Germ Guardian UV-C Room Air Sanitizer Review

Just in time for flu season! No, I don't have germaphobia, you would know that if you came to my house. It isn't exactly sparkling clean. I was looking for a way to clean the air though now that winter is here and I can't air out the house everyday with a baby at home. Never mind that it is below zero most nights and even during the day. There are many air cleaning gadgets out there but how many can claim that they kill 99% of viruses and airborne bacteria? How many use technology that hospitals rely on to sanitize their air? The Germ Guardian Air Sanitizer uses UV-C light to do just that. Thanks to Germ Guardian we were able to test their product and write this review.

DESIGN: The Germ Guardian UV-C Room Air Sanitizer has a modern, futuristic design. The stainless steel construction is both durable and will look good in any interior environment. It really looks great in any room in my house, be it the bathroom or the bedroom. There are also other colors on the market if you want a different look (red, blue, orange, black). It has two openings, one that takes air in and one that disperses clean air. It emits some light and can double as a night light. My only complaint is that the operation is louder than I expected. Though to put it in perspective, yesterday my daughter and I fell asleep with it on! So I guess you can call it white noise if you will.

EFFICACY: There are many gadgets on the market that claim to do something but have nothing to show for it. This Room Air Sanitizer has been tested by the Harvard School of Public Health and by independent third party laboratories. So you can rest assured you are paying for something that actually works and can live up to its claims.

In terms of our experience with Germ Guardian UV-C Room Air Sanitizer, it also lives up to its claims in my unscientific way. So what does it do? In our experience the air in the room where it has been on for a minimum of 24 hours has more resemblance to fresh outdoor air. It does kill odors as well, but you have to have it continuously running. My real hope for it was our moldy bathroom. Unfortunately I did not have the time to leave it on in that room for more than 12 hours. Even in that amount of time the air changed for the better. But the mold needs some major remedy that an air sanitizer can't offer. I am also looking forward to seeing what it can do for us this season in terms of getting sick less or shortening the duration of sickness (our friends that used it had a great experience with it in that aspect).

VALUE: The Germ Guardian UV-C Room Air Sanitizer costs anywhere from $100 to $200 depending on where you buy it and what model you choose. A refurbished one costs $70. If you think about it in terms of health, it is a great investment. It can possibly help you avoid or minimize time off from work due to colds, flu, and other viruses.

If you are looking to sanitize surfaces (such as door knobs, cutting boards, toys, toilets, countertops, etc), Germ Guardian has you covered as well with UV-C light wands. Take a look at their website for more information.

PERFECT FOR:

• Baby Nursery
• Daycare
• Homes with children (especially those in public schools and daycare)
• Home or business office
• Libraries, museums, and archives
• Elderly homes
• Classrooms
• Public places such as banks, post offices, and stores

VISIT THE GERM GUARDIAN WEBSITE

Disclaimer: I did not receive payment for this review. I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service. The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

Mythic Paint Review

My affair with Mythic Paint goes back about a year and a half ago. I was pregnant with our first child and browsing through a pregnancy magazine I spotted an eye catching advertisement. Naturally I went online to find out more about them. I was excited to find non-toxic paint to say the least. In January of 2009, being nine months pregnant, I invited Mythic to host a Lunch 'n Learn in our office at Rob Bramhall Architects. I was more than impressed and decided that I will never paint with anything else in my life, period.

After our daughter was born we put off painting our living room for a long time because of finances. This past August though Mythic was kind enough to send us some paint to try and I present to you my account of the truly legendary Mythic Paint.

After

Before

The Buzz: So what makes Mythic so special and how come it stands apart from other paints? If you are new to the 'indoor air quality' scene, I'll fill you in. Your average paint contains a multitude of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Yes, they also contain known carcinogens. Why would anyone make paint that causes cancer you ask? I honestly don't know - but the same question can be applied to everything these days. Like why do they use pesticides on our food if it causes cancer? Or why are most cleaning supplies cancerous as well?

Anyhow, VOCs off-gas for years after you paint your walls. I am sure you are all familiar with that 'new paint' smell as well. It can be a trigger for asthma and other ailments. With Mythic you don't need to worry about any of that. My daughter was contently watching daddy paint in her highchair. I was nearby working on my laptop, no headaches involved. Safe for pets, save for babies, and good for the Earth as a bonus. It is a major step toward better indoor air quality - which at the moment the EPA labels as one of the top five health risks in the US.

Before and After

Performance: If you don't believe me that it performs better than SW and BM paint, you can try it yourself! They now sell 4 oz sample jars to feed your curiosity. I wasn't the one painting, my husband was, but he said that it is better than other paint he used before and has much better coverage. For me though, I was sold at the non-toxic part and would have used it even if the performance was average. Not sure if you want to commit? Two words for you: sample jar.

