Columnists

It’s begun. As the rain drizzled down in Toronto yesterday, I could feel my eyelids swelling up just a bit, and by midday I was definitely stuffed up. Spring – and allergy season – has begun. Over the years I’ve learned that, particularly during allergy season, having a clean bedroom — free of dust and chemical irritants — means I’ll start the day feeling much more like myself.

In my experience, there are a few important bedroom elements to control in order to control your allergies:
- The flooring, wall covering and other materials you’ve used to finish the room
- The furniture, drapes and other furnishings
- Your mattress and pillows
- Your mattress cover, sheets and pillow cases

As usual, when I look for better choices for the Earth, I also find better choices for my own health. I’ll share what I’ve learned about finishes and flooring today, and move on to mattress, pillows and bedding tomorrow. Maybe you’ll have some of your own tips to add.

Design elements of a cozy, eco-friendly, allergen-free bedroom should generally made with natural materials, they should be easy to dust and wash and they should be durable. Here are a few areas that make a difference:
- Ventilation. Bedrooms can get stuffy at night. If you wake up to humidity on your windows in the cooler months, you have excess moisture (it must be all that heavy breathing). You might need a heat recovery ventilator. This heat exchanger works with your central heating system to maintain fresh air and keep humidity in check while reducing heating costs.
- Windows. Thwart window-frame mold from moisture buildup by installing vinyl or fibreglass windows, and insulate and caulk thoroughly around the frames. Check the Energy Star ratings before you buy to ensure you’ve chosen a highly energy- efficient window.
- Flooring. Several kinds of flooring may emit irritating, sometimes harmful gasses. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are common in carpets, engineered wood products such as plywood and particleboard, finishes like paint and stain, fabrics that have been treated with fire retardants, and other materials. Avoid potential irritants and do the Earth a favour by choosing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified solid wood flooring, or Low-E engineered flooring made with sustainable materials such as wood, bamboo or cork. While wool rugs are a good environmental choice, any sort of carpet can trap allergens.
- Drapes. I have a street light outside my window, so if I didn’t have blackout fabric behind my drapes, according to this Homemakers.com article, I wouldn’t sleep as soundly. Whatever window coverings you choose, make sure they’re easy to wash. I’ve found plastic venetian blinds really difficult to clean, and I doubt they’re recyclable.
- Furniture. Avoid furniture that can absorb moisture and harbour dust, forgoing stuffed chairs for those made with wood, steel and washable fabrics. Skip particleboard furniture (most furniture is now made with particle board with a face of wood veneer) unless you know it’s low emission (Low E). Low E composite wood furniture is getting easier to find, with retailers such as Ikea on board. Don’t forget about antique shops for wood and brass beds frames!
- Paint and wall coverings. Although there are many beautiful wallpaper designs out there, keep in mind that some wallpaper isn’t paper at all, it’s vinyl! Vinyl off-gasses VOCs. Flocked paper is back in style, but it’s hard to dust! If you have allergies, choose smooth, low-E glue, washable paper or simply apply a low-VOC paint. For a better night’s sleep, choose a matte finish — it will help absorb light.

Keep in mind that if you already have some VOC-emitting materials in your home, most off-gas fairly quickly, particularly if you have a source of ventilation (open the windows). Furniture you already have is better for the environment than new stuff.

For more ideas on getting ahead of your allergies, check out the April issue of Homemakers magazine for the story “Survive the Sneeze Season” by Lesley Young.

See you tomorrow for green mattress and bedding tips!

This morning I attended a roundtable discussion on allergies (that’s “allergic rhinitis” specifically – the itchy, watery eye, runny nose, sneezy type). Among the many gems of information, Dr. Susan Waserman, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy / Clinical Immunology at McMaster University in Hamilton, had an interesting note about climate change. She said that researchers have found that higher levels of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in the atmosphere can lead to a boost in pollen production. That means those of us with seasonal allergies will respond more severely than ever. Terrific.

Dr. Waserman notes that, from an allergy standpoint, we have additional reasons to crank down our release of GHGs (primarily carbon dioxide, but methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons also play a part, as noted here). She says that “smollen” – a lovely combination of smog and pollen, plagues people in more urban environments, and can make breathing difficult for allergy sufferers, particularly those with asthma.

The good news, Dr. Waserman says, is we have effective antihistamines (Disclosure: the session was sponsored by Reactine), they’re effective, they don’t make us drowsy and they’re safe to take, even during pregnancy, and we don’t become tolerant to them – they continue to work well over time. Dr. Waserman also prescribes nasal steroids to some patients. A January 2010 survey presented in this morning’s session showed that nearly a third of Canadians will just tough out allergy symptoms, sometimes canceling events or missing work, rather than seeking treatment. If GHG emissions keep going up, no doubt some people will change their minds and look for help!

We can hope that governments make change to reduce our GHG output (although recent commitments are disheartening), but there are things you and I can do to be part of the solution.
- Canadians’ most common GHG output comes from driving gasoline-engine vehicles (yes, what goes in the gas tank puffs out the tailpipe!), so the less we drive the better, and electric cars are coming onto the market hopefully by the end of this year.
- Many of us use oil or gas-fuelled furnaces and other appliances, but we can replace these with more efficient models, or switch to electric versions. My partner and I are researching electric, on-demand water-heating options so we can say goodbye to our gas-powered tank. (For home heating and cooling, heat pumps, such as geothermal systems or air-source heat pumps are a fabulous alternative.)
- Depending on where you live, you may be using electricity that’s generated from burning coal. Most Canadians enjoy electricity from hydro and nuclear sources, but to use green energy switch to a renewable energy provider). I’ve been buying green power for several years now, and I don’t find it costs much more.

Those are some of the big changes we can make. Beyond that, it’s all those annoying little everyday decisions about what we eat and what goods we need, since they take energy to create, transport and sell. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with the line between “need” and “want” on just about a daily basis!

If you’re like me and you’re bothered by allergies (that’d be about 25 per cent of Canadians), the connections between GHGs, pollution and allergies offer just one more great reason to live greener.