• closely check any furniture coming into your home that is not “new” to be sure you do not see any “fleas’, before bringing it inside
• do not put covers on a  mattress  unless the tag is labeled “allergen rated” or “for dust mites” or “for bedbugs”
• check periodically for rips in mattress & repair immediately
• repair cracks in plaster, loose wallpaper, loose light switch covers
• when traveling, put your suitcase  on a luggage rack instead of on the floor or bed
• if staying in a hotel, check mattress & headboard for signs of bedbugs
• when you return home, unpack your suitcase into your washing machine & wash all items and dry on highest setting for at least 20 minutes
• inspect your unpacked luggage & vacuum if necessary! Empty the vacuum bag after this.

Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS) has announced its release of Green Cleaning for Health, a myth-busting white paper exploring the potential health implications of a variety of cleaning products and methods, and shedding light on green cleaning. Green Cleaning for Health discusses the future of certification programs and initiatives promoting a greener, healthier concept of clean.

Green cleaning has gained momentum in the marketplace with related consumer market products quadrupling in sales from 2003 to 2008. By 2013, anticipated sales of green cleaners will grow to $623 million and account for 30 percent of the household cleaners market, compared with just 3 percent in 2008. Still, consumer awareness surrounding marketing claims for green cleaners is devastatingly low.

“Many cleaning products lack substantiated green attributes, yet are alleged to be ‘environmentally friendly,’ or ‘healthy,’ causing confusion for consumers, facility managers, cleaning professionals-even manufacturers,” explains Tony Worthan, vice president of AQS. “Green Cleaning for Health talks about the importance of cleaning but cautions that steps should be taken to ensure products and methods are effective and healthy for consumers and commercial users.”

The paper also summarizes certification programs and other initiatives in promotion of green cleaning, and dispels common assumptions associated with conventional cleaning. “Gone are the days of heavy scents indicating ‘freshness,’ or ‘cleanliness,’” says Worthan, “The paper explains that ‘clean’ should be more about health than aesthetics, and that clean is typically odorless.” Use of non-toxic products and decreased exposure to risky chemicals improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and overall occupant health; showing that green cleaning can truly revolutionize the way we maintain our homes, educational facilities, and places of work. The paper also provides guidance on how to verify green or healthy claims through credible third party certifications.

AQS provides easily accessible information, like Green Cleaning for Health, in the hopes of empowering purchasers to make knowledgeable choices to use products or processes that do not jeopardize consumer safety and health. Green Cleaning for Health is available in its entirety, free of charge, from the Aerias-AQS Indoor Air Quality Resource Center at www.aerias.org. Read more by clicking on this direct link.

Toilet Co. Wins MIT Competition

Sangery Toilet Waste Can Be Converted To Energy, Fertilizer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A startup company creating affordable and hygienic toilets to help fight disease in developing countries has won the $100,000 first prize in the 2011 MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition.

Sanergy has developed toilets that can be placed in slums without sewage infrastructure, and the resulting waste can be converted into energy and organic fertilizer.

Sanergy’s founders, MIT engineering students and MIT Sloan School MBA candidates, say 2.6 billion people worldwide lack access to basic sanitation. The resulting disease kills 1.6 million children per year and costs developing countries as much as 6.4 percent of GDP in lost productivity.

Team member Ani Vallabhaneni says at each step of the process, Sanergy sanitation systems create jobs, opportunity and profit while addressing social and economic needs.

Sanergy is already working in Kenya.

Read more: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/money/27906059/detail.html#ixzz1MYZZX9Dj