You see, Mythic Paint doesn't just take out the toxic stuff out of regular paint, which is what other 'green paint' manufacturers do. It is the result of over six years of intensive polymer research conducted by the University of Southern Mississippi. It is completely redesigned in its makeup from the ground up, resulting in something you will not find on the market.

As a latex paint it is very easy to deal with. It washes off tools nicely (if you don't let it dry of course!). We had a drop or two on our laminate flooring, it just peeled off with no issues. Third party performance testing? Sure:
"In 2007 an industry leading independent consulting and testing laboratory service, performed side-by-side comparative tests between Mythic Paint and all other leading paint brands – both their Eco-friendly and premium lines. Tests focused on subjective performance including thickness, sheen, sag resistance, flow and leveling and gloss. Mythic Paint proved to be equal if not better than all competitors. Resistance and durability was analyzed through the industry‟s gold standard in paint performance testing – the „scrub test‟. Mythic Paint substantially outperformed by 1.5 to 8 times the durability of their competitors."

Value: I know what you are thinking, if this paint is so great, am I going to pay more for it too? Yes, it does cost more than your average toxic paint (about $50 a gallon for interior paint). Here is the deal though, in my experience and that of other people who have used it, the coverage of Mythic is superior to that of other paints. This means that you will need less to cover more. For most colors, even one coat is sufficient. You can't put a price on your health though, so this beats the value of all other paints in that aspect. They also have exterior paint. In which case you will be doing the Earth a favor by having one less house painted with toxic exterior paint.

Love their commercials, take a look!



Disclaimer:

I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service. The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

H2O Chlorine Filtering Shower Head Review

For a long time I was aware that chlorinated water is not good for your health. Never mind drinking it, but even just showering in it isn't healthy. I just never realized just how bad it is until my daughters pediatrician recommended bathing her in non-chlorinated water to help clear up a skin condition. So I looked deeper into the subject of chlorinated municipal water while painstakingly using my Nikken Aqua Pour to make enough clean water to bathe my daughter.

You can research it yourself, but I have learned that chlorine in combination with dairy consumption causes clogged arteries in testing on rats. It is also not news that it makes skin dry and hair brittle. I'll just quote from Dr. Mercola's website: "Long-term risks of consuming chlorinated water include excessive free radical formation, which accelerates aging, increases vulnerability to genetic mutation and cancer development, causes difficulty metabolizing cholesterol, and promotes hardening of arteries. Excess free radicals created by chlorinated water also create dangerous toxins in the body. These have been directly linked to liver malfunction, weakening of the immune system and pre-arteriosclerotic changes in arteries."

H₂O International were kind enough to send me one of their chlorine filtering shower heads to try. I've been taking chlorinated showers for years and as well have been suffering from dandruff ever since I can remember. I failed to link the two together though until now. Even with just two weeks of using this chlorine filtering shower head I have seen an improvement. Of course it will take longer than that, but I can feel that even my skin is not as dry as it used to be. This will be especially important in the dry New England winters! It is especially enjoyable not to smell the chlorine anymore while showering. My baby loves taking her baths in this chlorine free water and I have the peace of mind knowing I made the best choice for her health. At the pediatricians recommendation, the combination of Fuzzi Bunz and the H₂O Chlorine Filtering Shower Head made her rash disappear.

It was pretty simple to install, you just need a wrench. It comes with the filter already in it and it will last you about 6-9 months. I enjoy the five different massage settings, you can get a glimpse of them in this video as well as how easy it is to change the filter cartridge. The shower water pressure droped a little once we installed it, I suspect that is because of the filter action. It isn't anything drastic, just a slight change. Overall I highly recommend this product for making a healthy choice for your body and avoiding all the perils of chlorinated water, especially if you have children or heart health issues.

My readers on EcoBabyz, AnV Design, and Lunch.com get a special 20% discount code for H2O International products, just click the graphic below!

House OKs 6.4 Billion to Make Schools Greener

Here is an article that was reprinted by USGBC about the greening of public schools (originally published on May 14, 2009, CNNPolitics.com, Ed Hornick author). Finally, something good for the schools:

Rachel Gutter, of the U.S. Green Building Council, says the benefits of an eco-friendly school will pay off economically.

"The typical green school saves $100,000 a year on direct operating expenses. In school terms, that's enough to hire two new teachers, purchase 200 new computers or 5,000 textbooks," Gutter said.

"So these are major savings. And that's just one year. The typical school lasts 40 years. And when you do the math, it starts to become some serious savings. ... It pays for itself after a few years of operation."

