The secrets to a happy home- from Reggie

This is Reggie, he came to live with us a couple of years ago. He is 16 years old. When he arrived, we thought he maybe had 6 months to live. His eyes were yellow, he could barely move, he was soooo tense.
Last night I was scratching his belly and noticed how incredibly relaxed he is, unbelivably relaxed. Now he can jump in the air about 2 feet, front legs only. His eyes are bright white, and he smiles a lot.
This morning I was thinking about what makes a happy home. If I take a lesson from our 16 year old miracle dog, this is what he does each day. He herds our cat Penny, a job he loves. (his cat herding is another story). Anytime he can, he plays. He loves to play. We take him on daily runs or walks. He goes crazy for this. We notice if he misses a day his legs get stiff. He goes outside and scrubs his back under the bushes and sniffs the air. Our home is pretty relaxed, he never gets yelled at which I'm sure has helped him relax. He gets lots of love and Dallas treats him to eggs every morning.

Mostly, I think his health improved because he is happy. He is relaxed, does things he loves and little things that are good for him -everyday.

Wishing you a healthy and happy home,
Denise

Cleaners Can Look Like Food!

  In 2007, I attended an 8 week program from King County to become a MRC-Master Recycler Composter.  Part of the course was on having a healthy home.  This included chemical safety.

  One product of concern was Pine Sol, not for what was in the bottle but because Pine Sol looks like juice.  I didn't think much of it until I was in Costco one day and saw a man with 2 containers of "juice" in his cart.  When I looked a little closer I realized the "juice" was acutally Pine Sol!! They were right, those two bottles could have easily been confused with juice.  For a child, the look is more important than the label.

  Keep in mind, cleaners can look an awful lot like food.  Another cleaner that can get mixed up is Parmasan cheese and Comet.  Please keep your cleaners safely away from children, especially on cleaning day.  

  As an added note:  Did you know Pine Sol Original has a pH of 3.  This is an acid and can etch marble, travertine, grout, onyx, and limestone.  Always know the pH of the cleaner you are using.
  
     Wishing you a happy and healthy home,
                               Denise

The picture shown is an end display of Pine Sol at Walmart.

The power of your nose

Can your home be clean if it doesn't smell like...lemon, Pine sol, bleach, flowers, orange, cucumbers, Windex or vinegar? The power of scent is incredible. How often does a scent bring back vivid memories of a past events. This fall running in the woods smelling the leaves and autumn, I'm instantly transported back to running cross country in Colorado when I was a teenager.

Our emotions and scents are often mistaken for the same thing. Growing up when your home was cleaned it usually felt better. A freshly cleaned home just feels good. Sometimes, we mistake this relaxing and refreshing feeling with the scents/frangrances of the cleaners we use. We tie the cleaners/fragrances our parents used with how clean we think our own home are. Clean = Memory and Scent

Clean doesn't actuality smell. If you open your windows and breath in fresh air, you will notice it doesn't smell like a chemical, nor a strong smell of citrus. Sometimes you will get whiffs of pine trees, freshly cut grass, the blooms of flowers or even the sweet smell of blackberries. These are natural scents not concentrated natural or synthetic. Clean doesn't really have a smell it just is.

Personally, I can't be around many synthetic or even naturally added scents, fragrances or deodorants. My throat tightens up, my nose stuffs up and sometimes my eyes water. This comes from being over exposed years ago with "naturally citrus fragrances". After cleaning for 19 years "stuff" happens. What I want to help you prevent is that "stuff" from happening to you and your family.

Fragrances/scents do not make a home clean. Be aware of how you might link the smell of clean to actually being clean. Try to use non-scented cleaners in your home. At the very least notice how you feel as you clean. Open up windows, turn on vents and run fans. In the process of cleaning your home you want to not only have a clean home but you should be healthy in the process.

As an alternative to fragrances, scents and deodorants. Start to notice what just plain clean smells like. If you want to add fragrance to your home open up windows, bake something scrumptious or use qualty essential oils.

Wishing you a happy and healthy home,
Denise

H1N1 Prevention Series #3: Build a healthy immune system

Swine flu prevention part 3.

The other night I got a chance to hear EJ Hook from the Woodland Park Zoo talk about natural yard care. His main focus was on how to have healthy plants. A healthy plant has a much better chance of surviving, even if exposed to a disease or attacked by a predator/bug. This got me thinking about part three of our series on preventing flu and colds this season.

