There’s nothing like a cleanser that actually works as advertised, bulldozing through dirt and leaving a surface sparkling clean. But conventional cleaning products can actually leave indoor air polluted with a toxic smog of petrochemical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the synthetic fragrances used to mask them.

Think, then, what damage cleaning products used on a regular basis year-round can do in the enclosed space of a home, where VOCs can build up for months. “When they evaporate, they are transported directly to the brain, where they can be as intoxicating as ether or chloroform,” says Kaye Kilburn, professor of internal medicine at the University of Southern California medical school. “They are palpably dangerous to health.” In other words, when someone complains of being knocked out after cleaning house, it’s likely more than just a turn of phrase.

People with allergies face the possibility of having a reaction almost everywhere they go. Though we cannot control the environments of other people’s homes, businesses or other public areas, we can make a difference in our own homes. Here are some tips for reducing allergens in your home.

3 Great Cloths for One Low Price!

Buy our three most popular cleaning cloths together and save. This convenient package makes it easier than ever for you to clean your home. Microfiber is the best way to clean your home without the use of dangerous chemical cleansers, and will remove 99% of all dirt with just water as a detergent. Get a streak-free and lint-free shine in less time and do it safely with microfiber. These cloths are completely reusable and can be machine washed hundreds of times.

A living room should encourage your guests and your family to spend a little while dallying. This can be done by arranging the furniture in ways that encourage conversation or sitting by a fire. Lighting should be sufficient for reading books or magazines or watching television. There should be good conversation starters like a book or interesting artwork or statues to help provide a cultural backdrop. Adding live elements like plants or an aquarium can raise the energy level of the room. Color within your living room is better in warmer tones to evoke a comforting response. If the room is small, the space arrangement is even more important and one should strive for the illusion of space through mirrors or by sizing the furniture in such a way that it doesn’t overpower the room.

Every now and then a product comes along that doesn’t just deliver on its promise, it over delivers. This is true of microfiber cleaning cloths, which are the best thing since soap and water. Really. Years ago, I kept hearing murmurs about microfiber coming out of Sweden and thought I’d give it a try because if anything needs to be made easier, it’s housecleaning. Now that I’ve changed to microfiber to clean my house, I won’t be going back. Once you try them, you’ll understand why, too.

Microfiber is a workhorse
One of the drawbacks of housecleaning is that it is just so darn hard to do — and it takes so many cleaners. But microfiber has changed all that. These cloths actually attract dirt and trap it in the fibers. At only 1/16th the size of a human hair, the fibers don’t just trap dirt, they trap bacteria, too.