How Does Indoor Air Pollution Affect Your Health?

December 1, 2016/in Fresh Air and Wellness /by customer service

When you think of air pollution, what comes to mind? Do you picture heavy clouds of smog sitting over a busy city? Do you see smoke billowing into the sky from a forest fire? Does the hole in the ozone layer come to mind? While all of these are problems when it comes to air pollution outside, indoor air pollution can also be a problem.

You may not even think of the quality of air inside your home, school, or workplace as something that might affect your health. However, there are many pollutants that may be present.

What are indoor air pollutants?

If you suffer from allergies, you already know that things like mold and pollen can make air hard to breathe. Tobacco smoke, even second-hand, causes many different health problems. You might think household cleaners are safe to use, but sprays and pesticides can be harmful as well. Many of these pollutants are fairly easy to control, but you may be unaware of other pollutants in your space. Gases such as radon and carbon monoxide need detectors to avoid problems. Your home may even be constructed of materials like asbestos, formaldehyde, and lead. Since these pollutants are so common, it’s important to know the affect they may have on your well-being.

How does indoor air pollution affect our health?

Most indoor air pollutants only cause discomfort. Your body may react to them with symptoms similar to the common cold, with sneezes, coughing and a runny nose. Snoring is more common in homes with high indoor pollution. Most people feel better as soon as they remove pollutants from their environment. However, some pollutants can cause diseases that show up much later, such as respiratory diseases or cancer. Sometimes, a building’s air may be so polluted that it causes the group of people inside to suffer the same symptoms. This is known as “Sick-Building Syndrome.”

How can we fight indoor air pollution?

Think about all the odors that should be outside, but aren’t. Where did the pollutants go from the past? Odors and pollutants, like those from volcanic eruptions, building collapses, earthquakes, or decaying animals in the wild, didn’t just disappear. Our earth can’t afford for those pollutants to collect over the 4.54 billion years it has been in existence. Mother Nature needed a continual process for keeping the outdoor air organic and fresh.

AirRestore uses Organic Air Technology to replicate Mother Nature’s own process of keeping the outdoor air fresh. The sun and wind naturally provide the energizing elements to the air. These elements actively attach to and break down pollutants in the air by altering the airborne pollutants, which helps restore the air to a much cleaner state.

Organic Air Technology produces the same energized elements and disperses them throughout a room to proactively attach to and break down the pollutants. Germs, bacteria, viruses, mold, and odors are neutralized by altering the pollutants, thereby reducing the pollutants in the air.

While indoor air pollution is a problem many of us deal with in our day to day lives, we can take steps to get rid of these pollutants. By making the air in our homes cleaner, we can live healthier, happier lives.

Does Air Quality Affect Mental Health?

November 24, 2016/in Fresh Air and Wellness /by customer service

Mental health has been a growing concern in the United States in recent years. That’s not surprising, as nearly one in five Americans suffers from some mental illness every year. 42.5 million American adults deal with conditions like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, according to statistics published in 2014. While there are many things that may contribute to mental illness, one of them is very “out of sight, out of mind” — air quality. A number of studies have been conducted to see how air pollution affect the brain. Many of these have linked air pollution to mental health issues such as depression, autism, and schizophrenia.

What kind of polluted air can affect the brain?

When cars, factories, and power plants burn fuel, they produce the carbon particles that make up most air pollution. For decades, research on the health effects of air pollution has focused on the part of the body where its effects are most obvious — the lungs. That research began to show that different-sized particles produce different effects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates larger particles. These are actually the least harmful, because they get coughed up and expelled. However, the EPA doesn’t regulate smaller particles known as ultrafine particles. These are more dangerous, because they are small enough to travel deep into the lungs. From there, they be absorbed into the bloodstream, and produce toxic effects throughout the body.

Air Pollution and Depression

In 2011, the Neuroscience Department at Ohio State University ran a study in mice. This study found that long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain. These changes can cause problems with learning and memory, and even depression. Laura Fonken was lead author of the study, and a doctoral student in the program. She said, “the results suggest prolonged exposure to polluted air can have visible, negative effects on the brain, which can lead to a variety of health problems. This could have troubling implications for people who live and work in polluted urban areas around the world.”

Study details

In this study, researchers exposed mice to either filtered air or polluted air. This went on for six hours a day, five days a week for 10 months. That’s nearly half the lifespan of the mice. The polluted air contained fine particulate matter, the kind of pollution created by cars, factories and natural dust. The fine particulates are tiny – about 1/30th of the average width of a human hair. Researchers exposed the mice to a concentration of particulate matter equivalent to polluted air people breathe in some polluted urban areas.

After 10 months of exposure to the polluted or filtered air, the researchers performed a variety of behavioral tests on the animals. In one experiment, mice exposed to the polluted air showed more depressive-like behaviors. In another test, the polluted-air mice showed signs of higher levels of anxiety-like behaviors.

How did the brain change?