We can't disinfect the world, there are going to be germs and viruses around no matter how careful we are to wash our hands or clean our homes. This leads into my number one prevention tip: build a healthy immune system!

Years ago I was not very healthy, if I got a cold I would be down for 3 weeks or more. There was no such thing as a little cold. I didn't realize it at the time but my immune system was weak. Over a period of time I rebuilt my immune system. I remember the first time I caught a little cold while I was rebuilding. At first I panicked, but it turned out to be a 3 day itty bitty cold. I was shocked!

Here is my personal top 10 list to being healthy.

1. Go outside, and get fresh air for at least 15 minutes everyday.
This applies to all seasons and all weather.My mom used to call it getting the stink blown off.

2. Eat real food. Limit sugar, processed foods, and empty foods. Eat lots of fresh, organic fruits and veggies.
For me these 3 seem to depress my immune system.

3. Breathe deeply and drink lots of good water.
We can only live a couple of minutes without air, a few days without water. This tells me how important they are in my health.

4. Sleep. Dallas and I both have found when we start getting run down,there is nothing more powerful than going to bed early or taking a nap.

5. Move. The more I move the better I feel. After working in the office all day, nothing feels better for my health than to move again. I don't always feel like going, sometimes I have to force myself to go but rarely do I not come home feeling like a new person.

6. Relax. Stress tightens up everything. Take time to relax. Take a few moments after driving, talking on the phone, being on the computer or any other stressful event to take a deep breath and relax your shoulders. I'm tense by design, learning to relax

7. Have fun. When I was a kid we showed cows at the fair each summer. During that time, I did everything wrong for good health but I never got sick. The only reason I can come up with is I was having a blast. I loved whatI was doing. Norman Cousins has a whole book on this very subject.

8. Create a healthy home. Your home should be a place for you and your family to relax, rejuvenate and thrive this should not be the cause of ill health. (Don't worry there will be a lot more of articles on this subject)

9. Eat light, especially before bed. If you eat a heavy meal,follow it up with a light one. When my digestive system is happy, my health is usually just as happy.

10. Listen to yourself. This is my last tip but it is the most important one. No one knows how you feel better than you. Learn to listen and trust
yourself. If something doesn't feel right, listen!

H1N1 Prevention Series #2: Disinfectants

This is part two of our series on the prevention of flu and colds in your home. Of course there are never any guarantees you or your family will not get sick, but if you can prevent a cold or worse then why not?

My heart sank as I heard the mounting worry of the swine flu. It wasn't so much the flu but the fear of what comes with this news - wild and aggressive disinfecting. It has been our experience most disinfectants are over used and not used correctly. Don't get me wrong in certain situations disinfecting and killing germs is important but here is what usually happens.

1- Disinfectants are often used incorrectly, which means they don't do what you are expecting them to do - kill viruses and germs.
2- Disinfectants are overused. Disinfectants are meant to kill living organisms. In case you forgot: you, your kids and pets are also living organisms. Spraying in the air,over your head and on every surface can be detrimental to you and your home's health.
3- The directions and labels are often not read or followed carefully.

Disinfectants can be detrimental to your health if not used safely and correctly.

How to best use disinfectants:
1. Make sure the disinfectant you are using kills what you are trying to kill. In the case of H1N1-swine flu strain "the EPA believes, bases on available scientific information, that the currently registered influenza A virus products will be effective against the 2009-H1N1 and other influenza A virus strains on hard, not-porous surfaces".
2. Read the labels and follow the directions. Please use caution when working with disinfectants. Mix and use according to the labels directions- more is not better!
3. Use in targeted locations. Keeping a clean house a good practice for a healthy home. You don't need to disinfect every surface. Focus on areas where your hands touch most frequently. This would be door knobs, light switches, handles, faucets, areas around toilets. Also, use only on non-porous surfaces - not in the air or on surfaces like fabric.
4. Use your disinfectants correctly. Disinfectants work better on clean surfaces. They usually need to sit on the surface for approximately 10 minutes. Spraying and wiping are not usually effective means of disinfecting. There are some disinfectants that are both a cleaner and disinfectant together but still they work better on clean surfaces and if you read the label most still need that 10 minutes of dwell time.
5. For those of you with natural stone and sensitive surfaces check the pH of the disinfectant you are using. You don't want to damage your surfaces in the process of disinfecting.

