Here are five more tips to help you transform your home into a powerful battery charger for your whole family.

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Banish toxins

Many people do not appreciate that while legislation has removed many visible pollutants, hidden dangers have continued to accumulate, pumped out by traffic, sprayed by agriculture, and leaking from chemical products. Asthma continues to climb, the Fukushima meltdown has given everyone in the world the equivalent of a full body x-ray, and many home furnishings are emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Let your home be the one space in which you can recover. Major VOC culprits include carpets, curtains, vinyl, and adhesives in furniture. Legislation has been introduced to reduce VOCs, but homes will contain chemical hazards for years to come. Slowly replace suspect materials; for example, vinyl floor covering can be replaced with safe linoleum and laminate flooring. Air purifiers with HEPA filters help against both allergens and VOCs.

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Windows

One consequence of modern materials is that the air inside your home can be more toxic than the air outside. Until all your home furnishings are safe and your air safely filtered, your best strategy is to throw your windows open wide!

Living things

Plants and pets can have a calming effect upon people, but plants have fewer side effects! Ensure you have plenty of pot plants that grow robustly indoors. The scent of a hyacinths will beat any air freshener and has no unnatural ingredients. Leafy plants also help to cleanse the air you breathe.

Mother nature

City dwellers rarely have access to the natural environment, so let the mountain come to Muhammad. Natural textures, smells and living things are comforting psychologically and physically, so encourage your children to forage conkers, acorns and pine cones. You can also feel closer to natural things by using textured and naturally-patterned wall and floor coverings; for example, laminate flooring is a safe product available in a vast range of timber grains and stone effects, and the textured ones even feel like the real thing.

Allocate zones

It is easier to work in an environment we associate with work and sleep in an area we associate with sleep. You can increase your ability to work, sleep and play by organising your home into areas devoted to each; for example, keep the laptop and TV out of the bedroom.