In the Ohio State study, the researchers tested the hippocampal area of the mice brains to find the answers. Fonken said, “We wanted to look carefully at the hippocampus because it is associated with learning, memory and depression.” Results showed clear physical differences in the hippocampi of the mice who were exposed to the polluted air, compared to those who weren’t. In mice that breathed the polluted air, chemical messengers that cause inflammation – called pro-inflammatory cytokines – were more active in the hippocampus than they were in mice who breathed the filtered air. “The hippocampus is particularly sensitive to damage caused by inflammation,” Fonken said. “We suspect that the systemic inflammation caused by breathing polluted air is being communicated to the central nervous system.”

Autism and Schizophrenia

Deborah Cory-Slechta, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester, ran a similar study on mice. This study revealed that exposure to air pollution in early life causes changes in the brain. This includes an enlargement of part of the brain that is seen in humans who are diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia. This supports other recent studies that highlight a strong correlation between air pollution and risk of autism in children. One study showed that children residing in areas with high levels of air pollution during their first year of life had a three-fold increase in the risk of autism.

Study details

Cory-Slechta’s study conducted three sets of experiments in which mice were exposed to levels of air pollution typically found in mid-sized U.S. cities during rush hour. Researchers conducted the exposures during the first two weeks after the mice were born. This is a critical time in the brain’s development. Researchers exposed the mice to the polluted air for four hours a day, for two four-day periods.

In one group of mice, researchers examined the brains 24 hours after the final pollution exposure. In all of those mice, inflammation was rampant throughout the brain. The lateral ventricles — chambers on each side of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid — were enlarged two-to-three times their normal size. Researchers observed the problems in a second group of mice 40 days after exposure and in another group 270 days after exposure. This indicated that the damage to the brain was permanent.

How did the brain change?

“When we looked closely at the ventricles, we could see that the white matter that normally surrounds them hadn’t fully developed,” said Cory-Slechta. “It appears that inflammation had damaged those brain cells and prevented that region of the brain from developing, and the ventricles simply expanded to fill the space.” Brains of mice in all three groups also had elevated levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter. This is also seen in humans with autism and schizophrenia.

Air pollution might not be the most obvious concern regarding our mental health. However, there’s no question that the quality of the air we breathe has an effect on our brains. If we can keep air pollution in check, our communities, family and children will be healthier and happier.

Safe, healthy air for newborn babies and children

If you have a baby or toddler in your house, chances are you have thought of everything possible to keep them safe and comfortable: A crib, toys, soft blankets, warm clothes, healthful food. But have you stopped to evaluate whether the air your child is breathing is clean and safe?

Indoor spaces tend to trap pollutants, so it’s not uncommon to find high levels of unhealthful particles in homes and offices. The Environmental Protection Agency says indoor air pollution can be as much as eight times worse than outdoor pollution. Everyday household items may be partly to blame, according to this article.

Young children are very sensitive to pollutants in the air. They grow quickly, and they need clean air to help them develop properly. In fact, exposure to dirty air can be downright dangerous for children. A study published by the American Thoracic Society says dirty air can increase the risk of infants developing bronchiolitis, a respiratory infection. Babies with this condition often need to be hospitalized. The March of Dimes warns that polluted air can worsen asthma symptoms for young children.

If you are pregnant, your developing baby is sensitive to pollutants in the air you are breathing. Researchers at Harvard found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of some pollutants were twice as likely to have an autistic child, compared with peers on low-pollution areas. You can read more about that study here.

Consider some of the particles in your air that could be harming your child’s health: Cleaning chemicals, scented sprays, odors from carpets or drapes, smoke, paint odors, sawdust, allergens, germs, pollution from traffic on nearby roadways — the list goes on and on. And if you and your child are indoors most of the day, you are both breathing the same chemicals and particles over and over, increasing your exposure to them.

Make sure your child is breathing clean air by following these steps:

1.) Plug in an AirRestore Whole Home System. It will help keep indoor air clean by removing particles in the air that shouldn’t be there — pollution, allergens, germs and odors. Another benefit of the Air Naturalizer is it can help remove odors from diapers, dirty clothes, spoiled milk and spit-up.

2.) Ensure there is proper ventilation in your home, especially in the nursery. Open windows (if the air outside is clean and safe to breathe) to flush out stale air, and use a fan to circulate fresh air throughout the home.

3.) Watch out for VOCs and SVOCs. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) include formaldehyde, and are emitted by building materials and paint. Some fabrics and mattresses contain flame retardants and release SVOCs (semivolatile organic compounds), which stick to dust in the air, making them more likely to be inhaled. These particles can harm the brain and nervous system. To reduce the levels of these compounds in your home, check labels on home furnishings and cleaning products before buying them, and look for ones that say “Low VOCs” or “No VOCs.”

4.) Become best friends with baking soda and vinegar. These two household items are safe and effective tools for cleaning sinks, bathtubs and more. They also are great at removing odors. Stick an open box of baking soda in your fridge to keep it smelling fresh. Soak a piece of white bread in vinegar, place it in a bowl, and leave it overnight in an area of your house that smells bad.

Why pets make babies healthier

December 3, 2014/in Fresh Air and Babies, Odor Control, Pets /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Why pets make babies healthier

When a new baby comes into the home, one of the first things you think about is what is or is not safe for my baby? Often, having your beloved pets continue living in your home is questioned once your little bundle of love arrives.

