According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 90% of exposures to poisons occur inside the home. Almost all are preventable, if you follow some simple guidelines.

• Look for the poison label on products you buy. Visually, it’s a skull and cross bones, often (but not always) with the word POISON above it.
• Don’t make assumptions. Sometimes a seemingly innocuous product, like a shampoo, can contain poison or other ingredients which are harmful if swallowed.
• Avoid mixing different cleaning products together. When chemicals are combined, they change. Combining some cleaning products can even create toxic fumes.
• Keep all medication, even the non-prescription kind, out of reach of children. Never leave medicine on the bathroom counter.
• Never use pesticides inside the home unless the product is clearly labeled for indoor use. Then, use only as directed.
• Never use a charcoal grill or barbeque indoors, no matter how well ventilated you think you’ve made it. Doing so can easily cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

One final tip. Pay attention to the expiry date of products, especially cosmetics and cleaning liquids. As chemicals age, they change and can emit harmful fumes.

A pantry is the ideal nook for storing extra food and other items ordinarily crammed into the kitchen. It’s also a nice design feature, as it harkens back to the days of country kitchens with spacious pantries.

You might be thinking, “That’s nice, but our home doesn’t have a pantry.”

That’s okay. These days, there are many ways to create a pantry in your home – even if it doesn’t have one! Here are just a few suggestions:

1) Add shelves to the laundry room. If you have the space, this is the ideal place to create a mini-pantry.
 
2) Purchase a portable pantry. There are many available on the market. Some are even disguised as cabinets you’d expect to see in living and dining rooms.
 
3) Purchase a movable pantry. These units are on wheels and can slide in and out of the kitchen with ease. Some are short enough to slide conveniently under a kitchen table.
 
4) Make use of an unused closet. These are rare in most homes, but if you have a closet that isn’t being used, it can easily be converted into a pantry.

As you can see, there are plenty of options available. You don’t necessarily need to build an extra room!

There are many reasons why the air quality in your home may not be at its
best. A faulty furnace or an aged carpet are just two potential culprits. Until
you get those issues addressed, how do you make your indoor air healthier
— today?

Here are some ideas:
• Check the furnace filter. This is one of the most overlooked
maintenance items in the home. Any furnace repair person can tell
you stories about filters they’ve seen caked in dust. Make sure those
aren’t yours. Air passes through those filters before circulating
throughout your home. Replacing a filter takes less than five minutes.
• Clean the drains. Drains are a surprisingly common source of odour
in the home. Most people only clean them when they’re clogged, but
they should be flushed thoroughly with a good-quality cleaner at least
once a season.
• Turn on the bathroom fan. Not only do bathroom fans remove
odour, they also reduce moisture build-up. About 50% of air
pollutants originate from some type of moisture; mould being the
worst. Professionals recommend you keep the bathroom fan on for at
least 30 minutes after a shower.
• Clean your doormat. Even if your doormat doesn’t smell, it can be a
source of air pollutants. When people wipe their shoes, they transfer
pesticides and other outside ground pollutants from their shoes to
your mat.

Of course, you can always open a window. That’s the most popular way to
freshen the air, and it works.