Holiday Handy-Dandy Helpful Household Hints

11/29/14 | Me, in Real Life

[CaptainPhilFan]

Full article from my personal FB account, that I wrote. I sometimes publish these under my old radio-persona name, with the catch-phrase 'Handy-Dandy Helpful Household Hints'.

Yes, very cheesy and entirely hokey. 8-) I wrote this one this morning - lots of you probably know most of this already but on the off-chance someone learns something I am sharing. Be blessed, y'all.

"Getting your decorations out of storage can mean putting dust, mold and dust mites into your atmosphere; flaring up allergies, sinus problems, sore throats, AND contribute to low energy! Ain’t nobody got time for that!

(Summary: Clean your decorations, bleach your tree, ditch your cheap candles, get indoor plants)

So let’s take a stab at having a healthier holiday!

A- Decorations collect dust, dust mites, dirt, mold; lovely allergens that catch a ride to your party when you take them out of storage and bring them right into the house. So…

1) Take the items outside and as appropriate: dust, vacuum, wipe, or rinse to remove loose dust and dirt. This can be everything from floral and cloth decorations to your fake tree.

2) Leaving any item that is cold-proof outdoors in frigid temps WILL kill up to 100% of dust mites. Alternatively, you can put items in your freezer. About 24 hours in either.

B- Real Christmas trees often carry mold or fungus on their trunks and branches, and once a tree is cut and stacked with others the mold can multiply and spread even more quickly.

Once inside your home, the mold can cause fatigue, sneezing and more allergic reactions. It’s perfectly normal but you don’t have to put up with it.

1) When you first put up the tree add 2 tsp of bleach PER gallon to fill the tree stand. After, use ¼ tsp per gallon daily as you water the tree. How you keep the dog out there is your problem.

C- Candles. Between what the wax is made from, whether the wick is cotton or metal, and what the scents and colors are made from – candles can be a lovely nightmare, even to people who don’t realize they’re being poisoned.

(Summary: Beeswax or Bayberry wax; cotton or hemp wicks; diffused essential oils)

You should do your own leg work for the Candles issue because information changes and there are many brands and labeling laws. But here are the most common guidelines I can find:

1) Paraffin wax creates toxic benzene and toluene when burned (both are known carcinogens). The toxins released from paraffin candles are the same as those found in diesel fuel fumes.

Solution: Beeswax or Bayberry wax candles – more expensive but burn much longer and cleaner than paraffin. Salt lamps. Diffused, pure essential oils.

2) Wicks: If your candle’s wick is not made in the USA and is not declarative of what it is made from – then you probably don’t want to burn that baby. Lead and other metals that may be in your wick give off simply terrible fumes and poisons.

Solution: Look for full Cotton or Hemp Wicks, not the metal-cored wicks.

3) Scents and colorings: Synthetic scents and “Fragrance Oils” are pretty bad, and along with dyes of unknown origin fill your home with things such as Acetone, Trichlorofluoromethane, Carbon Disulfide, 2-Butanone, Trichloroethane, Trichloroethene, Carbon Tetrachloride, Tetrachloroethene, Chlorobenzene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene, Xylene, Phenol, Cresol, Cyclopentene.

These are not very nice Christmas presents.

Solution here? Not as fun as you might think. Unscented beeswax or bayberry wax candles give off their own lovely aroma. Unscented candles used alongside diffused essential oils give scent and glow – maybe that is a good solution to the polluting alternative.

Speaking of indoor air quality, House Plants can be a lovely addition to your battle plan. 10 of the best (there are many more) are: Aloe, English Ivy, Rubber Tree, Peace Lily, Snake Plant, Bamboo Plant, Philodendron, Spider Plant, Red Edged Dracaena, and the Golden Pothos".

Sources: Wellness Mama, Keeper of the Home, Global Healing Center,

[Rodamala]

Can't help but think of this classic scene:

Playing Through