Sustainable Kitchen Renovations

12 Ways to Be Sustainable in Kitchen Renovations

Healthy Homes

When you plan a kitchen renovation, you may not be thinking along the lines of a sustainable lifestyle, but there are plenty of ways to be eco-friendly and save the earth’s resources while renovating. For example, ordering your materials carefully so you are not wasting anything. Here are some more tips to improve the sustainability of your kitchen renovation from the experts in the field, Kitchen Professionals.

Bamboo Interior

  • Choose building supplies such as bamboo that are easily renewable or plentiful. It can be used for cabinets and floors as well.
  • Use paints and other things such as glue and lacquer that do not contain harmful toxic gases that waft up into the air – and into your lungs.
  • Choose eco-friendly fabrics – natural cotton or at least cotton blends, bamboo fabrics or even fabric made from wool, all of which is renewable in its raw state each year.
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Kitchen Renovation

Kitchen Renovation Timeline

Healthy Homes

Choosing your builder or cabinet maker to renovate your kitchen is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming as there are so many decisions to make. There are many different kinds of kitchens and the style you choose will dictate to a certain extent how many other decisions must be made. A modern kitchen design requires fewer materials, so not as many decisions will be needed.

That said, there are still choices to be made about what you want in materials, appliances, colours, textures and so on, so here is a kitchen renovation timeline to help know which to consider first.

Step 1: Choose the appliances, lighting and sink/s. This will help when it comes to planning the design and development of the layout as your professional kitchen designer will need to know what space is left over for cupboards, how big the bench space is and where these things will fit.

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Carport

6 Things to Consider Before Installing Your Carport

Healthy Homes

It is easy to get carried away and eager to get the job done once you have made the decision to install a patio or carport on your property, but there are several things you need to consider before you even order it.  Not thinking about what you really need beforehand can mean you end up with a carport that does not really suit your needs. Even though getting a carport may seem like a simple thing to do, consider these 6 elements first.

  • Will it be wide enough? Cars are all different sizes and shapes so you need to be sure that your car will fit in the carport properly with enough room to open the doors on both sides at the same time. Otherwise there is soon going to be a door that is dented or scratched.
  • Do you have one car or two? Many people have two cars, so getting a carport meant for one car is not going to suit your needs. If you only have one car now, might the family end up with two cars in a few years, when the children are old enough to need a car for uni or work? Thinking ahead to your future needs can save on costs.
  • Is it high enough? Some people may have a truck or van, a caravan or a boat that could be stored in the carport – so long as it is high enough and wide enough. Since you are going to the trouble of installing one at all, it may as well be one that can store multiple vehicles if you have them. Keeping that caravan or boat under cover will extend its life, after all.
  • Is your ground level? Sometimes this is the last thing people think about. Even a slight slope can cause problems if you don’t build up the lower side. Carports are designed to go on level ground, so you will need to either level the ground somehow, or build it up with cement blocks. Or you might find concreting the whole area is a better solution.
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Right Excavator

How to Hire the Right Excavator for Your Project

Healthy Homes

Once you start to plan a full property renovation it won’t be long before you see the need for plant hire or equipment hire. Most renovators find such equipment far too expensive to buy outright, especially when it won’t be in use all the time. It would never pay for itself by sitting in a shed waiting for the next project to pop up.

If your block of ground is on a slope, it is highly likely that you will need to level off at least some of the ground before you can complete the renovation, especially if you intend to add another room or deck. You might even want to have a veranda going right around the house.

If you are also going to do some landscaping to go with your new renovations, get that work done at the same time you hire the machinery for the other work. It just takes a bit of planning ahead to save money. Hire rates are usually by the hour or the day, so if your building project only takes a couple of hours with the machinery, you may as well use it while it’s there to level off the driveway, fill up a hole, dig a hole for the swimming pool or do whatever else you have planned for the future.

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Health Risks in Landscaping

Health Risks in Landscaping

Healthy Homes

While landscaping can be considered a healthy job because you get lots of exercise and fresh air, there are also health risks that you need to be aware of in order to take preventative measure or eliminate them altogether. Some of these can cause injury, while others can actually make you sick, rather than injured.