But fear not! It has been reported by researchers in the journal Pediatrics, that babies who grow up in a home with a pet – namely a dog or a cat – are less likely to get sick than children who live pet-free.

Previous research has supported the same findings in addition to children having lower risk of allergies. Even over sanitizing your house is not in the best interest of your baby. A recent study in mice found that overexposure to household dust from homes with a dog actually prevented infection with a common respiratory virus that’s thought to increase asthma in children.

We know, we know… how can this be? It feels like it goes against everything we’ve been told. How do pets really protect against these diseases?

“We think the exposure to pets somehow matures the immune system so when the child meets the microbes, he might be better prepared for them,” says Dr. Eija Bergroth, a pediatrician at Kuopio University Hospital in Finland who led the current study.

Basically by allowing our children to be exposed to these things while they’re young, it gives them a chance to build up immunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. What it comes down to is that you don’t need to get rid of your pet because you are having a new baby join your family. Pets are family too and they actually contribute to the overall health of your baby. What fantastic news!

Organic air works like…Broccoli?

November 5, 2014/in Fresh Air and Wellness /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Organic air works like…Broccoli?

Recent studies have shown, once again, that vegetables have proven to be healthy. Broccoli has proven that it is a super food and an essential part of our diet.

Benzene and acrolein are major air pollutants emitted from car exhaust and cigarette smoke. They are the cause of numerable diseases including respiratory issues as well as cardiovascular problems. Sulforaphane is a chemical that is a great chemical to rid our bodies from those harmful pollutants.

In a recent study a group of people were given a mixture of juices and drank them over a period of 12 weeks. One group was given broccoli sprout extract while the other was not. The results showed that the group that was given a mixture of juices including broccoli sprout extract excreted 61% more benzene and 23% more acrolein than the group who was drinking the same mixture except without the broccoli extract.

So what does this mean for us? This means that broccoli rids the body of the pollutants by taking them out of the body through excrement.

Does this process sound familiar? Well it should! This is the same process that the AirRestore Air Naturalizer does to the air around you. The AirRestore Air Naturalizer takes simple chemicals from your indoor air, which though are not currently doing anything special now, and charges them so they can travel through the air and latch onto the pollutants. Now that those charges particles have attacked the pollutants, the particles made the chemicals into a different non-pollutant and takes them out of the air around you.

Click HERE to check out more information about how broccoli helps rid the body of harmful toxins.

How to remove odors from hockey equipment.

October 18, 2014/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

How to remove odors from hockey equipment

It’s almost impossible to play hockey and not end up with gear odor. Hours of sweat and grime build up and the result isn’t pretty. It’s also not safe.

Dirty, sweaty gear is a breeding ground for germs, mildew and mold. Wounds could get infected and quickly become serious. Flesh-eating infections, for example, have resulted in limb amputations. MRSA, a staph infection that is resistant to many types of antibiotics, can be fatal. These scenarios may be at the extreme, but at the bare minimum, any smelly, germy gear is a concern.

GOOD NEWS! Easy prevention is at hand with simple, but important, cleaning tips.

Air it out. Dry gear is a much less-hospitable environment for germs. Use a low-cost laundry drying rack air everything out after practice, including pads, gloves and the insoles of your skates. Turn a fan on it and plug in an AirRestore Air Naturalizer. The Air Naturalizer will help break down the particles that make it smell bad and target bacteria and other germs. Spray the inside of your bag with an anti-microbial spray, and leave it open so it can dry. Simply set a corded Air Naturalizer inside for extra clean-up power.
Wash it. Check the tags or instructions that came with each item to see if it can be submerged in water. Some items can go in a wash machine.
Avoid bleach for protective gear; it can break down the foam and plastic components.
Invest in a good layer of clothing to wear under your gear. Air those items out after each use, and wash them frequently.
For your skates: Wet a towel with vinegar and wipe out the insides and dry it with another towel. Then put a corded Air Naturalizer inside each skate to zap the odors and germs.
Use a towel with mild soap and warm water to wipe off your helmet and clean the face mask, including the chin cup. Go over everything with another damp towel to remove the soap, and let it dry.
If your gear is especially ripe, fill the wash machine and let the gear soak, then drain the water and run the gear through a full wash cycle.
Dry it. Most gear (other than clothing layers) won’t hold up well in the dryer. Instead, spread everything out so air can get to it — preferably in the sun — and let a fan blow on it for several hours or overnight. This is another great time to use your AirRestore Air Naturalizer, which can tackle odors or germs that may have survived the wash.
Don’t forget your mouth guard! Soak it in mouthwash and scrub it with a toothbrush.

Tackling tough carpet odors.

September 1, 2014/in Germ and Virus Control, Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Tackling tough carpet odors.

If you’ve recently moved into a home that had a previous tenant, or if your roommate has moved out, chances are the carpets need some help with odor issues.

For starters, it’s always a good idea to have the carpets cleaned. You can do it yourself, if you are feeling energetic. Look for a “green” cleaner in your grocery store to avoid products that put toxins into the air. (Seventh Generation and Simple Green make carpet cleaners.) If you are renting a cleaning machine, rinse the chamber before using it to remove any chemicals from the previous user.

