How to Reduce Indoor Pollution

A friend of mine recently bought a new car. The car is nice looking, gets great gas mileage, and has all of the latest safety and pollution equipment. It also has that great new car smell. It's hard to describe, that new car smell, but people love it. They even make air fresheners that will give you that new car smell for as long as you own your car. It's sort of like the smell of money. They used to make an aftershave that smelled of money: great way to attract the ladies. That new car smell is a pungent one that seems to stay with you long after you've ridden in the vehicle. The only problem is, when you look a little closer to see where it comes from, you find out that it's really from the PVC and vinyl used to make the interior and contains lead, cadmium, and phthalate plasticers. If you burn the stuff, it gives off dioxin, which is one of the major byproducts of its manufacture.

There's not a whole lot that you can do about the indoor new car pollution other than let it dissipate. Maybe it might be an idea to go back and make the interiors of cars out of wood, natural cloth or leather, and metal like they used to. With the addition of seatbelts and airbags, the padded dash isn't as important as it used to be. But there is an area where you can significantly reduce these indoor pollutants: in the home.

The kitchen is a good place to start. Jennifer Roberts outlines a few of the ways to make your home eco-friendly in her new book "Good Green Kitchens" (Gibbs Smith 176 pages $29.95).

Cork is a natural product. Most of it is made from the leftover process of making wine corks. The availability of this may be affected eventually by the prevalence of the new artificial corks, but it is still readily available. Cork tile is soft underfoot and stain and water resistant.

Another good choice for flooring is bamboo. Bamboo grows at a good fast rate and replenishes itself in a few years. It can also be sanded and finished just like regular wood.

Ceramic and glass tile is also a good choice because these materials are abundant and can be made without a huge impact on the environment. If you must use some form of plywood, make sure it is made using soy adhesive instead of formaldehyde.

In the living room green means creative uses of bamboo, recycled lumber, wheat straw, cork, and soy. There is one company that makes woven fabric for sofas out of water hyacinth. The fibers are made from the plant that grows in Thailand and then covered in natural wool, linen, or cotton. Franklin Industries, a leading manufacturer of seat cushions, is now making them out of soy-based foam. They offer all of the comfort of traditional sofa cushions, but they are practically emissions free. (stltoday.com)

When I moved into my first apartment, I decorated with a lot of natural cloth and furniture made out of rattan and wicker. In my kitchen was a set of cast iron skillets inherited from my grandmother. I cleaned everything with combination of some sand silica and a small amount of bleach. It was called cleanser. No fancy cleaners with exotic chemicals and phosphates. I guess I was somewhat environmentally friendly without even knowing it. Today, with all of the alternative products out there, it's easier than ever to be green.