In the Home

Ideally, our homes should be a safety zone where we can get away from the mass of pollutants in the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, many of the materials buildings and furniture are made with can be a source of toxic pollution. If you are in the enviable position of building a new home from scratch, I recommend that you thoroughly research the toxicity of various building materials. Select those which offer the greatest compromises to:

• long term health
• energy efficiency
• are sustainably produced
• and your budget.

This selection criteria is applicable for any building projects you may have not just new buildings. Applying some simple design principles to retrofit your home can make it function considerably more energy efficiently. This in turn saves you money and reduces demand on fuels used directly or to create electricity, thus saving the Earth.

Even if you are not in a position to make changes to the structures of your home there are many simple everyday practises you can implement which will improve energy efficiency and limit toxicity.

An example of one practise to save energy is switching off lights and other electrical equipment you won't be using for the next 5 mins.

Another example is to manage your space temperature by containing winter heating warmth in the places you spend the most time in. Make sure doors and windows are well sealed and close off rooms which don't need to be heated.

Likewise in Summer, shield out the heat by using curtains or blinds to inhibit direct sunlight into the house. Deciduous (plants which lose its leaves in winter) trees or vines on a trellis grown outside the windows on the sun-side of the building are also effective at regulating interior temperatures. Keep the doors and windows closed to retain the cooler air inside until evening. When it feels cooler outside than in, open doors and windows to encourage air flow. It works by convection. Hot air always moves to fill a cooler space.

These practises cost you nothing and can save you significant money spent on power bills.

One of the easiest ways to limit personal & environmental pollution in the house is by using all natural cleaners. If you look around it's possible to find safe natural alternatives to every sort of common cleaners. Many jobs can be accomplished with the use of bicarb soda or vinegar.

Online, from the Veriuni Store, you can purchase a good range of natural laundry and household cleaning products. This is a convenient way to shop. Try it out today!

Susan Greentree

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