Just like most cleaning, less is usually more. Please use carefully, follow direction and use only where needed. Think of disinfectants like you would antibiotics, use only as necessary not for everything. Sometimes thorough cleaning is all that is needed. Each disinfectant is different so read the label carefully but if possible, after the recommended dwell time rinse and dry leaving your surfaces residue free.

Sources: Antimicrobial products registered for use against the H1N1 Flu and other influenza A viruses on hard surfaces. Environmental Protection Agency

Germ Reduction and Pesticide Exposure Prevention Checklist. Healthy Schools Network

Preparing Your Organization for H1N1 Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu): Planning and prevention.

H1N1 Prevention Series #1: What is it and old advice

Today starts a series of 3 blogs we will be posting for the prevention of the flu and overall good health in a home.
This morning I learned my 7 year old niece may have the swine flu. News of the flu is everywhere and you can't help but wonder how at risk are we? There are never any guarantees but a ounce of prevention may be in order this season.

Recently I read an article called "Preparing your organization for H1N1 Pandemic Influenza ( Swine Flu): Planning and Prevention" by Roger McFadden Senior Scientist Staples Facility Solutions Inc. There was information in this article I found valuable and wanted to share with you.

"What is pandemic flu: "The flu also know as influenza, is a contagious respiratory virus that affects millions of Americans each year... A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, and for which there is no vaccine."
How does the flu spread? "Like any contagious flu or virus, H1N1 can spread by an infected person through coughing or sneezing. You can also become infected by touching something-such as a surface or object- that is infected with the virus and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose. Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for 2-8 hours after being deposited on surface."

A good friend of mine has a saying "don't panic everyone stay calm". This is probably the best advice we could hear with the swine flu. That said, an ounce of prevention can do no harm but it just might keep us and our families safe and healthy.
In a later blog I will discus disinfectants and cleaning but first I always like to start with the mildest means possible- awareness and prevention:

Most of the following suggestions are old and wise, there is nothing earth shattering about this advice and yet sometimes the simplest is the best.

Flu prevention 101:

1- Wash your hands. I know this is basic and yet this is the most important prevention step you can take.
a- when you wash your hands use warm water, scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or until you are done singing the alphabet song. Rinse thouroughly and dry with a clean towel. Shut off the water with paper towel or use your elbo if possible- don't use your clean hands on the faucet.
b- Wash you hands anytime your come home from shopping or being out. As soon as you walk in the door - go wash your hands.
c- Before you eat- wash your hands. We tend to snack as we run around. This is not as healthy as washing up for dinner and sitting down at a table.
d- If water isn't avaiable use a hand sanitizer.

2- Keep your germs to yourself
a- If you are sick stay home.
b- Don't sneeze or cough into your hands.
Sneeze/cough into a tissue or your elbo pit
Throw the tissue away and then wash your hands -for 20 seconds

3- Keep your hands away from your face.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth unless you have just washed your hands.

I know the prevention tips listed sound like your mother, As I was writing I heard my mother's voice: "Go wash up for dinner, sneeze into a kleenix, get your hands away from your face." Our fast paced lifestyle is not always condusive to good health but listen to your mother and be healthy.
These simple and old tips are also extremely effective in prevention of ill health.

Wishing you and your families and happy and healthy season,
Denise

An ounce of prevention!

Yesterday afternoon, I had a call from a lady with travertine floors. Her dog had thrown up and in certain light she could see an etch mark. During our conversation I explained the care and characteristics of travertine. Travertine can be both acid sensitive and scratch sensitive. As we visited a light when on and she realized her house cleaner had just cleaned all of her travertine floors with vinegar! Her heart sank and so did mine.

Calls like this come in much too often. I love my builders, retailer and designers who call on me to teach their clients the care and characterisitcs of there new surfaces. This customer's frustration and future expense didn't have to happen. My caller could have provided her house cleaner with the correct cleaner and a phone number to us for any questions.

She voiced her frustration of not being taught the proper care and characteristics. I felt for her- I hate these calls. I love teaching and helping to avoid this very situation.

An ounce of prevention should be what we call our education services.

May you have happy homes,
Denise