  • Concreting is often a big part of landscaping if the client wants pathways, driveway or a concrete floor put in for an alfresco area. They may want a wall built or steps to the back deck. In many cases you can get a mini concrete truck in with enough mixed cement to do the job. But sometimes it is a small job that requires a concrete mixer and shovel. There are two main things involved that can affect your health. Lifting bags of cement that are very heavy and breathing in the dust from it. The latter can be particularly bad because the dust is very fine, yet it’s heavy, just like the concrete. It can get into your lungs and cause a condition called silicosis or lung cancer. Apart from that it can irritate the eyes, upper respiratory tract and the skin. Protect yourself with mask, goggles, gloves and long-sleeves.
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Sustainable Lifestyle

13 Tips for a Sustainable Lifestyle

Healthy Homes

Many people live a lifestyle that is basically wasteful and so it is not sustainable.  Waste in the form of anything you use in life that is discarded into landfill and in some cases causes pollution of some kind should be avoided if at all possible.  Many things can be sold or given to a charity rather than being thrown in the bin. Other things can be mended, repainted and generally make to look like new so they can be re-used. Here are 13 sustainability tips to make your lifestyle more eco-friendly.

  • As children outgrow their toys, put them away for the next child to grow into, or sell them, give them away or swap them for something else. The latter is particularly good for computer games.
  • Have a garage sale for unwanted goods rather than throwing them away. One man’s trash is another’s treasure.
  • Donate goods to a charity or op-shop when you don’t want them.
  • Sell unused clothing online. This is very useful for children’s clothing as they can grow out of it so quickly it is still in good condition.
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Interior Design Mistakes

5 Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid

Healthy Homes

You don’t always need an interior designer to tell you that something is wrong with the design of a room. Sometimes it can just feel off, even if you are not sure why. It’s a good idea to stop and take a look at everything to pinpoint the problem. Here are some tips to ensure your own decorating doesn’t make your rooms feel just not quite right.

  • Ensure the furniture is positioned properly. When you first move into an apartment, the furniture is pushed hurriedly into place before the room is set up with all the other elements. You may have simply worked those other things in around the first positioning of the sofa, when really, it should be somewhere else. Ask yourself where to focal point of the room is. Maybe there is a fireplace that is crying out to be the focal point, while all the furniture is pointed at the television set, on another wall.
  • The room could be bottom heavy if there are too many element low down. This will make it feel unpleasant. To fix this feel, the design elements should be lifted up higher than they are at present. Wall art should be hung higher; if lights dangle down low, have them replaced with shorter ones; remove some things from the floor if it is overcrowded. You may even need to repaint the walls a lighter colour.
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Glass Showerscreens

12 Advantages of Glass Showerscreens

Healthy Homes

Just because a home is affordable doesn’t mean it has to be cheap and nasty. Glass shower screens add a touch of elegance to any bathroom, no matter if the home is in the billion dollar range or much less. In fact, there is more to them than their good looks.

Here are some advantages of installing a shower screen made of glass.

  • It is less likely to develop mould on the surface, so is easy to clean.
  • Glass in the bathroom makes it look larger as it is transparent so the draws the eye beyond it to the far walls.
  • It makes the bathroom look lighter as glass does not throw shadows, but lets the light through.
  • It allows you to have a decorative wall or wall feature beyond it that can still be seen from the doorway even if the showerscreen is there.
  • They are light to use as any light from outside, such as natural light from a window will shine through the glass instead of casting the area into shadow.
  • Glass is very durable. Shower screens are made from toughened glass that can withstand hard knocks and bumps.
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Property Maintenance

10 Property Maintenance Tips To Save Money

Healthy Homes

When you own property there will always be maintenance to do on it, whether it is cleaning up the grounds outside or painting the building. Most people want their property to look neat and tidy without it costing them a bomb, so here are some property maintenance tips that will actually save money over the long run.Property Maintenance