The council, on its Web site, lists several benefits of green buildings, such as improving air and water quality, conserving natural resources, reducing operating costs and improving employee productivity.

But Gutter says that part of the concern over green schools is the fear over construction costs.

"The research shows the greatest barrier to getting more green schools built is the perception that they cost more up front to build," she said. "The fact of the matter is that they don't. ... Building green doesn't have to cost more, and then everything else, all the savings over the lifetime, are just savings you get to put back in your community's pocket."

The legislation, if signed into law, would also help to create new jobs -- around 136,000 positions, according to calculations by the Economic Policy Institute.

But much more is at stake, Gutter says.

"It's about raising a new generation of leaders who inevitably are going to inherit the problems we will leave behind," she said. "So when you're actually able to use the school itself as a teaching tool, as an opportunity for learning, that's when the connections with curriculum really start to happen."

Read entire article here.

Eco Friendly Radiant Heating

Many of us have forced hot air heating systems in our homes. It might have crossed your mind in the winter just how inefficient this method of heating is. Forced 'hot' air they call it? More like barely lukewarm, not to mention that the registers are often placed in the ceiling plane or high on a wall, resulting in cold drafty floors and all your heat escaping through the ceiling before it heats the room. Whoever came up with this system should be ashamed. It does not even follow any basic common sense laws of physics. Should we take into account the poor quality of indoor air that this system creates?

Fortunately there are much better alternatives, radiant heating has been a growing trend. While installation can be costly, it will pay for itself with the money you will save on heating. Radiant floor heat creates a very comfortable indoor environment, it also makes complete sense by all laws of physics. Since hot air rises, a heated floor will distribute it evenly in the entire space and you can say good bye to drafts! Moreover, this kind of heating is great for homes with kids, pets, and people with allergies as it does not create airborne pollutants.

The List: Creating a Healthy Home

I often come across questions from people who are new to sustainable living and they often ask for the 'easy list' on what they can do to make their homes and lives more healthy. Recently I came across an interesting list that I thought was worth it, I attribute the credits to Seventh Generation, you can also view it here.

Light Green Steps to a Healthy Home

1. Use cleaning products made from natural and not-toxic ingredients; avoid cleaners that contain synthetic chemicals.
2. Dust with a damp cloth to ensure that household dust, the final resting place of many toxins that enter our homes, is removed and not stirred back into the air.
3. Open windows and doors occasionally (even in winter!) to bring in fresh air and rinse out pollutants that have accumulated inside.
4. Avoid aerosol products. They fill your home with microscopic droplets of the synthetic chemicals that are often in these sprays.
5. Same for deodorizers or other air “freshening” products, which are frequently made from unhealthy chemicals that coat surfaces and pollute the air your family breathes.
6. Opt for natural pest control methods instead of pesticide products.
7. Keep conventional cleaners and other chemical products out of kids’ bedrooms and playrooms. Click here to learn why children need special protection.
8. Use chlorine-free products to wash dishes. The chlorine in conventional detergents evaporates in hot water and is released into the air in your home.
9. Conduct a radon test. Radon is an odorless natural radioactive gas that seeps into homes from surrounding soil. A simple test can tell you if your home needs abatement measures.
10. Replace synthetic personal care and make-up products with natural alternatives that don’t contain toxins. To learn more about the hazards in personal care products, click here.

Medium Green Steps to a Healthy Home

1. Eat organic food. It’s grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, drug and hormone treatments, and genetic alterations. That makes it healthier for you and the earth.
2. Ask guests to remove their shoes upon entering your home. From pesticides to pollutants, shoes can track unwanted visitors into your home.
3. Clean and inspect combustion devices like furnaces, stoves, and hot water heaters to make sure they’re functioning properly and not venting hazardous gases into your home.
4. Have your water tested for chemicals pollutants like pesticides and chlorine. Install a filter on drinking water taps if pollution is found.
5. Buy a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. These special filters trap particles that regular vacuums can’t catch.
6. Don’t buy soft vinyl products, including toys and shower curtains. These items likely contain phthalates (“thal-ates”), toxic chemicals that easily leach.
7. If your home has a chlorinated water supply, install a filtering showerhead to prevent chlorine from vaporizing in hot shower water.
8. Remove any permanent press, easy-care, wrinkle-free, and/or flame-resistant linens and fabrics that are less than one year old and don’t buy new ones. They are most likely treated with the chemical formaldehyde, which slowly escapes during the first year of use.
9. If your home was built before 1978, test painted surfaces for the presence of lead. Conduct the same tests on your child’s toys.
10. Conduct an indoor air quality test to see if any toxic gases, including formaldehyde or vapors from VOCs, are being emitted by your home furnishings.

