Our indoor air quality (IAQ) is paramount for good health. Yet, it can be so easy to disregard and excuse away.
It’s too expensive. It’s too time consuming. It’s too much work.
So, we continue the same cycle of living in IAQ that can lead to chronic illness, cancer, depression and more.
For what?
I truly ask you to pause and ask yourself… for.what?
We can have good IAQ while staying within our budget and using simple solutions.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the deepest reasons people stay stuck in outdated habits that lead to poor IAQ and how you can break the cycle to attain good IAQ.
3 Big Reasons We Get Stuck in Homes with Poor IAQ
Reason #1: We think it’s too expensive.
The average price of organic, chemical-free products is estimated to be 1/3 higher than conventional products. However, that is changing. More and more companies are offering chemical-free products at a comparable cost to conventional products. Further, some healthier products are even LESS EXPENSIVE that conventional products. 100% truth.
Solution:
Small health food stores can have amazing deals! Like any conventional grocery store, good deals are advertised weekly – even for organic foods. Buy organic food that’s on sale and stock up when it’s a good price. Shop at discount or bulk stores that are selling certified organic food.
Reason #2: We think we’re buying healthy, but we’re not.
There’s nothing more discouraging than intending to buy healthy, only to spend hard-earned money on MORE toxic crap. Good grief. Why do we do this?
Because marketing is amazing – we can read a product label or ad and think a product is healthy, when it’s not. For example, the label could say “nontoxic” but it isn’t. Or it could say “free of xyz” but that only speaks to one family of chemicals vs. the many (several thousand) chemicals that have been found to damage our cells and create poor IAQ.
Solution:
Use, use, use these resources. These third-party companies have waaayyyy bigger capacity and systems for checking chemicals in products than we individuals do.
- EWG – Take the guess work out of knowing which personal care products and cleaners are healthy. Buy products with a healthy rating in the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) Skin Deep database and their Guide to Healthy Cleaning.
- GOTS – Buy GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified textiles – clothing, drapes, bedding. The certification means a 3rd party has tested and verified the products are 95-100% healthy.
- Home Free (which is connected to the Pharos Project) – They evaluate and rate products based on ingredients commonly found in building materials. The Pharos Project manages the chemical name database, which is mostly used by manufacturing companies and product developers; however, Home Free provides user-friendly product ratings.
- Our online furniture classes. Know exactly what to look for when buying healthy furniture and how to find it using 4 simple tips. Plus, we’ll give you a few places to find healthy, nontoxic furniture.
Reason #3: We feel overwhelmed.
Too much conflicting info. Too much research to do. Too many comments from others that don’t understand the value of healthy, organic, and chemical-free living. Any of these feel familiar? They lead to feeling overwhelmed, and then we bounce out and disconnect… and don’t do anything different.
Solution:
Build your team. Become part of a group of like-minded people that “get it.” Keep your ‘old friends’ while gaining new friends to talk about healthy topics. Whether you join a group, connect with a few people, or hire a healthy home coach, building your team can lead to great joy and fun!
How Can We Help?
Imagine connecting with healthy, like-minded people every day. Then, imagine getting the support and help you need to transform your house into a healthy home with good IAQ.
You can have that.
Ready to transform your house into a healthy home?
Check out our health home coaching to see if it’s a good fit for you.
