Have you ever just "come down with something" and not known what it was from or where you got it?
Maybe it was a strange summer cold, or a reaction on your skin that you couldn't explain. Maybe it was a case of the flu when no one else around you was sick.
My friend Janet was awakened in the middle of the night by her own wheezing. Desperate for air, confused, and terrified, she tried to wake her husband who was sleeping like a bear in hibernation.
She found herself alone and in a completely unfamiliar situation. She had never smoked, had never suffered from asthma or allergies, and was overall pretty healthy.
Photo Credit: Better Daily Habits
Although scared, she did have experience with deep breathing and relaxation, so very slowly she counted from 10 backwards. She then began deep, measured breathing, visualizing laying on a white sandy beach on a calm, sunny day. This calmed her mind from the storm that she had been awakened by just minutes before.
She continued this and distracted her thoughts with infomercials until daylight. Then at 9 o'clock sharp she called her doctor and made an appointment.
Her diagnosis? Simply put, allergies.
How? Why? She wasn't allergic to anything that she could think of. Pollen was never a problem before. Did it come with age? That didn't make much sense to her because she was so healthy. So what was she allergic to?
"The culprit," her doctor announced, "is most likely bug mites. Clean your sheets and blankets regularly, vacuum your mattress, use a mattress pad and keep pets out of your room."
Her head was spinning as she thought of creepy crawlies in her bed. A shiver ran up her spine.
But that was not all. Janet did her research and found that flame retardants were also very likely to blame. Flame retardants are chemicals that are put almost everywhere in our homes. Do you have a sofa? Curtains? Clothing?
The worst thing about flame retardants is that fire fighters say they don't even work. The materials they are on will still burn and now many first responders are linking this to cancer because high levels of these chemicals have been found in their blood when they are tested.
So, what can you and I do? What did Janet do? It's nearly impossible to be completely free from all household chemicals. Even if you go live out in the woods and sleep in a hammock, that hammock is likely laced with chemicals.
I looked up a tent once on a popular shopping site and in the description it said that the tent contained chemicals that caused cancer!
Well, there are a few things you and I can do. We can do what Janet did. Here are her simple and life-changing hacks that prevented her from having another terrifying middle-of-the-night attack.
1. She took down all her curtains and stripped her family's bedding and washed them in hot water with baking soda and a white vinegar rinse. Then she hung them outside to dry where the sun could add an extra layer of disinfectant. She made a schedule to do this with the bedding every week and with the curtains every month or as needed. Curtains are natural dust catchers.
2. She threw out all chemical cleaners. She now sprays surfaces with white vinegar, then while it is still wet, she sprays it with hydrogen peroxide. This combination kills E. coli bacteria.
3. She also threw out all plasticware, since plastic is nothing but chemicals. She now drinks from glassware instead of any kind of plastic, and stores her food in glass containers.
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4. She opens her windows strategically during the coolest parts of the day to get a good dose of fresh air with a nice cross breeze throughout her house. If the air is hot and sticky, the windows stay closed.
5. She cleans out her air conditioning filters monthly. This cuts down on allergens drastically.
6. She checks for mold and mildew that might form on walls, ceilings, in corners, closets, bathrooms, and the basement each season. With the change of seasons comes new forms of moisture: rain, snow, dew, humidity.
7. She bought some houseplants that are known for cleaning up the air, namely the Boston Fern and the Peace Lily. They are a nice addition to her home.
These simple changes have kept Janet from having another attack, but she still wants to take more precautions. She looks for clothing that doesn't have flame retardants and is considering hiring a local furniture maker who doesn't use them either so she can replace her old furniture. She also replaces her mattress every few years and bought an air filter for her bedroom.
As for her sleeping bear-husband, he never became sick, but appreciates all the changes in the house, along with her children. These are simple things that you and I can do, too.
It's better to be safe than sorry. Her story could have ended badly. If her doctor had not been on top of his research, he might have missed her diagnosis and she could have ended up with asthma, lung disease, or even cancer.
Keep your family safe. Do what you can to keep your home as chemical-free as you are able.