The Healthy Household: A Complete Guide for Creating a Healthy Indoor Environment [Paperback]

Lynn Marie Bower (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0963715631 | ISBN-13: 978-0963715630 | Publication Date: July 1995 | Edition: First Printing

Learn how to create healthy interiors! Everything you put inside your house should be as healthy as the structure itself. The Healthy Household offers practical suggestions for improving your indoor environment. With chapters devoted to cleaning products, personal-care, clothing, linens, interior decorating, life-styles, housekeeping, air and water quality, and electromagnetic radiation reduction, no other book matches its completeness. It's an essential reference for anyone interested in their family's health. Everything you put inside your house should be as healthy as the structure itself. The Healthy Household offers practical suggestions for improving your indoor environment. With chapters devoted to cleaning products, personal-care, clothing, linens, interior decorating, life-styles, housekeeping, air and water quality, and electromagnetic radiation reduction, no other book matches its completeness. It's an essential reference for anyone interested in their family's health. The Healthy Household contains hundreds of sources for decorating, maintaining, and furnishing materials--with a special emphasis on the needs of allergic and chemically sensitive people.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

We are surrounded by chemically treated and synthetically derived items having the potential to release dangerous chemical compounds into the air. Some of these toxins are mild irritants, while others can have adverse effects on the central nervous system or can be carcinogenic. Here less-toxic and alternative products for daily living are identified, simple methods of reducing risks of irritants and hazards are discussed, and techniques to maintain a healthier indoor environment are outlined. The author, who suffers from multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) (a hypersensitivity to exposure to small amounts of synthetic chemicals), coedits an MCS support-group newsletter.

Multiple chemical sensitivity is described as a relatively recently labeled condition that is not yet accepted by much of the medical community. The first chapter briefly discusses physicians who recognize and treat chemical illnesses, sources of mail-order companies handling books about MCS, and definitions of terms, including all-natural, no volatile organic compounds (VOC), and unscented. Other chapters discuss in detail personal-care products, clothing and various fibers, and linens. "Interior Decorating" covers wall paint, flooring, cabinets, furniture, window treatments, and lighting. "Lifestyle" offers less toxic choices for stationery, wrapping paper, electronic equipment, saunas, luggage, and pets. The chapters "Cleaning" and "Housekeeping" describe new procedures for cleaning, storage, and pest control with alternative products. Purifying indoor air and testing and treating home water are covered extensively. Another chapter offers views on the ever-controversial topic of electromagnetic radiation from high-voltage power lines as well as wiring and electrical appliances in the home. Throughout the text hundreds of suggestions, alternatives, and sources are given. The extensive appendix lists contacts for utility and government help, printed material, organizations and consulting services, product sources, and specialized resources for infants and children.

The Healthy Household is a comprehensive source for anyone troubled by chemical sensitivities. The meticulous approach to making the home environment less toxic is well researched and practical. For circulating and reference collections on holistic and alternative medicine.

From the Publisher

While there have been other books available about making home interiors healthier, we feel confident that there's none as comprehensive, thorough, and just plain usable as The Healthy Household by Lynn Bower. This book reflects not only the author's educational background but her years of experience dealing successfully with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities herself. As a result, each chapter contains information and explanations in a clear, very approachable style. Everyone who owns this book will be able to make more informed decisions--from choosing decorating materials, to clothing, to cleaning products and much more.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 475 pages
• Publisher: Healthy House Inst; First Printing edition (July 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963715631
• ISBN-13: 978-0963715630
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,849,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical info on maintaining healthy indoor air., December 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Healthy Household: A Complete Guide for Creating a Healthy Indoor Environment (Paperback)

I used this book to receive suggestions on building materials for a house that we are building. It was a good reference on paints, HVAC, carpeting, etc that would be less toxic with info on specific products. It also contains lots of information on household chemicals and other issues that affect people with allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitivity.