When buying furniture, carpets and accessories for the home, it is important to consider the safety of the product. Current fittings and accessories can be cared for in a way so as to reduce their harmful effects.

Modern furnishings and fabrics found around the home can often contain harmful chemicals, particularly those which are labelled as "wrinkle resistant" or "easy care". In the bedroom, bedding and night clothes are likely to have a been treated with a formaldehyde resin (a suspected carcinogen) if they are advertised as "non-iron".

Washing the material prior to first using it will help to reduce the chemical build up, and avoiding synthetic materials all together will significantly improve the natural home environment.

Carpets are also known to be made of synthetic fibres which have been treated by pesticides and fungicides, which are slowly emitted into the surroundings. Office carpets are also known to release a chemical known as 4-phenylcyclohexene, which is suspected to be the cause of "sick" office buildings.

To help prevent the long term effects of these chemicals, introduce house plants throughout your home which absorb a large amount of the chemicals which are emitted. Plants recycle unwanted chemicals, are also attractive, and rebalance oxygen levels.

Furniture polish is made up of solvents and petroleum distillates, which as well as causing irritability and depression, are highly neurotoxic.These chemicals linger on furniture and diffuse into the surrounding environment for weeks after their application, which effects the nervous systems of the people living in the home.

However, despite this there are many alternatives available to chemical furniture polish. Beeswax is a simple, natural alternative which smell pleasant, and do not endanger you or your family.