The Eco Expert Answers Your Eco Questions
(Page 2 of 4)
September/October 1999
By Debra Lynn Dadd
And, yes, plants can remove air pollutants. The best varieties are aloe vera, bamboo palm, common chrysanthemum, dracaena palm, philodendron, golden pothos, spider plant, and schefflera. However, the scientific tests that prove the effectiveness of plants at removing pollutants were conducted with only one plant in a twelve-cubic-foot area. Since the area of an average 9-by-12-foot room with an 8-foot ceiling is 864 cubic feet, you would need seventy-two plants to duplicate these results—a virtual jungle.
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Plants are an excellent way to bring nature’s greenery indoors and freshen the air, but don’t rely on a single plant or two to act as an effective air cleaner in a heavily polluted environment. It’s always best to remove the source of pollutants.
More information on the subject can be found in How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office by B. C. Wolverton (Penguin USA, 1997), who conducted the original research on this subject for NASA.
Skunking that Skunk Smell
Our dog was just sprayed by a skunk, and I’ve been desperately roaming the Internet looking for a safe deodorizing formula for the “eau de burned tire.” Can you be of help?
I had once heard that tomato juice is a nontoxic antidote for skunk odor but never had the occasion—thank goodness!—to try it. I’ve heard mixed reviews on tomato juice. A coworker passed on this alternate solution.
1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid soap
Place solution on for 5 minutes and rinse. “Amazing!” she says. “Trust me. It works.”
Carpet Conundrums
Can you tell me how to clean my carpets safely and naturally? I’m not certain that I want to use carpet shampoo.
The active ingredient in most rug, carpeting, and upholstery shampoos is percholorethylene, a solvent commonly used as a spot remover. It also is a known human carcinogen, and its immediate effects on users include dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, and feelings of disorientation.
The safest carpeting deodorizers on the market consist of scented baking soda in fancy packages. Unscented baking soda works just as well. To deodorize your carpeting naturally, first make sure it is dry, then sprinkle it liberally with baking soda. By liberally, I mean it should look as though it has been snowed on. You will need several pounds for a nine-by-twelve-foot room. Wait fifteen minutes or longer, then vacuum. Although this treatment removes odors, it won’t remove spots.
For a general cleaning, rent a “steam vacuum” without the accompanying shampoo. The steam itself will do much to lift dirt and dust. You also can add your own natural soap product.
This subject came up on a recent Natural Home radio show (see page 24 for time and stations). A listener called to say that he cleans his carpets with a citrus-based cleaner that he dilutes with water in a garden watering can. He sprinkles some on the carpeting, then vacuums it up with a wet/dry vacuum.