If you have a large area that needs cleaning, you may want to hire professionals. Look for companies that use “green” products, such as plant-based solvents, and those that use nontoxic steam extraction.

Give the carpets plenty of time to dry before moving your furniture back into place.

In the meantime, plug in your AirRestore Air Naturalizers. It will help tackle air pollutants, odors and dander that may be lingering in the air as well as particles that have been stirred up by all the activity.

To find out more about AirRestore, click here.

Remove Paint Odors

August 11, 2014/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Remove Paint Odors

If you’ve ever painted the interior of your house, you know that fresh paint has a very powerful odor and it can take anywhere from days to weeks for the smell to dissipate. Have you ever thought about the side effects of paint fumes? Are they harmful to breathe?

The answer is yes, they are dangerous to the health of you and your family. When inhaled in significant amounts or for prolonged periods of time, common side effects of paint fumes include eye and respiratory irritation, headache, and dizziness. Some studies even show that direct exposure to paint fumes can also increase the risk of asthma.

Pregnant women are especially susceptible. Certain solvents found in fresh paint are suspected of increasing the risk of miscarriage. If you must be present during the painting process, please be sure to wear a face mask and gloves for protection.

Ideally, to avoid the negative side effects of paint fumes, you should leave your home until the paint has completely dried. Unfortunately, this isn’t practical for everyone. And even after the new paint has dried the smell still lingers.

To get rid of that new paint smell fast, and for the sake of your health, plug in an AirRestore Air Naturalizer. AirRestore doesn’t just cover up the smell, it breaks the down the odor particles in the air and virtually eliminates them. This will take care of those harmful paint fumes in no time. Not only that, but your family and guests, which you will surely invite over to view your freshly painted home, will thank you as well.

Autism and Air Pollution: A column takes a look at the link between the two

July 11, 2014/in Fresh Air and Babies, Fresh Air and Wellness /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

A recent column in an Ohio newspaper looks at news that connects autism and air pollution indoors . Indoor air pollution, ranked as one of the top five environmental public health risks, is especially heinous because it exists in the spaces where we spend the most time.

David Simon writes in The Vindicator, “because the problems caused are not always easily recognized or produce immediate impacts on health, the general public continues to assume that our homes, offices, schools, day-care and senior centers are safe. If only they were.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air we are breathing indoors often has two to five times the levels of pollution of outdoor air. And it’s not uncommon to find indoor air with much higher levels. Why? Because modern buildings are tightly sealed and cut off from nature’s method of cleaning the air. Pollutants from the activities we do, items we use and toxins that seep in from outdoors tend to accumulate.

We are already seeing signs from previous studies that this build-up of contaminants in indoor air is bad enough for adults. But new research points to the possibility that it could be linked to the development of autism in babies before they are born.

The good news is that something can be done about this problem. We can reduce the risk by making sure expectant mothers have fresh air to breathe. And we can reduce the risk of myriad other health risks for everyone by using technology to bring indoor air to a more natural, balanced state.

AirRestore’s developers are passionate about improving indoor air quality for everyone. Our researchers have known all along that it’s vital to have fresh indoor air to breathe. That’s why they’ve worked hard to bring us the technology at work in Air Naturalizers.

As David Simon writes in his column for The Vindicator, “Outside of occupational exposure to pollutants, the air quality within a person’s home plays the largest role in health and well-being. This becomes especially critical during the months of a woman’s pregnancy. This should be a major wake-up call for us as a community.”

You can read more of David’s insightful column here.

Eliminating Dust Mites

July 1, 2014/in Fresh Air and Wellness /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Looking for tips on eliminating dust mites?

Dust mites are a common allergen that causes problems for many people. And these little creatures are everywhere. They live in carpet, bedding, pillows, mattresses and the dust that accumulates on every surface of the home. According to howstuffworks.com, there may be 100,000 to 10 million of these congestion-inducing mites in a typical bed. Gross!

Dust mites are pervasive in homes because they feed on dead skin cells, which of course are everywhere in most people’s houses. While it’s impossible to eliminate dust mites entirely, it is possible to keep their presence to a minimum in your home, using these tips:

Plug in AirRestore’s Whole Home System of Air Naturalizers. The technology helps get rid of the dead skin cells in the air, taking away the mites’ food supply.
Use a dehumidifier, and keep your bedroom temperature on the cool side. Mites love humidity and warm air, so taking these steps will make your room less hospitable to them.
Encase your pillows and mattress in dust mite-proof covers. You can find them at many retail stores. They will prevent dust mites from taking over your bed and making it hard for you to breathe while you sleep.
Wash your comforter, bed skirt, curtains, and mattress pad every two weeks — preferable in hot water if the washing instructions allow. Cool water won’t kill the mites.
Use a damp cloth when you are dusting, rather than using a feather duster. That way you will collect the mites and get rid of them, rather than spreading them around your home. Tip: Add eucalyptus and wintergreen essential oils to your dust cloth to help kill the mites.

You can find more great tips at this site.

Attention Property Managers: Its time to freshen your properties.

