Avoid your home's hidden health threats: from chemicals in your bedsheets to dangerous germs in your dishcloth, health threats abound in your home. But you don't have to live with them. Create a safe haven with our 22 tips - Consumer guide: how to be an educated consumer

Natural Health, Sept, 2003 by Theresa Anne Morin

YOUR HOME IS YOUR HAVEN. But, warn environmental experts, it can also be the place where you face the most chemicals and other substances that threaten your health. Here's a look at the most serious health dangers in your home and some fast, easy ways to deal with them. You have a lot to gain by addressing these problems: You'll protect your lungs, ease allergies and headaches, possibly prevent cancer, and even improve your sleep, energy levels, and concentration.

Your Bedroom

Bed Linens: You spend about one-third of your life in bed, and that's a long time to breathe the noxious chemicals found in permanent press polyester-cotton sheets, says environmental health consultant Debra Lynn Dadd, the Clearwater, Fla.-based author of Home Safe Home (Putnam, 1997). To make these fabrics wrinkle-resistant, manufacturers treat them with formaldehyde, a known carcinogen that's also linked to insomnia and fatigue. Plus, because synthetic fibers don't breathe like natural fibers, they'll trap your perspiration and you can wake up feeling damp. The average person gives off a pint of perspiration during an eight-hour sleep, says environmental home expert Annie Berthold-Bond, the Rhinebeck, N.Y.-based author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999). The moisture can breed mold and mildew.

For chemical-free sleep, Berthold-Bond recommends sheets made of organically grown cotton. In addition, choose 100 percent wool blankets, which wick away moisture, maintain an optimal body temperature, dry quickly, and resist mildew.

Mattress: It's not necessarily the safe nest you imagine. Most mattresses contain polyurethane foam and polyester, which can irritate your skin, eyes, throat, and lungs, Dadd says. Additionally, mites, mold, and yeast can live and thrive in mattresses, making your allergies flare.

To minimize your contact with these chemicals and allergens, Dadd advises purchasing a natural mattress topper made of wool. Or, if you're in the market for a new mattress, Dadd recommends an all-wool model. Wool is naturally resistant to mold, mildew, and moisture, and doesn't contain harmful components. An all-wool set costs about the same as a quality mattress set. One source for wool mattresses is Shepherd's Dream (queen size; $1,172; 800-966-5540; www .shelSherdsdream.com). For a wool mattress topper, check out EcoBedroom (queen size; $482; 626-969-3707; www.ecobedroom.com).

Closets: Your bedroom closet is a surprising source of air pollution and mold, says building investigator Jeffrey May, the Cambridge, Mass.-based author of My House Is Killing Me: The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001). Dry-cleaned clothes give off fumes from solvents like perchloroethylene, a carcinogen that can damage your liver and central nervous system. Plus, mold and mites can live on the floor and walls, exacerbating your allergies every time you open the closet door. To prevent air pollution, hang newly dry-cleaned clothes in a well-ventilated room or outdoors, with the bag removed, until the odor of dry-cleaning solvents dissipates, May says. (This may take as long as a day or two.) To avoid mold and mite infestations in your closet, keep the closet floor as clean and dust-free as the rest of your bedroom. Instead of keeping shoes directly on the floor, store them in an elevated rack to allow air to circulate beneath them, which discourages mold.

Your Bathroom

Tiles, Ceilings, and Windowsills: The top complaint May hears about bathrooms is, "I've got mold on the tile grout and other surfaces in my bathroom." This unsightly growth can trigger allergies, asthma attacks, and headaches. To beat mold, first dry out your bathroom, he says. Open the door and window or use your bathroom fan to circulate air after showers. "Even a little movement in air quickens evaporation," says May. You might also consider a device like the ClosetMate Dehumidifier, a small, silent machine that uses convection coils to dry up to 1,000 cubic feet of air ($44.99; 800-999-3030; www .safetyzone.com).

To banish existing mold, combine 2 teaspoons of tea tree essential oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. (Buy this oil at natural food stores.) Shake well and mist the solution directly onto problem areas. "Nothing works as well as this mixture to remove mold," says Berthold-Bond, the environmental home expert. "I've used it successfully on moldy ceilings and shower curtains." Use a sponge to wipe any big drips, but don't scrub or rinse away the solution. Tea tree oil has a strong odor that usually dissipates in about 12 hours. If you dislike the smell, treat the area just before you leave the house for the day.

Cleaning Products: Typical bathroom cleaners teem with harmful ingredients. Toilet and glass cleaners contain ammonia, cresol, ethanol, and phenol, all of which can irritate or burn your skin and lungs. Karyn Siegel-Maier, the Saugerties, N.Y.-based author of The Naturally Clean Home (Storey Books, 1999), recommends these gentler options to disinfect and shine: To clean your toilet, sink, and tub, combine 2 cups water, 1/4 cup liquid Castile soap, 1 tablespoon tea tree essential oil, and 10 drops eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) or peppermint (Mentha x piperita) essential oil in a spray bottle and shake well. (You can purchase these ingredients in natural food stores.) Spray the surface and then scrub with a brush or sponge. Follow with a damp sponge to rinse. To make your mirror and chrome shine, combine 1 1/2 cups white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and 8 drops of a citrus essential oil like lemon (Citrus x limon) in a spray bottle and shake. Spray the solution on mirrors and faucets and wipe with a dry cloth or towel.