  • Fix it while it’s small. No matter what it is; a leak, paint chipped off or some mould somewhere, if you tackle it immediately it won’t cost lot to fix. But if you leave it, the end result could cost thousands.
  • Check for water leaks frequently. Get them fixed as soon as possible.
  • Check that roof tiles are not loose. If they are they’ll likely blow off in the next storm and allow a deluge into your ceiling.
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Cleaning Your Swimming Pool

Tips to Make Cleaning Your Swimming Pool Easier

Healthy Homes

Many people have chosen to install swimming pools in their backyards to add enjoyment and fun to those long, hot summer days. Nearly every child enjoys a dip in the pool and some become water babies, spending every spare moment possible playing and swimming in their pool. It’s a great way to ensure your children get plenty of exercise and forget their electronic devices for a little while.

The downside is that it takes quite a lot of work to keep the pool clean and ensure the water is hygienic enough to swim in.  Here are some tips to make the job easier.

  • Since leaves and debris should be removed daily, this job can be delegated to the children, or an older child who is responsible enough to do it properly. It teaches them that work must be done by everyone if fun is to be had.  Encourage all children to remove a floating leaf while they are swimming or playing in the pool.  If some debris sinks, have diving competitions to see who can get the most debris from the bottom. A prize or two will make it more fun.
  • Save up for an automatic pool cleaner. There are many that are reasonably priced and some clean the sides as well as the bottom of the pool. Use it regularly and sure you take care of your pool cleaner.
  • If yours doesn’t clean the sides, keep a good lookout for algae and attack it immediately. Watch for shady areas where it is most likely to start. Scrubbing the sides every second week should prevent it.
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Security Fencing

4 Tips For Choosing The Best Security Fencing

Healthy Homes

According to Eline Fencing, most homeowners have some kind of fencing around the perimeter of their homes, but it is not always security fencing. But increasingly these days, you need to know that your family and home are safe from burglary or home invasion.

There are obviously a few ways that you can deal with property security. Some of these are Security Cameras, Alarm Systems, Gate Intercom Systems and Security Fencing. For fencing you will need to install the kind of fence that will keep intruders out.

Not all so-called safety fencing is going to do what it is supposed to. Here are 4 tips to choosing the right kind of fence.

  • Make sure the fence doesn’t provide a hiding place. Fences you can’t see through will provide a place for any burglar to hide so they cannot be seen from the house. This is the kind of fence that burglars like best, since if you don’t know they are there they can work out how to get over the fence and you won’t know anything about it. They may even be able to spy on your house through a crack – or the gate – and find out if anyone is home or not.
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Garden Design

Ways Pots can Enhance Your Garden Design

Healthy Homes

Many people have pot plants they love, but often they don’t make as much of them as they could. For instance, you often see garden pots made of black plastic holding a beautiful shrub or flower and the effect is actually quite ruined by that awful looking pot.  Or even if the pot is nice, it is not placed in a way that gives it the best advantage visually.Garden Pots

Here are some of the many ways in which pots can enhance your garden design.

  • A large pot can be used as a feature in the middle of a small garden or garden section. It can have a very dramatic effect on the landscape by using a pot with a bright colour that forms a contrast to everything else surrounding it.
  • You can have a row of decorative pots –and plants – on a hard surface such as gravel or concrete. This can be seen in some low maintenance gardens as the pots form the major point of visual attractiveness.
  • Pots with small fruit trees also add appeal to the garden or a small courtyard area and they can also bear fruit to enjoy fresh or make jam from. The fruit adds colour in its season, while the pot looks attractive all year round.
  • In combination with another feature. Pots make a great addition to another feature such as a water feature or a gazebo in the garden.
  • They can be used along the swimming pool to add interest to an area that might otherwise look bare. Make sure they all match and are not too close to the edge. Most plants don’t like pool water.
  • Use a garden pot for something different, such as a fish pond. Half barrels or even a deep pot would be suitable for this.
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Selling Your Property

Real Estate Advice for Selling Your Property

Healthy Homes

If you are trying to sell your home, the most common property renovation advice would be to create street appeal.  If your home looks attractive from the street, people who want to buy a home will always be interested in looking further. If it looks unattractive on the outside, it won’t matter how pristine the inside is, people won’t want to look at it.

