Getting Ready for the Holiday Season

The cold weather and holidays are upon us. Although it can be a wonderful season, it can also mean much distress for us allergy and chemical sensitivity sufferers. This is often due to 2 main reasons:

1. Trapped Toxic Offgassing
   The cold weather means that windows are closed and the amount of fresh air exchange in the home is considerably reduced. Since almost everything in your home offgasses a little bit (furniture, carpets, painted surfaces, plastics, electronics, newspapers, etc.) the air in your home is likely to have a higher level of concentration of toxins than during warm weather when the windows are open. Furthermore, moisture condensation can cause mold and mildew to multiply faster than normal. Forced air furnaces, if not used for ventilation year round, will usually have some dust accumulation and will also help stir up allergens that have settled on surfaces. Another problem is the smoke from wood burning fireplaces. Even if you don't use them in your own home, the smoke from your neighbor's chimney can seep into your home.
2. Perfume on Your Guests
   The second problem is the having guests over for the holidays. Many people will wear perfumes, colognes, and other scented products to gatherings. It often feels hard or embarassing to ask guests not to wear these products. But if you are sensitive to scents, it is something you should probably learn to do. When I invite people I usually say something like "Oh, by the way, could you do me a big favor and avoid wearing any perfume (cologne), as I am very allergic to it." I have never yet come across anyone who has refused, although a few people may have been surprised at the request. Despite your request, your guests will still arrive with some scent on them due to the ingredients in their personal care products and laundry detergent/softener. This is where the right air purifier can make a HUGE difference. Good air purifiers with a significant amount of activated carbon in the filter media will very effectively remove perfumes and scents. By strategically placing the air purifier near where you sit, you can create a pocket of scent free air while you converse with your guests.

Another tip is to increase the ventilation by opening the windows slightly and turning up the heat while your guests are over. The warm air will help increase the fresh air exchange with the outside through convection. Of course this is only helpful if the outside air is relatively clean and not laden with fireplace smoke, dryer fragrances, or smog.

Air Purifiers for Controlling Scents and Indoor Gaseous Toxins

AllerAir 5000 MCS Largest carbon capacity and unidirectional airflow Austin Air Healthmate 15lbs carbon and unidirectional airflow IQAir HealthPro Plus and IQAir GC Multi-Gas Good for allergen control, moderate scent control, multidirectional airflow BlueAir 501 w/ Smokestop Very quiet, moderate scent control, multidirectional airflow

The best air purifiers for controlling scents and indoor gaseous toxins in approximate order of effectiveness are:

1. AllerAir MCS (largest carbon capacity and unidirectional airflow)
2. Austin Air Healthmate (15lbs carbon and unidirectional airflow)
3. IQAir Healthpro Plus or GC (good for allergen control, moderate scent control, multidirectional airflow)
4. Blueair 501 with Smokestop Filters (very quiet, moderate scent control, multidirectional airflow)

However, if your primary concern is to control allergen particles such as dust, smoke and mold, with moderate odor/scent control, the IQair HealthPro Plus would be the best choice by far. If you must have a very quiet air purifier, the Blueair 501 or 601 are virtually inaudible at all settings other than the highest. If mold or mildew is your primary concern, consider the NQ Clarifier Air Sterilizer or the AirFree Air Sterilizer, since both of these units virtually eliminate mold and mildew spores.

Turn your Forced Air Furnace into an Air Purifier
Not all forced air furnace filters are made equal. Normal filters don't do much more than catch hair and large lint particles. Our AllergyZone furnace filters have the highest particle filtration ratings available. Although these filters cannot replace a good air purifier like the IQAir, they can dramatically reduce the amount of allergen particles in the air and also extend the life and effectivness of your air purifiers.
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Increasing ventilation without increasing heating bills.
A constant supply of fresh air is virtually essential for chemical sensitivity sufferers. However, when it is cold outside this can make heating bills skyrocket. Our Heat Recovery Ventilator brings in fresh air and vents out stale air while recovering 80% of the heat. Experienced handymen could probably install this themselves or you can get most HVAC contractors to install it for you within a few hours. It can be used stand alone since it has a built-in duct fan or plumbed into the fresh air intake of your forced air furnace system. The savings in your heating/cooling bills alone can pay for this unit in a short space of time.
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Non Toxic Remodeling
Everyone wants their home to look great for guests. Unfortunately, most commonly available paints, adhesives, and most new furniture items offgas terribly. Combine this with closed windows and you have the perfect recipe for disastrous, chemical sensitivity reactions. Fortunately, our Safecoat line of products are so low in odor and non-toxic that they are tolerable by most chemically sensitive people if not immediately, usually within a day or two. If you are careful to do your home in sections, keeping the room you are repainting sealed off and well ventilated while drying, there is usually no need for you to move out. New furniture -- even the nasty smelling chipboard veneered furniture -- can be made extremely tolerable by applying a coat or two of HardSeal or SafeSeal. These amazing sealants will lock away the odors from virtually any surface. HardSeal provides a clear gloss surface and can be applied to both porous and non-porous surfaces. SafeSeal has a clear matt finish which is virtually invisible on porous surfaces. They will dry within an hour or so and are completely odorless within a day.
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