Explore everyday living through a Building Biology lens. Discover how our homes, building materials, furnishings, household products, technology and daily habits influence the indoor environment, with practical observations and choices that support healthier living.
More than 60% of Australian households own a dog or cat and their hair, dander and odours are the torment of pet owners everywhere. Pet hair, which embeds itself into carpet or statically attaches to furnishings, is difficult to remove and rapidly blocks standard vacuum cleaners, thereby causing them to decrease suction, resulting in a […]
How To Reduce Pet Dander And Allergies At Home Read More »
We spend about one third of our life in bed, and the more comfortable the mattress, the better we sleep. The phrase “Good night, sleep tight” may have history as far back as the Middle Ages. They slept on mattresses made of crossed ropes, strained over a wooden frame work, similar to a hammock. From
Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite! Read More »
Have A safe and Clean Environment in your home Everyday we are exposed to numerous chemicals, from the moment we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed. There is no such thing as a safe chemical and without our knowledge; many wreak havoc with our health. Do you read labels
Silent Killers Are In Your Home Read More »
Dust Mite Allergies No one is sure what causes asthma and allergies, but we do know there are certain triggers. “The strongest risk factors for developing asthma are exposure to indoor allergens such as domestic mites in bedding, carpets, and stuffed furniture, cat dander and cockroach allergens.” – The USA National Institute of Health “The
What Are The Authoritative Views On Dust Mite Allergies? Read More »
An independent study, done in 2008 by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, found that cat allergens may be present in homes that are cat-free. It measured the quantity of cat allergen in mattress dust, and then analyzed the relationship between cat ownership and the level of cat allergen found in the participants’
An Interesting Study On Allergies To Cats Read More »
Indoor Air Pollution and Your Health A number of recent surveys and studies documented by major organisations including the American Lung Association (ALA) and Centre for Disease Control, highlighted the increasing danger to both people and the environment posed by the use of chemicals in the home and workplace. Increased use of ordinary items such
How Is Indoor Air Quality Affecting Your Health? Read More »
Microscopic house dust mites are a major problem for allergy sufferers causing runny, stuffy noses; red, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing. In many homes, dust mites trigger severe wheezing, coughing attacks, shortness of breath and bring on asthma. Dust mites are invisible to the naked eye, so how does such a microscopic creature cause so
The Unseen Terror About Dust Mites Allergy Read More »
Spring is just around the corner… and that means continual sneezing, unable to stop coughing, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, tightness of the chest, headaches, dizziness, fainting, itchy, irritating skin, hives (urticaria), diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea for those with pollen allergies. Sound familiar? Airborne pollens are certainly the most troublesome culprits for seasonal allergic rhinitis, more
Tips for Reducing your Pollen Symptoms Read More »
Eczema, also referred to as dermatitis, is a common skin condition that can cause substantial discomfort and disability to affected sufferers. An inflammation of the skin, eczema is an itchy, reddening, swelling, weeping, scaly skin condition, from mild to quite severe presentation. National Eczema Association (n.d.) Mainly affects babies and children, but can persist into adult
Nothing to Scratch about – The Eczema Story Read More »
For allergy sufferers, skin prick tests may be as unappealing as allergy symptoms – uncomfortable, irritating and even painful. A home allergy test, however, is an inexpensive and more pleasant way of determining what it is in your environment that may trigger these unpleasant reactions. You may consider a home allergy test kit if you
Who Else Wants to be Allergy-Free? Read More »
