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APRIL 2018 HEALTH.COM 63
MakeYour HomeHealthierThese standout products
will help you breathe easier,sleep better, and keep your
space green and clean.B y K ATE ROCK WOOD
OK, maybe your ownhome won’t be thisgreen—but it will bepretty darn close!
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64 HEALTH.COM APRIL 2018
B R E AT H E
GET SOME
FRESH AIR IN
YOUR LAIR!
Want to boostair quality
quickly? Crackopen a window.Even 10 minutesof increased aircirculation—especially
after a cookingor cleaningmarathon—
dilutes indoorpollutants.
2. Nest Protect Smokeand Carbon
Monoxide Alarm($119; nest.com)
Nest Protect combinestwo safety must-haves(carbon monoxide and
smoke alarms) intoone. Even better: It has
self-testing features,instructive voice alerts,and smart connectivity,
so you can monitorand address issues
from its app.
3. Honeywell HCM-350W Germ Free Cool
Mist Humidifier($116; honeywell.com)
A humidifier that’s hardto clean can turn you
into an accidental moldfarmer—potentiallyupping your risk of
asthma and allergyattacks. This one’s
reservoir is dishwashersafe. Plus, its UV lightkills any microbes thatmight be in the water.
4. Kenmore Elite31150 Pet Friendly
Vacuum($320; amazon.com)This vacuum boastspowerful airflow that
removes even thetiniest pet hairs. Just
as important: TheHEPA filter will keep
particles trapped insidea disposable bag,
rather than recirculatingthem into the air.
1. Coway AP-1512HHMighty Air Purifier($230; amazon.com)
Indoor air can beeven more polluted
than outdoor air.Thankfully, a purifierwith a high-efficiency
particulate air (HEPA)filter can remove
airborne particles with99.97 percent efficiency.This model has sensors
to kick it into highgear when needed.
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5. Marpac DohmClassic White Noise
Machine($60; amazon.com)
Some people are great atsleeping through everyodd sound. For the restof us, there are white-noise machines. This
pick has racked up morethan 9,000 glowing
Amazon reviews, thanksto its durability andwonderfully layered
“ssshhh” sound.
6. Nidra Deep RestSleep Mask
($23; amazon.com)This well-designed sleep
mask makes it easy tocatch shut-eye, no matter
S L E E P
your surroundings.Nidra’s version is softand has an adjustable
strap to keep it in place.The domed shape means
there’s no pressure onyour peepers.
7. Protect-A-BedAllerZip SmoothMattress Cover
($130; protectabed.com)This mattress
encasement combinessoft woven fabric with
tight seams and securezippers to keep dust
mites at bay.
8. AllerEase Hot WaterWashable AllergyProtection Pillow
($21; aller-ease.com)Allergists recommendwashing your beddingin 130-degree waterto remove allergens,
but most down pillowsfeel pitiful after a few
spins in the rinse cycle.Not this synthetic option,
which stays fluffy evenwith weekly washes.
9. Nokia Steel HRActivity Tracker($220; nokia.com)
Sleep tech tends to fallshort on coaching, butthis watch pairs with anapp that tells you how
much you slept and howto tweak your habits for
better slumber.
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SNIFF,
SNIFF, SNOOZE
A study in theJournal of
Alternative andComplementaryMedicine foundthat people who
slept with a chestpatch of lavenderessential oil
had better sleepquality than
those with a blankpatch. Or justtry spritzing alittle lavenderessential oil on atissue and keep itnext to your bed.
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10. Honest LaundryDetergent
($13; honest.com)To formulate these suds,
the team at Honestskipped the usual dyes,
fake fragrances, andchemicals in favor of
plant-based cleansersand stain-fighting
enzymes.
11. OXO Good GripsCompact Toilet Brush
($16; oxo.com)Something to knowabout toilet brush
storage: If it isn’t ableto fully dry or if the
storage caddy is hard toclean, both can become
breeding grounds fornasty bacteria. That’swhy we’re fans of thisoption: The leakproof
bowl is a snap todisinfect, and built-in airvents help the brush dry.
12. SeventhGeneration Natural
Dish Liquid($3; target.com)
These suds containingredients derivedfrom plants and skip
the synthetic dyes andfragrances. Anotherbonus: The bottle ismade from recycled
plastic.
C L E A N
13. MethodAll-Purpose Cleaner
($3; target.com)Method’s multitasking
cleaner gets the jobdone—more impressive,
when you consider itdoesn’t rely on the usual
harsh chemicals, likeammonia and chlorinebleach, that may cause
health issues.
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MEET OUR EXPERTS
Clifford Bassett, MD, allergist atAllergy & Asthma Care of New York andauthor of The New Allergy Solution
Julia Brody, PhD, executive directorand senior scientist at Silent Spring Institutein Newton, Massachusetts
Phil Brown, PhD, director of the SocialScience Environmental Health ResearchInstitute at Northeastern University in Boston
Donna Smallin Kuper, certified house-cleaning technician and author of Clear theClutter, Find Happiness
W. Max Kirk, PhD, associate professor andindoor air quality researcher at WashingtonState University
Kelly Reynolds, PhD, environmentalmicrobiologist at the University of Arizona
W. Chris Winter, MD, sleep specialistand neurologist at Charlottesville Neurologyand Sleep Medicine and author of The SleepSolution
Junfeng (Jim) Zhang, PhD, professor ofglobal and environmental health at Duke Uni-versity’s Nicholas School of the Environment
HOW WE CHOSE
THE WINNERS
First our panel ofhealth pros (seebelow) shared themost importantcriteria for eachtype of home product.Then we hunted forgoods that not onlychecked off everybox but also met ourrequirements forvalue and quality.We also consideredthird-party ratings,such as the productsafety grades fromthe EnvironmentalWorking Group.
BAG IT
If you havea stockpileof reusable
shopping bags,pop those suckersin the washingmachine. When
researchers fromthe University ofArizona tested 84reusable shoppingbags, they foundbacteria inall but one ofthem—including
coliform bacteria(suggestingraw-meat
contamination) inhalf andE. coliin 8 percent of
the bags.
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