Here are some more tips for selling your home.

  • Most real estate agents would tell you to get all the yard cleaned up, with new flowers and shrubs in the garden.
  • Keep the lawn mowed neatly.
  • Scrub the outside of the walls if they look a bit mouldy or dingy and you can’t afford to paint it. This will give it a fresh look.
  • Paint the outside window frames, the front door and the gate to enhance the look.
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Bare Feet

Healthy Living – with Bare Feet

Healthy Homes

In all the advice about healthy living, you won’t find many people talking about tossing the shoes and going barefoot, yet spending time without having your feet enclosed in shoes and socks is very beneficial in several ways. In fact, running without shoes is very healthy, even more so than walking without them.  Here are 10 reasons to run or walk with bare feet.

  • It’s cooler on a hot day to go without shoes, and it makes you more aware of the environment you are in because you can feel it through your feet.
  • It makes your feet lighter, especially if you go jogging. Shoes add weight to your stride which puts a lot of weight on your muscles and joints, damaging them.
  • When you run in bare feet you naturally land on the front half of your foot. When you run in joggers or even expensive running shoes, your heel comes down first and the action is similar to having your heel hit with a hammer. It causes a lot of damage that even the most expensive shoes can’t stop.
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Limestone Walls

The Many Advantages of Limestone Walls

Healthy Homes

One thing that most beautiful homes have is some kind of fencing, whether it is a boundary fence, swimming pool fence or retaining walls in the garden, so essential on a sloping or steep block. Rather than having something ordinary, you could have a fence made from limestone blocks that would totally enhance your property and add value to it.

Higher limestone walls would be ideal for both shade and privacy, offering a material that is long lasting, durable and beautiful as well. Lower walls made from the same material would be a great way to put an attractive edging around a garden or along the drive.

There are two types of limestone blocks or bricks.

  1. Natural limestone that is cut from the quarry into the size and shape required.
  2. Reconstituted limestone that is made from crushed limestone with the addition of other materials such as concrete aggregate.

Both have aesthetic properties and are strong and stable for all kinds of use around the home. However, the latter choice is even more eco friendly in that it uses all the waste from broken limestone that would otherwise be unusable. So if a piece of the corner chips off the former block so it can’t be sold, both the chip and the block are crushed to form another kind of limestone block that is made even stronger with the addition of concrete.

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Backyard Project

The Backyard Project

Healthy Homes

A Gazebo

It was a DIY project in the back yard. He wanted to build a gazebo in an area of the yard that had been sectioned off and already contained a fishpond built on three levels to create a two – waterfall effect. There was no lawn in that area, but lovely green turf was something that was in his sights.

The Material

After putting together a plan, well, a concept really, he went out and purchased all the timber required and then the roofing material which would be green Colorbond sheeting. Tape measure, power saw, level, hammer, nails, fasteners, cordless driver and a whole host of other material and tools were on the list. To complete the job, flywire sliders on the openings to keep out pesky mosquitoes as the sun went down, and flies, while the sun was up.

Show Off

This was not the biggest DIY project attempted. He had built an additional room onto an old house up in the Hills area and it included a toilet and a shower. So, in comparison, this was a minor engineering job but somehow more important. Why? Well, this one was on show to all the neighbours and friends and visitors that would be coming to parties and there’s nothing more than compliments on a job well done by friends to make a bloke’s chest puff out that little bit more!

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Transport Company

How to Choose a Sustainable Transport Company

Healthy Homes

Sustainability practices form a basis for choice in many people’s lives these days. We choose to deal with companies that follow at least some sustainable practices in their business, so how can we choose a transport company in the same way? What does sustainability look like for such a company?

