Thinking about how so many of us get stuck looking at the surface, and forget to go deeper and heal the underlying issues, made me think of a classic Healthy Homes question.
When something stinks: You need to get to the root cause.
The best way to keep a healthy home is to eliminate the problem at the source. It is very similar to how you keep your body healthy.
When you are renovating and investing a lot of time and money, that is a great time to do your research and make a safer and healthier choice for your family.
Let me show you how to have a healthier home and family, for less money.
Recently, someone asked what to do about their old wall-to-wall carpeting that was making them sick from pet dander and dust mites since they could not afford to refinish the floors underneath. They were putting off removing the carpets since they had gotten a higher than expected price per/square foot estimate for professionals refinishing the wood floors and it didn’t fit into their budget.
So they were looking at these two options.
- Wait and spend another winter inside with the carpeting that exacerbated their allergies and asthma.
- Replace the old carpeting with inexpensive new carpeting. Give the carpets a really thorough shampoo with dust mite cleaners.
But each of those options comes with its own risks that may actually outweigh the rewards and end up costing them even more money or causing even more health problems in the long-run.
I propose some alternative solutions that fit in their current budget and will get them feeling better fast.
- Remove the old carpeting now and see what you are really dealing with underneath. Give the floors a thorough cleaning. (I know someone who only had plywood subfloors underneath, but living with that for a season was better than breathing the toxins from the old disintegrating carpet and the years of allergens that had accumulated underneath.)
- Purchase higher quality area rugs. Removing the installation cost adds the money back into your budget and provides the opportunity to purchase rugs made with healthier fibers that won’t just repeat the problem. Check out carpets/rugs made from natural fibers. Wool carpets actually clean your air, while insulating from the cold. This also makes it easier to replace in the future. But if you buy better quality, it should last longer.
- If you need to surface treat the carpet, try these healthy ways to clean your carpet without dangerous chemicals. Even with regular cleaning though, every time that I have ripped out carpeting, I’ve found layers of debris underneath that were inaccessible by vacuum or shampoo.
One day I got into my minivan and it smelled like something was rotting in there. I know most people would just reach for an air freshener to get rid of the smell. But again, that comes with so many health implications from adding those chemicals to your air, and it doesn’t eliminate the problem. So, the first thing that I had to do was look in every nook and cranny of the van to see where they had left food. It actually ended up being a bottle of juice tucked into the pocket on the back of my seat and it was so far gone that it was almost ready to explode. So I am glad that I don’t use a lot of chemicals in my home and my nose is still sensitive enough to smell it starting to go bad, because I can imagine how hard that would be to clean if it had exploded all over the upholstery!
So when you smell something rotten or moldy in your house, you need to eliminate the source of the problem. Just get rid of whatever is rotting or clean the mold. But then, you need to find out why it is there.
If it is your kids leaving snacks in strange places, then that is one thing. But if you have mold in your house, make sure that you find where there is unwanted moisture, and find ways to fix it at the root of the problem.
Don’t know where to start? Call me for a Healthy Home Consultation and I’ll start by helping you to find the source. Then, I’ll help with weighing your options, testing for what is the best solution for you, and preparing an action plan that fits in your budget.
For a small consultation fee, I can show you how to save thousands in long-term costs.
Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to just spray something to cover it up. Remove the problem, whether it is your old carpet or something gross.
Bad smells are just like our physical symptoms. Symptoms are simply messages from our body that something needs attention.
If you or your kids have physical symptoms that don’t seem to go away (or keep repeating seasonally) and you want to find the root cause and specifically target your strategy on how to start feeling better in less time, and for less money, call me to set up a free 15 minute consultation and to schedule your Healthy Home Consultation or Private Healing Session.
And make sure to check my latest promotions and ask about package pricing.
About Michelle
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website or provided through our programs and/or services is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice from your physician, midwife, or other health care or mental health professional.
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