June 12, 2014/in Realtors and Real Estate /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Every property has distinct smells that need neutralizing.

A stubborn cat odor
Cleaning chemicals
Wet carpet smell
Building with musty smell
Apartment that smells like smoke
A lingering food or grease smell
An unoccupied building with stale air

The AirRestore Air Naturalizer Whole Home System is a great to Rent ol for busy property managers to use to stay on top of odors in the building. Air Naturalizers are handy to use in between renters to neutralize the smells left behind by previous tenants and leave the air fresh and clean for newcomers.

Using Air Naturalizers can translate into cost savings if odors have seeped into the walls or carpet. The Whole Home System can help pull those odors out and get rid of them, so the apartment or office doesn’t need an expensive overhaul.

And it’s great to use ahead of apartment or office showings to freshen the air and help leave the best impression on the potential tenant.

How AirRestore can help property managers:

Signing new leases more quickly. Renters can be very choosy, especially in markets where they have a lot of options. One small thing (such as an odor) can turn them off. The Air Naturalizer can knock down that potential roadblock and help property managers rent out their properties faster.
No last-minute panic ahead of showings. The manager can have peace of mind by leaving Air Naturalizers with the outgoing tenant to plug in ahead of time, preferably a day or two before a showing.
Solving The Pet Problem: Some renters are very sensitive to pet dander and odors. If they are coughing and sneezing their whole way through the showing, they will find somewhere else to rent. Air Naturalizers are great at tackling pet odors and dander. They can stay ahead of the problem, so prospective renters can breathe easy and not be deterred from a great property.

Indoor Air Pollution: Effects and Solutions

May 15, 2014/in Fresh Air and Wellness /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Indoor Air Pollution

Health effects from indoor air pollution can be immediate and short-lived. Or they may be severe and not show up until years after repeat exposure. Some of the most common symptoms are sore throat, headache and cough, as well as itchy, runny eyes and nose. More severe symptoms include chronic breathing problems, heart disease and cancer.

If you suspect your living space is polluted, don’t despair. You can easily implement several solutions, including AirRestore. If you’re unsure of whether your home has a problem, ask yourself these questions:

Do you suffer from any of the symptoms listed above, but feel better soon after leaving?
Are many of the potential sources of indoor air pollution found in your home?
Is the air in your house poorly ventilated, humid, or smelly and stuffy?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have indoor air pollution, but is a pretty good indication.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce indoor air pollution is to attack it at the source. If it’s something like asbestos, you can simply seal it off to prevent exposure. But if it’s something like a gas-cooking stove or your beloved family pet, that’s where it gets a little tricky. No one can expect you to seal off your stove and there is no way your fur-baby member of the family is going anywhere.

Ventilation is extremely helpful in decreasing indoor air pollutants. Since most heating and cooling systems simply recirculate the air rather than bringing in fresh air, you’ll want to open your windows and doors when the weather is nice. Running window or attic fans and bathroom and kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors can help as well. This is especially helpful when using items with potentially harmful chemicals like paint.

For those of you who live somewhere with high outdoor humidity or concentrations of outdoor pollutants, ventilation might not be the best option for you. It could actually worsen your indoor air pollution. Try to keep the humidity in your home low. A level of 30-50% is ideal, as higher levels encourage dust mites and mold growth.

If you’re concerned about using household cleaners and the potential harm they may cause, you have a couple of options. The first is to carefully follow the instructions on the label, use them in well ventilated areas, and be sure to store and dispose of them safely. The second is to pick out a product with non-harmful ingredients. If you’re not sure, the easiest way to tell is if the product doesn’t list its ingredients or has any “warnings” on it, you might want to keep looking. That probably isn’t the best option.

Ventilation, controlling your humidity levels and using safe products inside are great options. A solution to utilize both ventilation and controlling humidity levels is AirRestore. It virtually eliminates all odors and can even kill mold. It gives your indoor air the energy it needs to clean itself, much like the sun gives the air outside the energy to keep itself clean. The sources of indoor air pollution are many and varied, but so are the solutions. Choose what works best for you and keep your indoor air pollution under control or even eliminate it all together.

Air Pollution Linked to 1 in 8 Deaths Worldwide

May 11, 2014/in Fresh Air and Wellness, Germ and Virus Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

The World Health Organization released a study this week with sobering statistics: One in eight deaths worldwide is attributable to air pollution. In 2012, that was 7 million lives lost due to health problems from exposure to dirty indoor or outdoor air.

Though awareness of this problem has been growing, those numbers are staggering. The data gathered in this study points to a greater risk of heart disease and stroke associated with pollution than was known before. In fact, the majority of air pollution-related deaths result from cardiovascular disease. You can see a breakdown in the pie chart at left.

The results of the study emphasize the importance of breathing clean, fresh air, and the major impact dirty air can have on our health. Dr. Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health emphasized the importance of addressing this major issue. “Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution; the evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe,” Neira said.

You can read the news release the WHO published about the study by clicking here. Or, you can read the CNN article based on the WHO’s research here.

Take AirRestore on your skiing adventures.

