Archive for the 'asthma' Category

March 15, 2008 | Allergies, asthma, Health

There are certain plants this time of year that we all want to avoid - the yellow pollinators, and other things that cause asthma and allergy flare-ups. But there are other plants that will actually improve indoor air quality. And when the EPA tells us that indoor air tends to be 5-100 times more toxic than outdoor air, improving air quality indoors suddenly becomes a very big deal. So, if you want some plants that’ll help your home (or office or cubicle…), try one of these: (more…)

March 5, 2008 | Allergies, asthma, Health, Cleaning tips

Spring is on its way, or maybe it’s already arrived where you are. But that also means allergy season is upon us! I don’t know about you, but that makes me cringe. Runny noses, itchy eyes and all sorts of other fun things. I’m sure Kleenex loves this time of year, but I could do without the allergies. So here are a few little cleaning tips to pass the spring with fewer sneezes. (more…)

January 25, 2008 | asthma, Health, Cleaning products

Rates of asthma are rising in children and adults alike. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 9 million US children under the age of 18 (that is, 12.5% of all US children) have been diagnosed with asthma at some point. It’s the third ranking cause of hospitalization in children under the age of 15. (more…)

December 30, 2007 | Allergies, asthma, Cleaning tips

Christmas has come and gone, but New Year is just around the corner, and that means parties! More cleaning to be done, plans to be made, appetizers to prepare, and desserts to bake. The fun of the holidays is far from over!

But in another few days we’ll be putting away holiday decorations and putting our homes back in order - the way they are the rest of the year (or at least the way we want them to be for Superbowl parties).

A few things to remember as you’re doing your cleaning this week and next:

• As you put away your holiday decorations, remember that the regular decor that’s been boxed up may have collected dust and other allergens. Unpack them outside if possible, and dust them before you bring them in - especially if anyone in your home has asthma.
• Now is a great time to replace your air filters. All the changing of home decor probably created more dust in your home, and while you’re cleaning you might as well change those filters.
• Don’t forget to sweep your entry ways (even outside the home) and give your door mats a good clean. With the extra traffic of the holidays, you’ll want to make sure what remains is memories, not dirt to be tracked in!
• Have leftover candy canes? Throw them in a food processor, melt your favorite chocolate and spread it over a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the candy cane dust over the top, and refrigerate. Voila! Peppermint bark! Add a drop or two of peppermint oil to the melted chocolate to make it extra minty.
•  If you have silk plants and trees in your home, now would be a great time to spray them down. Again, the activity of the holidays brings extra things into your home, and that means extra dust. Either put the plants in the shower and use a detachable shower head to spray them down, or take them outside and use a garden hose and sprayer attachment to wash the dust away.
• A feather duster is a great way to go over your home quickly for dust. Just remember to wear a mask if you have severe allergies, do it when others are away, and an hour or two after you dust each room run the vacuum to collect any dust that will have settled into your floors.
• Don’t forget to clean out your refrigerator and freezer after the parties have finished. You’d rather toss it now than in a month when it’s become a science project!
• Does your oven need a good scrub after all your holiday baking? Mine sure does! Good for you if you have a self-cleaning oven. If not, you don’t need a harsh oven cleaner. Just grab a good degreaser (Simple Green works well, as does Bon Ami and Bar Keepers’ Friend). Spray or sprinkle on, let sit a while, and then scrub away. It may take a few rounds, but it’ll be well worth it.

And may the New Year bring you renewed organization, healthy motivation, and a good balance of relaxation and good times with good friends!

October 15, 2007 | Dusting, asthma, Health, Cleaning products, News

A new study links household spray cleaners - especially glass cleaners, furniture polish, and air fresheners - to up to 1 in 7 cases of adult asthma cases. They found that using such sprays, even just once a week, increased incidents by 30 to 50 percent.

Cleaning sprays and air fresheners contain chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine-releasing agents and sodium hydroxide. Researchers suggested that the chemicals being released into the air in spray form significantly increased their exposure to people.

We here at Broom Huggers know that, and it’s why we use exclusively natural products. Chemical free translates to asthma free.  There are lots of natural products at your supermarket - try Method, Seventh Generation, Ecover, or plain old vinegar and water.

October 5, 2007 | Allergies, asthma, Health, Lifestyle

Halloween is around the corner. Then Thanksgiving. Hanukka. Christmas. And that means autumn and winter holiday decorations. Does anyone in your family have allergies or asthma? Those dusty, musty decorations from the attic or basement could be triggers. When you get them down, take them out to the garage or the deck first. Remove them from their boxes there and dust them off before bringing them inside. Let the allergens stay outside so that you’re bringing the family memorabilia inside, free of triggers.

