Want a thoughtful, fantastic, and healthful gift for Mother’s Day – give her a spring cleaning for her home. This gift must be presented in a loving spirit, and is in no way a reflection on her housecleaning skills. Rather it is recognition that we have chemicals that have become trapped in our homes and they need to be released or reduced. After all, don’t we all want healthier indoor air?
Here’s a scary statistic. According a a 15-year study done by the International Society of Indoor Air Pollution, women who stay at home or work from home have a 54% higher risk of dying from cancer than women who work outside the home. Wow – how can this be?
Over the years, we have made our homes ever more airtight to conserve energy. Also the filtration systems may be set to exchange less of the outdoor air, especially during the very cold or very hot months, when our heating and cooling systems may be working overtime.
This has resulted in homes which contain and concentrate any toxins that we bring into or use in our home. We bring pollutants into our home through the products we buy like furniture, carpeting, and paints. Especially when new, these typically release formaldehyde into the air, which of course we breathe. There are particulates and toxins released from cleaning products, wood stoves, and indoor grilling. When we use glues in crafts and home repair or air fresheners, these all contain chemicals that are released into the air in our homes.
What happens with all these invisible toxins? Do they settle on surfaces? Get absorbed into fabrics? Escape to the outdoors? They may be tracked on our shoes throughout the house or unwittingly consumed by children or pets, or absorbed into our skin. We just don’t know their true impact,
Here are 4 things that you can do for your mom starting on Mother’s Day and other days throughout the year.
1. Open the windows wide. According to the US EPA, people are estimated to spend about 90 percent of their time indoors but that indoor air quality can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Fresh air lifts our spirits and makes us feel better. Agree on a schedule to make sure that the windows are opened and the house is aired out, even for a few minutes when it is very cold or hot outside.
2. Give her a houseplant, rather than cut flowers. Plants naturally help to clean and purify the air. For example, the Peace Lily, Bamboo Palm, or the flowering Gerbera Daisy are on a list of plants prepared by NASA to improve indoor air quality. Place the plants throughout the house, just make sure if there are children or pets in the house that any plants you select are not poisonous to ingest.
3. Clean out underneath the kitchen sink. There are likely lots of toxic chemicals there, according to the Environmental Working Group. Safely get rid of the most toxic cleaners. Keep in mind that many of these are considered hazardous waste and should be discarded according to your municipality’s guidelines – don’t pour them down the drain.
4. Replace her cleaning products. What says I love you more than cleaning products that are made from natural materials? Be sure to read the labels and inform yourself before bringing them into your home. Make sure to open windows when anyone cleans.
Your mom will be so impressed that you cared enough to look out for her health. You’ve given her the gift of healthier indoor air. Imagine how much better she’ll feel by doing a spring cleaning for her rather than giving her a box of chocolates!