Dark Green Steps to a Healthy Home

1. Don’t buy home furnishings or fixtures made from particleboard or other pressed wood products. These can emit dangerous fumes over time. Choose solid wood instead.
2. Choose naturally- or low-impact dyed natural fiber carpets and textile products, and use natural flooring for your home. These products won’t introduce any chemical additives to your environment.
3. Become a "localvore" by eating foods grown within 100 miles of your home. Organic or not, such foods have the lowest overall impact on the environment.
4. Clear out the clutter. Crowded, exposed shelves are dust magnets that collect a disproportionate share of the toxins present in your home. Display your favorite items behind glass instead. To find out more about dust and dusting, click here.
5. Replace synthetic foam mattresses with beds made from untreated cotton, wool, and other natural fibers, and glue-free solid woods.
6. Take the same step with other home furnishings. Synthetic foams and treated textiles are one of the chief sources of toxic flame retardants.
7. Replace your lawn with natural landscaping that provides valuable habitat for your local flora and fauna.
8. Wear naturally-dyed natural fiber clothing and keep synthetic materials, colors, and treatments away from your family’s skin.
9. Swap all your non-stick cookware for cast iron. Properly seasoned cast iron will provide much the same results and won’t leach perfluorochemicals or toxic fumes.
10. Express yourself. Let public officials, corporate leaders, and other decision-makers know how you feel about local, national, and global issues.

Eco Friendly Cellulose Insulation

Most US homes are insulated with fiberglass. What’s the problem with fiberglass insulation? Fiberglass can escape from the insulation, filling the air with the equivalent of microscopic shards of glass. If inhaled, these tiny particles of glass can inflict damage to the lungs. What’s more, fiberglass is considered to be a probable carcinogen by National Institutes of Health. Children are at greater risk than adults when exposed, because they breathe more air – and whatever it contains.

Until recently, the other insulation options consisted of cotton, wool, and petroleum based cellulose insulation. Now you can have the same benefits of cellulose insulation - at the same cost, but without the unfavorable petroleum aspect. Soy-based blow-in insulation is made from a byproduct - oil left over after the beans are crushed to make foodstuff, cosmetics, and other products, that until now was waste. Unlike fiberglass, soybean insulation is non-carcinogenic, has no off-gassing (VOCs, CFCs, HCFCs, or formaldehyde). It eliminates mold and allergens, and is rodent and insect resistant. It also boasts very high sound attenuation properties. Soy based blow-in insulation will make your house stand out from the crowd both in energy savings (50-70% more than fiberglass) and the health of your indoor air. There are also tax credits and rebate programs from energy providers that can help you offset the costs of the investment in soy-based insulation (for the year 2009).

The leading company for soy-based insulation in the Northeast is The Green Cocoon, contact them for more information if you are interested in this insulation for your home or business. You can also visit BioBased, the manufacturer, to find a dealer near you or to find more answers to your questions.

Simple Steps to a Greener Home

If you are looking for ideas for a more sustainable lifestyle for you and your family, check out the DVD Simple Steps to a Greener Home by Danny Seo.

This presentation will show you simple steps that will help you turn your home into an Earth-friendly oasis. Learn more about implementing recycling, decorating, and remodeling that is Eco-friendly.

The book Plug-in-Hybrids by Sherry Boschert is an interesting read. Plug-in hybrids are a part of the environmental solution, and the technology to put them into mass production is already existent. Demand for plug-ins is nearly at a fever pitch already, and this book examines how you can get one, along with just what they are and why you want one.



For further home and lifestyle greening check out this book Solar Electric System Design and Installation:

Greening your interiors

Some might say that the green design movement is just another passing fad. Though we can see clearly it affects nearly all categories, not just design. It is a green living movement. When people realize that there is something terribly wrong with babies being born pre-polluted, the indoor air they breathe being hazardous, and a growing amount of the food they eat laden with chemicals - they inevitably change their lifestyle. Of course I am not speaking for the millions of ignorant people who could care less about what is in their food and their bodies.

This lifestyle movement gave birth to a movement towards creating more healthy indoor environments. After all, we spend a lot more time indoors than out. One could argue exactly when this movement emerged, but I would say and most will agree it grew over a period of time and did not happen overnight. The air inside your home is approximately 50 times more toxic than outdoor air. The figure will not change much even if you live in downtown Manhattan. So the next time you whip out your brush to repaint your house, consider the consequences this will have on the quality of your indoor air. I am not talking about the 2 weeks that you'll smell the paint - I am talking about what you will not smell and what will off gas for years to come. If you really care about the health of your family, your children, and yes, even your dog Rover - don't skimp on some zero VOC paint. It will not break your bank, and might actually save some money in the long run (those co-pays at doctor's visits really add up).