October 1, 2007 | asthma, Health

So, your young kids have a cough and over-the-counter meds are now off-limits, thanks to the FDA’s recent announcement. So what do you do to get them to sleep at night?

I read somewhere that you can put Vicks VapoRub on your kids’ feet (or your own) to stop the coughing. Cover with socks or footed onesie pajamas, and you’re good to go.  I tried it last night - both on myself and my 3 year-old. And guess what? Her incessant coughing stopped. Coughing that the inhaler didn’t work on, and that the humidifier didn’t help. About 5 minutes after I slathered some on her feet she’d stopped coughing and was fast asleep. And me? I slept pretty well too, but then I wasn’t coughing to begin with. I’m just one of those weird moms that doesn’t like to try things on my kids unless I’ve tried it myself.

Anyhow, you can read more about VapoRub on the soles of the feet here (and other entirely weird uses for the Vick’s goop).

August 27, 2007 | Kids clean, Reviews, asthma, Health, Cleaning products, Pregnancy

We’ve talked about the dangers of alcohol-based hand sanitizers for children. But we’ve also talked recently about back-to-school germs. In the midst of all this, Germ-X sent me a new product to try that’s just showing up on shelves at Wal Mart. It’s an alcohol-free sanitizer with moisturizer, and it’s so new I can’t even find pictures of it online. It’s called Germ-X Advanced Protection, and I did find plenty of reviews and a few news stories toting its benefits though.

I tried it. It’s a foaming sanitizer, feels all nice and silky on the skin. And it has a nice fresh scent. But unfortunately, I can’t give it any more kudos. (more…)

June 20, 2007 | asthma

Here at Broom Huggers we’ve been doing a cleaning or health tip every Thursday. Starting this week, we’re switching our tips to Wednesdays to participate in Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer.

As it turns out, fresh gel from the aloe vera plant can help asthma sufferers. Clip a leaf, slice it lengthwise, and scoop the gel into some boiling water. It makes a great humidifier for asthma sufferers to breathe. But you do need the fresh stuff - so if you or someone in your house has asthma, get yourself a healthy aloe plant and learn how to take care of it.

You can also use it to relieve sunburns, eczema, and aid digestion. They say aloe is a pretty easy plant to keep - hardy and survives even the least green of thumbs. So I guess we can just call me a 3rd-degree plant murderer. I’ve killed numerous aloe plants, but thankfully kept each long enough to get good use out of it!

May 24, 2007 | Allergies, asthma, Health, Cleaning tips

Truth be told, I only sweep my front porch and back deck once every several months. Well, once or twice a year to be brutally honest. But times, they are a-changin’! I just read at the IIRC website (they have some great cleaning tips) that regularly cleaning the outside areas of your home that people regularly enter through can cut down on allergies. Apparently, less pollen and debris get tracked in that way. Who knew?!

Now, one thing we do right in our house (though for other reasons) is we take our shoes off when we come in. I remember going to a friend’s house as a kid where I was told to take my shoes off when I came in. I thought they were so persnickety about cleanliness - just because they didn’t wear shoes inside. Just think. What got on your shoes the last time you were in a public restroom? How much of it actually came off on the way home, and how much was still on the soles of your shoes when you entered your house? If you have crawling babies or toddling kids, think of the effect that has on them. (ew, gross!)

Now as an aside… Another perspective on the whole shoes thing - and this is why we don’t wear shoes in our house - is that in many Eastern cultures people just don’t wear shoes inside. They’re seen as dirty, cumbersome footwear that should be traded in at the door for cozy, homey slippers. It’s cleaner. It’s comfier. It fits more with the ambiance and is more appropriate to the environment. And when you visit someone else’s home, it’s one of the small ways you show respect. It’s the same idea as zero footprint. The less mess you leave for your host (and the less dirt you track into their home), the less time they’ll spend cleaning it. And that shows you respect their time and effort to invite you as a guest. Consider that.

Anyhow, it does make for a cleaner home, and I can see it when I wash my kids’ socks. They’re used to taking off their shoes inside, so they do it wherever they are. When they’ve been at home, their socks are usually the same color they were when they were freshly washed. When they’ve been at someone else’s house who wears shoes inside, their socks are almost always darker on the soles. I can tell how clean my floors are by the sight of my kids’ socks…