless gas, which has been linked to lung cancer.
"Two types of tests that we use are a charcoal canister test and it's going to give us the highest possible reading of radon within the home during that period," Kupsch said.
"The other test that we use is a computerized test that is going to give us an average over the course of eight hours within the home. If the home has a level below 4.0, then a mitigation system does not have to be in place. Above 4.0, the recommendations are that the home has a radon mitigation system in place."
If your house was built before 1978, hire a professional to test the paint for lead and if your home was built before 1988, have the water tested for lead too.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