May 3, 2014/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Have the Winter Olympics in Sochi made you eager to do some downhill skiing of your own? Before you grab your gear and hit the slopes, make sure you have your corded Air Naturalizer packed! It will come in handy in several ways:

On the drive: If you are heading to the mountains in an automobile, keep the air fresh while you drive by using AirRestore. It’s too cold right now to roll the windows down for fresh air, but a corded AirRestore Air Naturalizer and car adapter (available through AirRestore) will do the trick!

In the chalet/cabin/hotel room: Plug in your Air Naturalizer when you arrive to tackle pollutants and odors left behind by cleaning staff and previous occupants.

After skiing: After a long day on the slopes, your boots and other gear are going to need a little help in the odor department. Place items needing freshening in your duffel bag. Plug in your Air Naturalizer and place it in the bag with your gear. Zip the bag closed and let the Air Naturalizer work for a few hours. Then pull out your fresh-smelling gear! This also works great for boots – set the Air Naturalizer inside each boot and let it run for an hour or so (depending on the strength of the odor).

Clean air is crucial for daycare centers

May 1, 2014/in Fresh Air and Babies, Germ and Virus Control, Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Clean Air and Daycare Centers

How clean is the air in your child’s day care center? Is it clean enough for young children to be breathing every day? Harmful contaminants build up quickly indoors. Everything from outdoor air pollution to off-gassing from carpets to allergens and germs can accumulate in the home, causing all kinds of problems. Clean air and daycare centers is an important concern for parents.

Exposure to dirty air can be dangerous for babies. A study published by the American Thoracic Society says dirty air can increase the risk of infants developing bronchiolitis, a serious respiratory infection.

Dirty air and asthma: The March of Dimes says polluted air can worsen symptoms for young children with asthma.

Air contaminants and autism: Harvard researchers found pregnant women who were exposed to certain pollutants at high levels were twice as likely to have an autistic child compared to pregnant women who lived in areas with low pollution levels. You can read more about that study here.

The AirRestore Air Naturalizer can help keep air clean for babies and children by removing the particles that shouldn’t be there — like pollution, allergens, bacteria and particles that cause odors.

Other great uses for AirRestore in homes with small children:

Diaper duty: Using an AirRestore Air Naturalizer is a great way to stay on top of baby-related odors, like those around the garbage and the stinky diaper pail. For a baby who spits up frequently, the Air Naturalizer also can be the perfect way to keep those dirty-laundry smells under control.

Got a smelly pile of shoes at the door? Plug in an AirRestore Air Naturalizer to keep the odor at bay.

Spilled milk: Remove the smell from carpet or upholstery by placing the Air Naturalizer face-down over the spot for several minutes. If the spill has been there for a few days, spray a mist of water over it, then use the Air Naturalizer to pull the odors out of the fabric.

Office and Break Room Odors

April 2, 2014/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

We’ve all been there. You buy some delicious, aromatic food for lunch; or you heat up tasty-but-pungent leftovers. As soon as you take your first bite, your cube mate or next-door office neighbor glances at your desk with a grimace. Just because the food smells amazing to you doesn’t mean your colleagues are enjoying it. And for any coworkers who are pregnant, the smell of many types of food can trigger miserable bouts of nausea.

Don’t be that guy or gal. No one wants to be the one with the smelly lunch.

But we’re not saying you should change your lunch menu. Instead, we offer a simple solution: Plug in an AirRestore Air Naturalizer. It will tackle strong food odors and will keep the air in your office fresh 24/7. Keep it running on low throughout the day, and flip the switch to the middle or to the left (for the high setting) while you eat your lunch.

You could even get an extra benefit. Breathing cleaner air has been shown to improve cognitive function. So your work performance can get a boost, and your colleagues will thank you for not flooding their work space with strong smells.

Win-win.

Find out more about AirRestore here.

Bringing pets into a home with past pet problems.

March 1, 2014/in Pets /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Bringing pets into a home with past pet problems

So you just bought a lovely home, but as gorgeous as it is, you can tell the home had pet residents. Now you and your family are ready to move in, but you’re concerned about how your four-legged family member will react. It’s ideal to avoid territorial battles between past and present pets, so here are a few tips:

DO YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE MOVING IN? If so, this is the perfect time to get into your new and still-empty home with your AirRestore Air Naturalization System and let it get to work. Try to identify if there are any specific areas or accidents that need spot treatment. If so, mist the area with water and set an AirRestore unit as close to the accident as possible and leave until dry. Repeat if necessary. (Check out our ODOR CONTROL TIPS for more details.)

If the house simply has an overall “presence” of its past residents, distribute the four units of your Whole Home System evenly throughout the home. Try to increase air circulation by turning on ceiling fans or cracking windows, if weather permits. If the air is dry, adding a humidifier to each floor of the home could be helpful as well. Then, simply let AirRestore go to work.

EVEN WITHOUT HAVING DAYS TO PREPARE, AirRestore can still help ease the transition and help prevent “territory wars” where a pet will try to cover the scent of another animal with its own scent.

