A Healthy Green Home

If you are lucky enough to have a say in your home's construction, you have a great opportunity to build with an eco-groovy, non-toxic, and completely natural approach. Prescriptions for A Healthy House by Paula Baker-Laporte, Erica Elliot, and John Banta is a very good healthy home resource, as is the Bau-Biologie website.

Here is a video of some very cool homes- "earthships"- for inspiration. I think it is fascinating to see these cutting-edge healthy green homes.

If you are like me and most other people, though, and you live in a house built before using green principles was in vogue, then you need to understand that most homes are constructed with the use of numerous unhealthy materials and chemicals.

On top of this, most people fill their homes with items that are potentially toxic either to themselves or to the environment, so it's not hard to understand that many homes can detract from, rather than enhance, your health and the quality of your life.

So what should you do? Don't worry. There are lots of simple steps you can take to create a healthy green home...

Get a home energy audit- this will help you see if your home is energy efficient, and if not, it will show you how to take steps to correct problems. A home energy audit can be performed by a professional or you can do a simplified home energy audit yourself.

Replace conventional lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. See the energy star website for a guide to how to choose the proper CFB for all your lighting fixtures.

Consider alternative energy, like solar: if your home is a good candidate and you can afford the initial investment, this is a great way to reduce your carbon output as well as decrease your utility expenses.

Install a programmable thermostat- one of the best ways to save energy and money. Set it so that your heat is down at night while you are asleep and when you are not home. Turning the heat down just 3 degrees in winter (and up 3 degrees in summer) can make a significant difference in your energy bill.

Use energy efficient appliances. If you are in the market for a new appliance, buy only those that meet energy star standards. It is best to turn off appliances when not in use. A power strip like the Smart Strip is the easiest way to do this. Try to do most, if not all, of your laundry in cold water only and and hang your laundry out to dry in the sun, if possible.



The healthy green home conserves water. Don't run the tap unnecessarily (the entire time you are brushing your teeth, for example), take shorter showers, and install low-flow showerheads and toilets, if possible. Run only full loads in the dishwasher. Place rainbarrels below your gutter downspouts to harvest rainwater and use it to water your plants.

Cut down on the waste you produce. You know the saying "reduce, reuse, and recycle"? When you live in a healthy green home, you must really put these words into practice. Use a service like Green Dimes to help you stop your junk mail. Buy in bulk when possible to cut down on packaging. Learn how to compost. Eliminate the use of items such as paper towels (replace these with dish towels you can throw in the laundry and re-use). Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. If you are having company and you are more comfortable using disposable plates, look for those that are biodegradable and can be added to your compost.

Remove potentially toxic chemicals. A good place to get started is in your kitchen and bathroom, with your household cleaners and body care products.

It is relatively easy to replace most cleaning products with healthier naturally-derived alternatives such as those made by Mrs. Meyers. Mrs. Meyers. I also love Seventh Generation and Method, and there are many other excellent natural brands on the market- these products work just as well as those made with harsh synthetic chemicals, but they won't damage your health or the environment so they are perfect for the healthy green home. As an alternative to purchasing products like these, you can make your own homemade cleaners. Body care products can also be a source of toxins in the home. Please see healthy body care for more information.

Reconsider your carpets. Carpets are manufactured with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), unhealthy chemicals which can "outgas" for years to come. This fact, combined with the reality that carpets trap dirt and allergens, means you should avoid them, if possible. If you really want carpet, look for one that is more environmentally friendly and is made with either recycled materials or from wool, and that uses a low-VOC adhesive. Low VOC carpet tiles such as FLOR by Interface are another good option.

Use non-toxic paint. More and more companies are offering non or low-VOC alternatives. Benjamin Moore Aura offers excellent wall coverage in just one coat, has minimal odor, and is low in VOCs. We used it on many of our walls and found it to be a very good product. Milk paint is another option (see realmilkpaint.com and milkpaint.com.) Eco Safety Products also makes several types of non-toxic paint.

Make sure you have clean air in your home. And make sure it circulates well. Open windows to allow fresh air in whenever possible (or if you are in the city and do not have access to clean air, you may want to consider an air purifier). Houseplants help keep your air clean, too.

Consider a healthy green home renovation. One great option is bamboo flooring. Bamboo Inspiration provides resources and guides on bamboo flooring and other home products such as furniture.

If you don't want to use new materials in your renovation, think about using recycled items. Friends and family, estate sales, auctions, antique stores, yard sales, craigslist, and freecycle.org can all be sources of high quality used/recycled goods.

When we moved into our home about a year ago and made the decision to re-do our kitchen, we found a great company called Green Demolitions. They sell gently used, very high quality items and we were able to buy all of our cabinets, countertops, and most of our appliances from them.

Installing everything was a bit of an adventure for our contractor (because the kitchen we purchased was custom-made for a different house), but we got a great deal, and now we have not just a beautiful kitchen, but a recycled kitchen that makes our home more green.

I highly suggest picking up Natural Home Magazine as it is a terrific resource for healthy green home products and ideas.