At Biome, we think a great New Year's resolution is staying well in your home environment. We have put together three simple (re)solutions for a cleaner, healthy home. Resolution 1: Remove mould without nasty chemicals Mould seems to get out of control in our homes at the start of the year, when summer heat and humidity provide perfect growing conditions, much to the chagrin of asthma and allergy sufferers. If you've despaired about how to get rid of this growing problem naturally, our eco solutions avoid chlorine based "mould killers". Late last year, Choice awarded a couple of mainstream "mould killers" in their 2012 Shonky awards. Choice was astonished to learn that while they made the claims "kills ingrained mould" and "penetrates porous surfaces to attack mould at the source" they didn't actually kill mould! Instead, these sprays "work" by simply bleaching the colour of the mould (they cannot penetrate porous surfaces), but the root structure generally remains entrenched in the grout, ready to sprout again. Worse still, the bleach can actually make the grout and tiles more porous (and more receptive to mould!) See Biome's action plan to get rid of mould with clove oil. Clove oil actually inhibits mould by attacking and killing the spores. In mould prone areas, you can place a clove oil room sanitiser (either a DIY one such as soaking a piece of chalk in clove oil, or a ready made mould aroma gel in the mould-prone area). The clove oil will continue to kill mould spores circulating in the room. For removing mould from hard or soft surfaces see our blog post here for even more tips! Resolution 2: Remove chlorine from your shower Chlorine is used in our water supplies to control bacteria, but it can cause dry skin and eye irritation, among other health concerns. Chlorine can vaporize in hot shower water and, when inhaled in the lungs, be transferred into the blood stream. Scientific studies have linked chlorinated water to potentially harmful by-products that can over time contribute to such conditions as cancer. Heart disease, high blood pressure & allergies have also been linked with chlorine. Our chlorine shower filters convert free chlorine (Cl-) into a benign, water-soluble chloride (a larger chloride element). Too large to evaporate or be absorbed by the skin, it is then carried harmlessly through the water supply. Shower filters remove chlorine, dirt and odours for softer skin and hair. Sprite Shower Filters with patented Chlorgon non-carbon media outperform other filters for chlorine removal in hot shower conditions. They also remove hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell), iron oxide (rust water), dirt, sediment and other odours. Resolution 3: Sleep easy in natural bed linen When you sleep, let your body breathe naturally with chemical-free, natural fibre organic cotton or hemp bed linen that promotes a healthy, comfortable and peaceful rest. The organic cotton used in our bedding choices is grown without the use of synthetic chemicals (note there are significant amounts of chemicals and pesticides used on conventional cotton crops, in growing, harvesting, processing and finishing). While the hemp in our hemp-organic cotton blend bed linen is an environmentally sustainable source of fabric which does not require the use of herbicides, pesticides or any other toxic agricultural chemicals to cultivate. Hemp is durable, naturally anti-bacterial, hypo allergenic and a natural insulator which helps promote good sleep, health and well being.
20% off mould removal, shower filters & organic bedding at Biome until 9 February 2013 or while stocks last.
Image source: © Baloncici | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
