Best for the Healthy Home
Try these 10 products to clean up your indoor environment.
January/February 2006
By Nancy Nachman-Hunt
1. Vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters can rid your floors and carpets of all but the most minute allergy- and illness-causing particles. Miele Vacuums make a series of canister-style vacuums featuring HEPA filters. S314 model: $649. (800) 843-7231
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2. Natural Home Design Center’s all-wool Biohaus carpet is made without synthetic glues, dyes, synthetic latex, stain repellents, or mothproofing. $40 to $60 per yard. (707) 571-1229;
3. Use the IonLite as you would a standard 60- or 75-watt light bulb, but you get the benefits of negative ions, which help rid indoor air of bacteria, dust, pollens, and other health-compromising culprits. In addition, negative ions increase production of serotonin, the brain’s feel-good chemical. $29.95. (661) 255-3024
4. Best Paint’s indoor and outdoor paints and primers contain very few (or no) potentially harmful gases known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). $26 to $38 per gallon. (206) 783-9938
5. EcoWater Systems’ reverse-osmosis water-treatment system dramatically reduces impurity levels in water—while also reducing energy bills by helping your water heater work more efficiently. Prices for whole-home systems vary widely. (800) 808-9899
6. Sweating in a sauna helps your body detoxify, but aromatic woods and synthetic glues in many home saunas can be problematic for those with chemical sensitivities or allergies. Heavenly Heat’s custom saunas are made from non-aromatic white poplar with no synthetic adhesives, fiberglass, plexiglass, or varnish. Available through EcoMall. $2,800 to $5,000. (845) 679-2490;