You can use a platform to choose a freight company where freight must be sent from A to B in our modern world and there are many different kinds of vehicles used in its transportation, from plane to ship and from van through to huge semi-trailer or BWs. Goods can even travel by car, motor bike or pushbike – think in terms of mail or newspapers for the last few.

The thing is, how can we know which freight companies use sustainable practices in their business? it’s not that easy to tell, but here are a few hints.

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carpet beetle

Signs of Carpet Moth or Beetle Infestation

Healthy Homes

Any carpet cleaners like professional teams such as Brilliance Carpet Cleaning Perth, will tell you that as bad as fleas in the carpet area, carpet moths are worse because they damage the fibres. Or rather, it is their larvae that do all the damage, munching their way through those tasty, natural fibres until they finally encase themselves in a cocoon and turn into a moth. Then of course, the cycle starts all over again. One carpet moth can lay up to 150 eggs and these will hatch into tiny and very hungry caterpillars within 5 days.

So how can you tell if that moth fluttering around inside is a carpet moth? The adult carpet moth is beige or brown in colour and has a small wingspan of 14-18ml. It is wise to get rid of any moth that is inside – or at least catch it and let it go outside if you are that way inclined. At least it won’t lay eggs that will hatch into little grubs that can ruin your carpet.

Here are some signs of carpet moth infestation: –

  • Carpet fibres that have come loose for no apparent reason. This happens because the larvae ate the knots.
  • You might see little caterpillars crawling around under your carpet.
  • You may notice tiny cocoons that blend in with the wool in your carpet. Often they are a flat, oval shape with pointed ends.
  • Moths flying around the room.
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Recycle When Moving

What To Recycle When You are Moving

Healthy Homes

Moving can be a stressful time, but if you start to get organised before a company such as Brilliance Removalists Perth turn up you will find it is not nearly as traumatic. One thing that can be done early is sort out what you want to take with you and what you should recycle. This can reduce your possessions so you have less to pack. And having less to load will surely please the removalist.

So how do you decide what to toss? Here are some tips.

  • Clothing – if you haven’t worn it for two years it is unlikely that you want or need it. Sell it online or have a garage sale. Or you can simply donate it to a charity.
  • Toys – kids grow out of toys and don’t want to play with them anymore. Give them to friends, family, neighbours or the op-shop. Sell them online or at a garage sale.
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Carpet Stains

How to Deal With the Four Worst Carpet Stains

Healthy Homes

If you have carpet in your home like most people, there is sure to come a day when something gets spilled on it.  When this happens, quick cleaning must be undertaken immediately so that the spill doesn’t soak right through the base of the carpet into the floor underneath and so the stain doesn’t set.  If you simply leave it to dry it will be twice as difficult to get out and the stain may never be fully removed. However, professional carpet cleaners like Brilliance Cleaning can usually do a good job of cleaning most carpets.

So what are the four worst stains in a carpet? Most people will agree that they are: –

  • Coffee
  • Blood
  • Grease and
  • Red wine

Here are some tips to deal with these biggies and reduce their effect on your precious floor covering.

  • Never use hot water as this will set most stains, but especially blood.
  • How to get these stains out of the carpet depends a lot on what the carpet is made of. Wool must be treated more gently than nylon. Wool carpets should not be saturated with water or cleaner as they take a longer time to dry and it could result in a patch of mould forming.
  • Blot the stain from the outside in to prevent the stain spreading.
  • Use a white towel that is damp rather than dry as water helps to absorb the stain.
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Importance of Scaffolding

The Importance of Scaffolding for DIY House Renovations

Healthy Homes

When you are doing your own home renovations there will be many jobs that require you to reach up to high places. Painting the walls and ceilings is just one of them. It is very important to have safe scaffolding for these jobs so that you remain safe while doing them, and so the jobs are much easier to accomplish.

Without scaffolding to support you, it is possible and even likely that you could have an accident or a fall, through overextending your reach on the ladder. In fact, the ladder is not all that safe whether it is inside or out. Inside, it can slip on the floor and outside, the ground can sink under one leg and cause the ladder to tip, throwing you off balance.

