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by Dr. Trevor Holly Cates

We spend a great deal of time in our kitchens; cooking, cleaning, eating and sometimes socializing. During that time, we may be exposed to a number of toxins that can negatively impact our health. Do you know what’s lurking in your kitchen?

Cleaning products stored under the kitchen sink can contribute to poor indoor air quality. The chemicals in cleaning supplies vary in toxicity levels. The warning labels refer to acute exposures only and often provide inadequate information. Exposure to some of the ingredients can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment. The long-term effects are not known for many of the compounds, but some are known to cause cancer in animals; others are known to cause cancer in humans. Switching to eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products is a great place to start making your home greener. (more…)

by Liesl Bradner

A little bark is going a long way in the greening of home flooring. Bark is the core substance in cork, a material which has been used for floors since 1894 and has recently re-emerged as the environmentally friendly choice of flooring for home and commercial use.

“People want something that is green, and with cork you never have to cut down any trees,” explains Tom Banner, owner of Cork USA in Sherman Oaks, California. Cork is harvested from the bark of a tree every nine years and takes seven to ten years to grow back. With an average lifespan of over 200 years, the harvesting enables trees to thrive without harmful chemicals and herbicides.

The benefits of using cork flooring are endless. It’s durable, comfortable, quiet and maintains an even temperature. Unlike carpet, cork is hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so it does not cause allergies and is naturally resistant to mold, mildew and termites too. And no shocking static electricity can be generated from cork floors. To top it all off, cork floors look beautiful too! (more…)