WHY DO THIS? If you’re using store-bought aerosol fresheners at home, you’re likely spraying two toxic chemicals in the air: benzene and formaldehyde. By making your own air fresheners, you’ll avoid these harmful chemicals and the health problems that can come along with them. Here are a 5 easy and quick ways to improve the air and make it smell good! HOW TO: 1. Spicy potpourri. In a Ziploc bag, mix one ounce of cinnamon sticks, a small container of whole cloves and a small container of allspice. Give the bag a good shake! Take one teaspoon of the spice blend and mix it with one cup of water. Pour the blend into a saucepan on your stove, bring to a boil, and then let it simmer to create a potpourri with some kick! 2. Vanilla spritzer. Combine a few drops of vanilla extract with a cup of water. Add this mixture to a spray bottle. Use this all-purpose air freshener anywhere in the house to dispel funky odors. Tip: Spray this in your empty vacuum bags – it will freshen up y...

Your classic spring-cleaning checklist usually involves core tasks like vacuuming, dusting, window washing and de-cluttering, but spring is also an excellent time to tackle some tasks that will make your home safer and more secure. Household safety is especially important when it comes to seniors, who unfortunately experience many of their injuries within the home.  Factors like declining vision, hearing loss and worsening bone  density make injuries from minor trips and falls more likely. Additionally, if injured, it can take seniors longer to heal and recover fully. By making some little changes around the home you can reduce the chance of household injuries for yourself or the senior loved ones in your life. It all comes down to identifying potential hazardous spots and removing or diminishing them as much as possible. There's no better time to get started on the path to a safer household for seniors than right now when you're freshening up your home for spring. Her...

On average, gutters accumulate anywhere from 40-250 pounds of debris per year! This buildup can create all kinds of problems for your home such as foundation erosion, mosquito infestations and damage to your roof and gutter system, which can cost thousands of dollars to replace. 1. Remove all debris from your gutters. Get every leaf and twig with a gloved hand. Go section-by-section, dump the debris you can reach in a bucket, and then move the ladder down (very carefully). 2. Check for damages. After removing debris, check for corrosion and any holes or dents. Tip: If you find small holes, place a piece of painter’s tape by the hole so you can easily find it when you’re ready to repair. If you’ve found small holes in your gutter, you can seal them with clear silicone sealant. 3. Test the drainage. Gently run water through your gutter with a garden hose to ensure your gutter is draining correctly. If water is standing still, increase the grade of your gutter to create and mainta...

Imagine you’ve just finished cleaning your home…what does it smell like? Fresh and clean or bleachy and toxic? Did you know that the cleaner your home, the more toxic it may actually be? Harmful chemicals in common household cleaners wreak havoc on your respiratory system and some even contain carcinogens. These chemicals are then washed down your drain and make their way into our ground water, wildlife and eventually back into our homes via the food we consume. Using green cleaning products is the best and safest method to keeping your home safe and allergen-free. What is green cleaning you ask? Green cleaning refers to the practice of using environmentally friendly products and procedures which help preserve human health and environmental quality. Using products with ingredients that are naturally occurring and non-harmful to the environment will go a long way in protecting your loved ones, and also the world we live in. With the increase in awareness of the harmful ingredients i...

The last thing you want to do when you step out of a nice warm shower is dry yourself off with a nasty-smelling towel. The stench can be overwhelming, and it really puts a damper on that “fresh from the shower” feeling. Luckily, this problem is easy to solve! With a few strategic cleaning cycles, the musty stench can be a thing of the past. Here’s how: The Golden Towel Rule: Do not let your towels stay wet! For each of these methods, it’s important that the towels are dried immediately. Set a timer to ensure that your clothes are switched from the washing machine to the dryer promptly. If you line dry, hang the wet towels in a sunny spot until they’re completely dry. Method #1: Vinegar Riding Solo Musty, smelly towels don’t play well with others, so give them their own load. Add one cup of white vinegar to the load – no detergent or fabric softener – and run the washer on the hottest possible setting. The vinegar will kill any lingering bacteria. Then, leave the clothes ...

We’re heading into the home stretch of winter! There’s probably only a few more big snow falls in our future, which means it’s time to start planning for spring - which is probably the most fun home maintenance season. However, one thing that often gets overlooked, with catastrophic results, is preparing for the spring thaw. Make sure your home is prepared with these tips for both inside and outside of your home to make sure you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on repairing damage, or even worse, that your valuables get damaged by the water. Here are 17 ways you can prep your home to ensure you aren’t the victim of water damage this spring: Outside Your Home Get any remaining snow away from your house. Check property for anything that’s preventing the melting snow from draining away from your house and make sure there is a clear path for it to follow. Make sure your eaves and downspouts are in good shape and don’t need any repairs. Get them cleaned...

On average, you spend ⅓ of your life sleeping. That means more than ⅓ of your life is spent in your home. For the health of you and your family, you should consider your home a sanctuary. There are small things you can regularly do that will help to keep you healthy - especially as cold season approaches. Get rid of the allergens, dust, and mold in your house today to keep you and your family healthy throughout flu season. Additionally - keeping your home clean and clutter-free will help you mentally attack the upcoming busy holiday season. Everyone talks about spring cleaning, but all year round cleaning is equally important. Here are the 5 places you should start cleaning today for a happy, healthy family: 1. Duct Cleaning Cleaning out your ducts won’t necessarily improve the dust situation in your house, unless you’ve just done a renovation or you’ve built a new house. But it will improve energy efficiency, improve air quality in certain circumstances, and will improve ai...

Hazardous chemicals can be found in a variety of environments, even within the safety of a home. Over the years, these “hidden” substances can affect the occupants’ health in several ways. Below is a list of some of the most notable of these dangers, including tips on how to prevent them: 1. Lead causes serious health issues and can often be found in lead-based paints (in older homes), soil, dust and tap water (if the home has lead pipes). The members of a family should be tested for lead levels, and, in the case of older homes, hiring a certified contractor to remove lead paint is recommended. 2. Mould exposure is especially harmful to those with respiratory diseases. Mould grows in damp areas with poor ventilation. A professional company, such as Inspect it All can be hired to check the levels and type of mould in your home and recommend next steps to remove it. 3. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas released from burning organic fuel in wood stoves, fireplaces, gas heaters...

In the winter, the risk for carbon monoxide poisoning is at its highest, because it’s almost always related to the heating systems.  Although some governments in Canada have taken regulatory actions on carbon monoxide, fatal accidents still occur, that is why it is extremely important to understand some facts about carbon monoxide (CO). CO is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas that can cause sudden illness and death. CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by cars and trucks, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, and gas ranges and heating systems. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces. Breathing it can poison people and animals in these spaces. Because CO is basically undetectable to the human senses, people may not know that they are being exposed. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever).  They include:  headache, fat...

Most modern cleaners contain dangerous chemicals that could cause health problems to sensitive individuals. Many of these cleaners also contribute to indoor and outdoor pollution. Luckily, there are various inexpensive alternatives to home cleaners that are less likely to damage one’s health and the environment. Here are some of them: All-purpose cleaner:   this solution is made by mixing ½ cup of white vinegar, ¼ cup of baking soda and ½ gallon of water. It can be used to clean, deodorize and disinfect surfaces. For dirtier surfaces, only white vinegar should be used, but a spot test should be performed first. Tile cleaning:  First, a paste of ½ water and ½ baking soda should be applied to the grout. After waiting a few minutes or up to 2 hours (for very dirty grout), the grout can be scrubbed with water. Oven cleaning: Use a solution with 1 teaspoon of borax, 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and 2 cups of hot water. Once the solution is applied, it should be w...