More Green Tips

Be conscientious with your accommodations. Look for hotel accommodations and tours with Green Seal or Green Leaf certifications and standards. Green hotels reduce energy consumption through fluorescent lighting. They also institute recycling programs, and they conserve water through installation of energy star products. If you choose a hotel that does not recycle, consider taking your empty bottles or other items out to recycle. Also, pick a hotel close to public transportation or near the places you are going to visit during your stay. Remember to do your share of “green” by turning off the lights, TV, and air conditioner when leaving your hotel room. Take short showers and leave toiletries behind if you didn’t use them. Hotels too expensive? Stay at a working farm that also functions as inn. They cost less than hotels.

Get around without a car. Reduce your carbon footprint by participating in cheaper, Earth-friendly transportation options like biking, walking and taking public transit. You can even take a low impact walking tour. They are inexpensive and fun! Download from www.greenmap.org to find the latest top spots to visit and to dine.

If you do choose wheels, go green! When selecting a model, choose a smaller economy vehicle or a hybrid. Turn down free upgrades that seem nice but could cost you more money in gas.

Tips for Green Travel

Summertime is coming to a close. Some schools even start back next week! So if you’re trying to get a last-minute trip in, it can be difficult to prioritize traveling green.

The good news is that more and more companies are realizing their impact on the environment and are turning their old ways to newer, greener ones. Here are a few ways to stay green while enjoying the precious rest of your summer:
1. Prepare your home for vacation. Set your air conditioner to 75 degrees. Unplug electrical appliances and televisions. Put lights on timers. Suspend your newspaper and mail delivery until your return.

2. Go paperless. When flying, book electronic tickets to reduce paper waste. Most airlines will scan your smartphone instead of a paper ticket, even at the gate!

Turn off the TV and put down those cell phones; it’s time to picnic!

Summertime, a season filled with beautiful sunny days and outdoor fun, is the perfect excuse to pack up our picnic baskets and enjoy the weather outside. Head down to the local park, embark to the beach, or better yet, set up camp right in your own backyard. Wherever you choose to picnic, there are several questions you can ask to make sure things go as smoothly as possible:

Location, Location, Location

For many of us, controlling asthma symptoms is a way of life.  It is almost impossible to avoid these symptoms all of the time, but knowing what materials, conditions, or activities trigger your asthma and learning how to avoid them is key to living a healthy life.

Things that cause asthma attacks in one person might be different for someone else.  Educating yourself on common causes of asthma attacks is important in preventing exposure and reducing allergy flare-ups. 

Ick! What do I do about them?

It is impossible to get rid of dust mites completely, but there are ways to keep them at a minimum in your home and your bed:

• Keep your bedding clean.  People spend a lot of time in their beds and lose a lot of dead skin while they’re there. Wash your bedding at least once a week and wash the bedding in hot water. Cold water will not kill every dust mite.  Cover your mattress, pillows, box springs and duvet covers with micro-porous material.  Remove clutter near your bed.  Before making your bed in the morning, air it out to reduce moisture buildup.  Make sure your mattress is made from latex.  Freeze all stuffed toys that cannot be washed for about 48 hours to kill dust mites.
• Also, get your pet its own bed. A dust mite is just as happy to eat pet dander as human.  Remember to wash your pet’s blankets and bedding weekly too.
• Carpeting is a dust mite magnet because there are so many places to hide in it!  Even when you vacuum, most dust mites stay alive by grabbing onto the carpet fibers.  If possible, remove as much carpet as you can and switch to wood, linoleum, or laminate flooring.  If flooring is not an option, have your carpets steam cleaned on a regular basis.
• Keep your home free of clutter as much as possible.  Everything in the home should have a place.  Clean your home.  Wearing a dust mask, start high and work your way down.  With a dry microfiber cloth, dust walls, fan blades, tops of shelves, tops of picture frames, and anything else that might collect dust. Don’t forget to clean the draperies.
• When vacuuming, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.  Vacuum upholstered furniture, floors,  and carpets.  Mop floors with a damp microfiber mop.
• Since dust mites thrive in a warm and humid environment, lower the thermostat below 70 degrees and install some air conditioners. Air conditioners are really good at lowering the humidity levels of a home. So are dehumidifiers. Ideally, keep the humidity level below 35%.
• Keeping a clean and clutter-free house is just one of the ways you can prevent house dust mites from taking over your home.

Remember, dust mites can never be fully eliminated, but these basic tips will help you suffer less because of them.

Why do they trigger allergies?

Mites are usually associated with allergies because the body parts from dead mites are so small they become airborne and get inhaled.  The mites also produce powerful enzymes that are strong enough to break down delicate cells.  They are known to cause hay fever, asthma, sinusitis, eczema, skin rashes, wheezing, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, allergic and migraine headaches, urticarial dermatitis, and certain gut disorders.

Because house dust mites are so tiny — about 0.3 mm — they are not visible to the naked eye.  They may be visible through a magnifying glass.

What exactly are dust mites?

Dust mites are tiny scavengers closely related to spiders and ticks.  They are made up of 75% water in weight.  They eat dead skin cells and hair covered in bacteria, pollen, mold, fungi, and yeasts.  They can live up to three months in damp, warm environments.  Female mites lay about 60 eggs in that time.  Mites produce about 20 droppings a day, which for them, is considered their source of food because the droppings are filled with leftover food and enzymes.

In our homes, dust mites live in clothing, carpets, bedding, and even our baking flour.  They travel by attaching themselves to material, fur, feathers, socks, pajamas, and soft toys.  They prefer light material items because they can hide in them.