If you are a handyman, you may be able to make your own scaffolding, especially if you can weld. You can prepare it carefully and ensure it is attached to the outer walls in a way that will prevent you from falling. It gives you a wide and stable surface you can stand on to operate power tools or wield a paintbrush from.

In addition, you can create a long piece of scaffold that enables you to paint a whole wall without getting down, so the job will be done much more quickly and you won’t get as tired. Every building job requires support of some kind, even if it is minimal; for instance, a one-storey home on flat ground. You still need to reach up to those walls and ceilings to paint or do the renovation you had planned.

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Eco Friendly Moving

How to Make Your Home Removal Eco Friendly

Healthy Homes

Taking care to make your home removal eco-friendly is quite easy and has the added advantage of saving on costs. According to Brilliance Removals, not all removalists are into saving the earth’s resources, but that doesn’t matter; you can do your part and feel satisfied that every small bit helps.

Here’s how: –

  • Save on packaging materials of both paper and plastics by using your soft towels, hand towels, tea towels, jumpers and other smaller clothing items to wrap breakables in and to wedge between items in the boxes.
  • Use blankets, doonas and larger towels on the bottom of the boxes and to wrap around mirrors and wall art, or that glass table top.
  • Crumple up old newspapers and magazines to form packaging, thus using them twice before they are thrown away.
  • Choose a removalist that is close to you or get back freight from one going back to your destination. This saves on the overall use of fuel, even though it may not save your costs. However, back freighting can often be cheaper.
  • Don’t throw away those things you don’t want to take, but recycle them by having a yard sale, or donate them to a charity or school fete. Even giving them away to the neighbour is recycling.
  • Pack an esky with food from the refrigerator rather than throwing it out.
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Timber Flooring

Tiber Flooring – Making the Change

Healthy Homes

At what stage of living in a house do you make a conscious decision about changing the look of the floors? Is it when you have ordered yet another carpet clean? Is it when you have had pets inside the house and the carpets just can’t handle it anymore, not the poo, animal vomit nor the ingrained pet hair? When do you decide that the house really needs freshening up, a complete change over, and that timber flooring is the best way to go?

Cool Living

If you live in the hottest and driest state in Australia, the West, then doing all you can to keep cool without using too much energy, read air conditioning, becomes of paramount importance. Wooden flooring does not retain the heat as much as a carpet. Clean lines and that feeling of ‘open’ is a result of installing wooden flooring and doing away with carpets.

Cold Feet

If you’re still a bit of a softie when it comes to getting out of the bed on a winter’s morning, and think even wooden flooring is too cold for your tootsies, then for heaven’s sake, buy a rug or small mat on which to put your feet when you swing them out from under the covers. Have your slippers handy. If you look at some photos in Better Homes and Gardens you will see that some beautifully designed rugs look positively great on wooden flooring.

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Home Removals Affordable

Tips to Make Your Removals More Affordable

Healthy Homes

Moving house costs money, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many ways in which you can save and one is to book some good removalists early so you get the right size truck and have time to compare prices. That’s not to say you should choose the cheapest offer. Sometimes being cheap means they don’t have insurance or their trucks are not well-maintained.Rail Removalist

Here are some more tips to make your moving day more affordable.

  • Pack your own food for the trip. Buy food enroute can be very expensive. If you have your own sandwiches and snacks, you can stop at any park and let the kids run around; you won’t be limited to finding a fast food place.
  • Source free boxes from stores rather than purchasing them.
  • Use clothing and linen for packaging instead of bubble wrap.
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Rodents

Healthy Homes

Exposure to rodents can trigger asthma attacks. Studies have shown a linkage between rodent allergy and asthma symptoms.Integrated pest management (IPM) approaches offer effective means of eliminating rodents from a home. IPM methods focus on preventing infestations, trapping rodents, and limited use of lower-toxicity pesticides. However, even after a rodent population is controlled, rodent hair, urine, and fecal matter may remain, which can trigger allergic reactions in some people.

Designing, maintaining, and renovating buildings to minimize rodents is an effective prevention-based approach.

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