Melissa Murphy

Thinking about redecorating your home? Why not choose the latest eco-friendly options which reduce allergens and are kind to you and the environment.

Words: Melissa Murphy

Carpets, paint, furniture…Have you considered the hidden allergens and toxins they could be filling your home with? Not only could pesky toxins be affecting your family’s health but they could also be affecting the environment.

There is currently a shift towards eco-friendly options – otherwise known as ethical living - and this trend is spreading to the house building industry. This can only be a good thing for allergy sufferers, as eco-friendly houses will contain fewer toxins, reducing both allergies and chemical sensitivities.

At the forefront of this change is the Super E house programme, which started in Canada and came to the UK in 2002. Super E homes use building materials with low or zero toxic emissions. The houses are specially constructed to offer controlled ventilation and ensure a supply of fresh air while controlling moisture. The walls inside a Super E home are very dry, preventing the growth of mould spores, which is fantastic considering that mould is one of the most common allergens in the home, along with dust mites and pets.

Jeff Culp of the Super E programme, says that houses in the UK are particularly prone to mould: “The UK’s humid climate creates a perfect breeding ground for mould spores and British houses are known to be leaky and draughty. All of this creates ideal conditions for health problems to thrive.

“What most people don’t realise is that one of the best ways to address this is to increase their home’s energy efficiency,” he adds. “While it’s generally understood that energy efficient houses cost less to operate, few realise that the biggest bonus is its health advantages.”

So what is the building industry doing to address these problems? In 2002, building regulations changed to significantly increase energy efficiency. This allowed companies like the Super E programme to enter the UK market. New changes to the regulations came into effect in April 2006 and will, for the first time, take into consideration air leakage which can account for 50 per cent of the heat lost in your home. 

Despite the lack of all-singing, all-dancing advertising campaigns, there are companies committed to improving the air quality inside our homes. Alpine Environments, for example, has developed a heat recovery ventilation system for home installation. This includes a heat exchanger and pollen filters, designed to drop the humidity below 55 per cent preventing the growth of mould spores.

Home improvements

Manufacturers are starting to embrace the trend for clean living and are keen to highlight the benefits that their products have for allergy sufferers. Flotex Flooring’s Jason Pethard says:

“Over the last few years, as people learn more about allergens within the home, our customers have started to tell us about the positive benefits our hygienic flooring has, particularly for people with asthma. So we decided to approach the British Allergy Foundation who conducted rigorous testing and gave our product its seal of approval.” 

As well as flooring, another aspect of your home to consider is wood. The UK requires at least 6.4 million hectares of forest, an area nine times the size of Ireland, to supply our yearly demand for timber products. So, if you’re replacing any timber products in your home, buy wood products that come from sustainable sources or use reclaimed timber. Look out for wood products with the FSC logo; this means it is approved by the Forest Stewardship Council and is from a sustainable source. Don’t forget to recycle your old wood, it is estimated that each year up to 420,000 tonnes of waste wood is produced by households. Contact your local authority for sites near you where you can recycle wood.

Where do I start?
It can be hard to adopt an eco-friendly way of life, but it’s not impossible! Just think, if it helps to ease your symptoms, it’s worth every effort.

Flooring
Damp carpet encourages mould growth and harbours dust mites and animal dander which, when released into the air (by vacuuming) can trigger a reaction. Carpet backings can also contain chemicals that release toxins into the air. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and, if you can, swap carpets for wooden flooring, tiles or linoleum.

Lighting & windows
Use washable lampshades as fabric ones can hold dust, and buy energy-saving light bulbs - they can last up to ten times longer than average light bulbs. Roller blinds are a good choice for allergy sufferers as they don’t attract dust mites. If you want curtains, buy washable curtains that can be easily cleaned.

Bedding
Your mattress is the mothership for house dust mites. The average mattress contains up to 10,000 pesky mites and, just think, you lie in bed with them all night long! Try using anti-allergy covers on your mattress, duvet and pillows, such as those from Tembur. You can also buy mattresses, duvets and pillows made with a special coating to prevent dust mites. Wash bed sheets regularly at 60 degrees Celsius to kill mites.

Furniture
If you are thinking of replacing your suite, go for leather as house dust mites cannot survive there and consider using an anti-allergy cover on cushions. Solid wood furniture is the most healthiest to use in your home as it’s a natural product and contains no added chemicals or glues, but it’s also the most expensive. Most timber products in our homes are made from pressed woods instead, such particleboard (used for decorative wall covering); and medium density fibreboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture tops).

These man-made products are formed with glues, which can release toxic gases and some adhesives contain urea-formaldehyde resins. Formaldehyde is a toxic gas that, at low levels, can cause irritation in the eyes, nose, throat and skin. The average home should have formaldehyde levels below 0.1 parts per million. In homes with significant amounts of new pressed wood products, levels can be greater than 0.3 parts per million, which can trigger asthma attacks and case watery eyes, nausea, difficulty in breathing and burning sensations in the eyes and throat of sensitive people. There is also evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde.

If you do buy pressed wooden furniture, air it before use to reduce levels of formaldehyde. Using an air purifier or dehumidifier can also help. If you have any wall cabinets, try to build them right up to the ceiling to avoid dust collecting in hard-to-reach spots. And, if you have upholstered furniture, then vacuum regularly and wash covers at 60 degrees Celsius, as this is enough to kill those pesky dust mites.

Walls
There are published safe emission levels for paints and varnishes, so check carefully before you give your house a fresh coat. An organic paint such as Ecos Organic Paints, is likely to have a zero or low emission level. If you’re using tiles in your kitchen and bathrooms, use water-resistant grouting and make sure it’s flush with the work surface to prevent mould forming on the walls.

All that’s left to do is sit back and enjoy your low-allergen home.

YOUR ECO-FRIENDLY HOME SHOPPING GUIDE

Get your hands on these home-essentials.

1. Ecos organic paints are odourless and solvent-free. They’re available in 108 shades and in matt, soft sheen, eggshell gloss or stain gloss finishes. The paints. From £13.37 for one liter of white eggshell pain, call 01453 752216 or visit www.healthy-house.co.uk

2. Tempur mattresses and pillows are less likely to attract dust mites because they’re treated with a special anti-bacterial agent and encased in a barrier designed to prevent dust mites from getting in. From £49.95 for pillows; £625 for combi mattresses (15 cm in depth); £449 for the overlay mattress (7 cm in depth). Call 08000 111081 or visit www.tempur.co.uk.

3. Flotex flooring has passed rigorous tests to earn a Seal of Approval from the British Allergy Foundation. Its special upright fibres preventing even microscopic allergens from becoming airborne. Price on quotation, call 0800 0282161 or visit www.flotex.co.uk

4. Oreck Air 8 Hypo-Allergenic Air Purifier and Ioniser is a stylish streamlined black and silver air filter that uses a five-stage filtration process to deep clean your breathing space every ten minutes. £189.95, call 0800 684 684 or visit www.oreck.co.uk

5. Arbor Vetum furniture is made from eco-friendly recycled teak and has an indoor and outdoor range. Each and every product is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). A garden Easy Chair costs £550, call 0845 606 6818 or visit www.arborvetum.co.uk