First, it’s a good idea to follow some basic recommendations for moving a pet to a new house
(tips for moving your pet: CLICK HERE).
Second, you can lessen your pet’s stress by naturalizing the air, hopefully preventing from putting your animal on natural defense. Simply distribute your Whole Home System throughout your house as early as you can before welcoming in your pet to the home. This is a good opportunity to play with your pet in your new backyard for 20 minutes before exploring the new home! Dedicate a unit to any specific accidents and try to keep your pet from these areas until you’ve had a chance to spot treat them with AirRestore.
Keep your AirRestore units running all day and night, preferably with ample air circulation. Then, simply keep an eye on your pet. If it appears concerned with a specific spot, simply note that area to be in need of an AirRestore Spot Treatment.

Remember that while moving can be a very exciting time, it also can be stressful. And any stress you’re feeling, your pet is, too. Make time to relax and enjoy the move, and congratulations on your new home!

Selling a home? Use organic air technology to appeal to possible buyers.

February 11, 2014/in Realtors and Real Estate /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

Sale

Selling a Home?

Studies show the sense of smell and memory are intertwined. In the real estate industry, odors can have a huge psychological influence on a person’s decision to buy — or not buy — a home.

Every property has its own distinctive smell. People who live or work there may be used to it, but it is going to be very noticeable to a prospective buyer. And any smell, regardless how subtle it may be to one person, can be offensive to another. Worst of all, it could mean losing a sale. The experience, unfortunately, is quite common in the real estate business. In fact, we have a section of articles that discuss the impact odors have on homebuyers. Click here to view the articles.

After a showing, you want prospective buyers to remember how great your home looked. You don’t want it to be memorable because of a bad smell from musty carpets, pets, pungent foods, garbage, cleaning products, smoke or other odors. And you don’t want to merely try to mask an odor with chemicals and air “fresheners.” Buyers see that as a red flag, and they wonder what you are trying to hide.

Instead, the key is to get rid of the odors and make your air “neutral” smelling. When a person prepares their home to sell it, experts recommend “depersonalizing it” by removing photos and other personal items that make the home feel like it belongs to someone else. By depersonalizing a home, you are making it easier for buyers to picture themselves living there.

The same is true for scents in the home. If it smells like someone else lives there, it’s hard for a client to picture the property belonging to them. However, if the air is odor-neutral, buyers won’t be distracted by smells and can focus on the great features of the home.
The AirRestore Whole Home System offers the solution for anyone trying to sell a home or commercial building. Use it to neutralize your property’s odors ahead of showings and open houses to ensure the air is clean and fresh. New to AirRestore? Talk to your local Dealer to find out more.

Keep your home fresh over the winter.

January 23, 2014/in Fresh Air and Wellness /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

In the winter, it’s usually too cold to open the window and let in fresh air, which can make indoor spaces unpleasant. Odors accumulate in the home, cause by strong foods, pets, garbage, cleaning products, dirty laundry and more. You and your family end up breathing that same stale air, over and over.

What can you do to clean up the air and make it more pleasant to breathe? Here are several tips:

• Use an AirRestore Air Naturalizer to help remove odors and allergens from the air. Unlike most air purifiers, which tend to rely on filters, An AirRestore Air Naturalizer creates a charged flow that gets rid of odors using the same air-cleansing power Mother Nature uses outdoors. It will leave the air fresh, even on cold days when you can’t open the windows. New to AirRestore? Talk to your local Dealer to find out more.

• Check for humidity: If there is a musty smell in your home, something may be damp and not drying properly. You may need to clean out the fan in your bathroom if it doesn’t seem to be getting rid of moisture after showers quick enough. If it’s your laundry room or another area, try using a stand-up fan or ceiling fan to help circulate the air and promote drying.

• Look for leaks: You might need to check for leaky air ducts. This video shows how to proceed. If ignored, a leaky air duct can lead to lots of other problems in your home.

• Fight mold: If you find out you have mold growing in your home, that’s a serious problem you’ll want to tackle immediately. If you don’t, it could spread and cause serious health problems. Here is a great slideshow that shows how to fight mold in the home. See more about fighting mold here.

• Bring some green indoors: Plants can do lots of good things for your home. They can filter out unwanted particles and boost the level of oxygen. Try growing herbs in your windowsill or purchase a leafy houseplant.

• Limit the chemicals you add to the air: Curtains, bedding and clothing (especially those that have been dry cleaned) can bring chemicals with them into your home. Some can even emit formaldehyde. Wash bedding, curtains, and washable clothes before using them, and hang dry-cleaned items outside to air out, if possible. Also, stay away from scented air fresheners. They emit chemicals that can irritate the lungs.

How to get rid of a mystery odor:

January 19, 2014/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

How to get rid of a mystery odor

What’s the smell? Where is it coming from? All you know is it is disgusting, and you can’t get rid of it soon enough. Sometimes we have to turn into detectives to figure out what may be causing an unpleasant odor in the house or car.

Common sources include:

Spoiled food in the refrigerator
Rotting food in bottom of garbage can
Spilled milk
Garbage disposal
Spill under the fridge, oven or dishwasher
A dead rodent
Water causing mold or mildew
Dirty diaper pail
Cat litter box or puppy pee pad
Bird cage
Fish tank or aquarium

First, plug in your AirRestore system of Air Naturalizers, dispersing them throughout your home. They will get to work right away, cleaning up the odors in the air and leaving it smelling fresh.

