Creating a Healthy Home

Life without plastic...the very idea sounds like science fiction, but "no plastic, no styrofoam" is the rule in the fictional family's house in Creating a Healthy Home. An onscreen host takes viewers through the kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, and bedrooms (with tips on garage and shed use), pointing out the various polluters and potential problem areas throughout. Hardwood floors are better than carpet. Borax, vinegar, and baking soda can replace those chemical-laced solvents and polishes stored underneath the kitchen sink. An activated carbon filter will help to sift out impurities in the drinking water. Additional hints are printed onscreen to bridge sections, and some recipes for non-toxic cleaning solutions are included. While not as detailed as Your House, Your Health: a Non-Toxic Building Guide (reviewed in our September-October 1992 issue), Creating a Healthy Home covers more areas--including the yard--and provides more child safety related suggestions. Not everyone will rush out and remodel their home after watching this video, but there are a lot of good ideas here that can be implemented at either low cost or for free. Recommended. (R. Pitman)