Do a thorough, top-to-bottom cleaning of your home. Clean out the fridge, throw away anything that looks past its prime, and take out the trash right away afterward. Scrub the garbage container out with water with a little bleach in it, and let it dry thoroughly. Wash off the outside of the container, too. Clean the floors, especially in the kitchen, where spilled milk can cause big odor problems. Pull out big appliances and clean the floor beneath them.

Still smell it? Empty/clean anything your pets may have done their business in: Clean out the litter box or pee pad; inspect the carpets and furniture for any “accidents” and look for anything suspicious in piles of blankets and laundry. Empty the diaper pail and clean it well.

Put vinegar and baking soda down the disposal. Let it set for 10 minutes, then run water through to flush it out. You also can pour lemon juice down the disposal or grind small pieces of citrus peels in it to freshen it up.

Have your roof inspected for water damage. Look at the flashing to make sure none is leaking.

Check the traps under sinks, showers or tubs that rarely are used. Run some water through these fixtures to keep dangerous sewer gases away. Check the attic for signs of rodents.

Inspect your furnace filter to see if it needs to be changed.

If you have a chimney, have it checked for bird carcasses. They sometimes get trapped in chimneys, causing odors and other problems.

Help! My kitchen appliance is making my home stink!

December 8, 2013/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

My kitchen appliance is making my home stink!

What do you do if your appliance is working great, but it is making your house smell bad? This is a common problem with dishwashers, especially.

One place to check is the strainer at the bottom. Are chunks of food collecting there? If so, you’ll need to clean it out. Then try the vinegar and baking soda trick: Spread baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher, and pour vinegar around on top of it. It will get bubbly, and as it does so, it will clean out the gunk that has built up. After you’ve let it set for 10-20 minutes, run the dishwasher and let it dry. Another cleaning agent to try is Glisten. It’s a powder you can buy in small packets and run through the dishwasher like you would with powder dishwasher soap.

If your garbage disposal is the source of the stink, try running pieces of citrus peels through it. Use small chucks, as some disposals have a hard time grinding up large pieces. You also could pour fresh lemon juice into it and let it set for a bit. Or use the vinegar/baking soda technique: Sprinkle a bit of baking soda down the disposal and pour a cup or so of vinegar on it. Let that mixture bubble and fizz for 10-20 minutes, then flush it out with warm water. Repeat if needed.

As always, you’ll want to be running your AirRestore Air Naturalizers in the problem areas. They are great at taking care of unwanted odors in the home. The Air Naturalizer creates a charged flow that cleans the air like Mother Nature does outdoors. The result is fresh, clean air that doesn’t smell like spoiled food or garbage (or pets, grease, cat litter odor or cooking smells, as the case may be).

New to AirRestore? Talk to your local Dealer to find out more.

My home is musty. How do I eliminate the odor?

November 21, 2013/in Odor Control /by Eric "The Captain" Converse

My home is musty.

Sometimes a house can develop a smell that’s not easy to pinpoint. It’s just kind of “off,” stale or musty. If this has happened in your home, you know how frustrating it can be.

The best way to stay on top of odors in your home is by using Organic Air Technology, a home air cleaner. These filterless devices emit a charged flow that cleans up the air indoors like Mother Nature does outdoors. The result is powerful odor control: Clean air that is fresh and pleasant to breathe, without the musty smell. Your local AirRestore Dealer can tell you more about the technology.

There also are a few things you can investigate in your home to make sure the smell isn’t a sign of a serious problem.

• Check for leaks in the crawlspace in your home. Sometimes pipes or air intakes can be the culprit; other times it’s just an area that’s not sealed or insulated well.

• This also is a good time to check the vents on the roof to make sure none of them are blocked. While there, inspect the roof for water damage. Also, look at the flashing on the windows and doors to ensure it is in good condition and doing what it should do.

• Check the insulation in the attic. If it has a strange odor, it could be damp from a leak, or it could just be full of years’ worth of cooking smells that were vented up into the space. If the smell is overpowering, it’s probably time to replace the insulation.

• Another problem could be mold. Hardware and big-box stores usually sell test kits that help check for mold growth in the home.

• Or, you may just need to do a thorough cleaning. If you have piles of paper around the house, go through them and get rid of as much as possible. Paper collects moisture, and if it gets damp, it could become full of mildew. You also might need to scrub your kitchen well — including walls, cabinets, sides of appliances, etc. Grease and food particles can cement themselves to those surfaces, so getting rid of the grime can improve the smell situation.

• Clean the carpet. Years of use can trap years of odors. Giving it a good steam cleaning can give the carpet a fresh start.

• The AirRestore Air Naturalizer also works great on carpet odors and for spot-treating pet accidents. Mist the air above the spot with a little water and set the AirRestore Air Naturalizer next to it. Let it run for an hour or so. It will virtually eliminate the odor.

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Indoor Air Pollution

Clean Air and Daycare Centers

Bringing pets into a home with past pet problems

Selling a Home?

How to get rid of a mystery odor

My kitchen appliance is making my home stink!

My home is musty.