This post is a lengthier than most of our others. The Living room is where we spend the most time as a family and if yours is like our you have a wide variety of surfaces and materials.
From our perspective, a healthy living room is both multifunctional and comfortable for everyone in the house. It is easy to care for, clutter-free and easy to keep up. We spend a lot of time in ours, with our grandkids, as we do not have a basement, so we really try to keep it organized and picked up on a daily basis.
In a perfect world it has the following attributes:
- Thick tiles on a thick concrete base can act as a solar heat store, remaining cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. These also minimize dust and possible dust mites and is easy to clean.
- Walls are painted with a washable product, water-based paint (We prefer semi-gloss).
- Wool rugs add extra warmth underfoot.
- Energy efficient windows reduce outside noise, regulate the temperature while the windows provide ventilation and are opened on a regular basis (weather permitting).
- Thick curtains reduce heat loss in the winter and can be drawn on extremely hot summer days to reduce energy bills.
- Regularly replacing furnace air filters minimize the emission of pollutants. The chimney is checked for cracks and cleaned annually keep it working efficiently and safely.
- The television, sound system, lamps and other plug-in electronics are turned off when not in use to conserve energy.
Flooring
Choosing the best type of floor for your living area is an important decision. There are lots of options it is a decision you will probably need to live with vs. other items and areas of the house that are easily changed out. They should be easy to care and durable with the ideal choice depending on your budget, location and family circumstances. Carpets are often favored in colder climates for being more comfortable, while wood, stone or tile floors are cooler in warmer ones.
Tip: Try to WIPE YOUR FEET before entering as it takes an average of eight steps to remove dirt from the soles of your shoes. This is important as your shoes not only carry dirt but environmental toxins along with it.
ALLERGY ALERT
One of the main considerations for people with respitory allergies or an allergy to dust mites, is to what extent the flooring collects dust and how easy it is to keep clean. Humid conditions are ideal for dust mites, so whether a type of flooring remains dry or absorbs moisture is also a consideration.
Other Considerations:
- Hard surfaces such as vinyl, linoleum, or wood are less likely to harbor dust mites and easier to keep clean than carpet tiles.
- Tightly woven short-pile carpet is also an alternative.
- The static charge of nylon carpet attracts dust and helps prevent allergens from becoming airborne.
- Unsealed cork and unglazed ceramic tiles may also harbor mites.
- Linoleum gives off a strong odor that can cause respiratory irritation. (IT is a good idea to keep windows open after the first few days of installation.)
- When new, vinyl flooring emits high levels of many chemicals, particularly plasticizers.
There are anti-allergy carpet products available that contain antibacterial and antifungal agents that inhibit the growth of dust mites. Carpets should be vacuumed routinely with a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner. If you own furry pets, there are specific vacuums that are designed to assist. (High efficiency particulate air filters can remove the tiniest particles, such as pet dander, mold and smoke particles.)
You should also consider if there is an environmental cost? The sustainability of a material’s source, how far and how easily it is transported, and the processes it undergoes before being laid in a home are just a few considerations that determine how environmentally friendly a particular type of flooring is.
Wood
Wood floors are warm and durable, and good-quality ones tend to improve with age. There is a wide variety of wood flooring options to choose from. It might surprise you to learn that wood products also include linoleum, which is made from powdered cork, linseed oil, wood resin, and wood are combined with chalk and pressed on to a backing of burlap or jute canvas.
Cork is another sustainable wood product. The cork oak tree regenerates itself after stripping and all the bark is used without waste.
Try using wood produced locally, if possible as it makes sense on economic grounds (shorter distances to transport) and also on climatic grounds (it withstands local conditions and weathers best).
Tip: SUSTAINABLE WOOD
The Forest Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit organization that promotes forest conservation and certifies forests worldwide, has an international system of certification to help consumers pick sustainable woods. If you are interested check this out: Flooring - Home Stratosphere
Cork
Cork, from the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), is hard wearing yet has some cushioning effect. Its mottled surface disguises dirt, but as it is absorbent, it is oen sold sealed with a “wear layer” made of vinyl.
Vinyl
Made from plastic, vinyl ooring comes in a vast array of styles and colors, including other material lookalikes, including tile, wood, and slate. A vinyl oor is easy to lay, comfortable underfoot, and very easy to clean, basically requiring only sweeping and a damp mop.
Linoleum
Like vinyl, linoleum is a good choice for an easy-care floor, as it only really needs sweeping and damp mopping. It can also be polished for greater protection and shine. It is made from wood our, cork, linseed oils, and various resins that have been baked together, rolled under pressure, and pressed onto jute backing.
Stone
Stone is healthy and nonpolluting when it is placed in plain cement mortar and on a moisture-proof foundation.
Stone is a popular choice for the energy conscious, as it provides thermal mass - a heat conserving and shielding effect—as well as a certain grandeur. Stones traditionally used in the home include marble, granite, limestone, slate, and travertine. Stone may be protected with a sealant, polished, or honed. A polished oor is shiny and may even be re ective (and slippery) whereas a honed oor has a satin, smooth nish.
Quarry tiles
Quarry tiles are hard wearing and very easy to keep clean. ey are an ideal choice for allergy sufferers and families with pets, but they can be cold and hard—and very unforgiving when breakables are dropped.
Glazed quarry tiles need only mopping with a cleaning solution. Unglazed quarry tiles can be polished with a liquid or solid wax polish. ey are fairly stain resistant because their surface is relatively nonporous. ey are not stain-proof, however.
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a mixture of cement and marble chips. An expensive ooring option, it can be cleaned with a mop and a mild detergent solution.
Natural fibers
Fibers such as jute, sisal, and coir are used to make matting. While natural bers are harvested from abundant renewable sources, pesticides, and other chemicals are frequently used in their production.
Carpets
Carpets tend to be popular in colder climates, as they are warm and lend a cozy feel. Good quality carpets are oen hard wearing too. The downside is that they require extra care to keep them free of dust and other allergens. Some carpet nishes and extras, such as underlay, especially in new carpets may also emit volatile organic compounds. Foam backings usually contain formaldehyde. Alternatives are burlap or felt. Air out foam-backed carpets when installing them and keep the windows open until the “new” smell dissipates.
- Place door mats at all entrances, inside and out.
- Position rugs where spills are likely, such as by the sink or fridge.
- Place other protectors such as glides and covers under furniture.
- Avoid walking on the floors with high heels. Lift furniture rather than sliding it across floors.
Basic wooden floor cleaner
Here’s a good, safe cleaner for damp mopping your wood floor.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup liquid soap
½–1 cup white vinegar or lemon juice 9½ quarts warm water
METHOD
Mix all the ingredients together in a bucket and apply with a mop or sponge mop. For best results, rinse with clean water.
How to clean cork floors
Unsealed cork should be vacuumed or swept frequently but never cleaned with water. Clean it with solvent- based cleaners and use only solvent-based waxes to polish it. It can be buffed with a power buffer.
Vinyl-sealed cork can be wiped with a damp mop and liquid washing up solution. For extra protection in the kitchen or bathroom, apply emulsion polish. Even cork finished with a layer of vinyl should not be overwetted.
How to clean vinyl and linoleum floors
Both vinyl and linoleum are easy floors to care for. For general floor cleaner, wipe with a damp cloth or mop, then rinse.
To remove scuff marks from vinyl floors, dip a cloth in undiluted dish-washing liquid or white vinegar. Rub and rinse. Despite the extra work, it is worth rinsing a vinyl floor after cleaning, otherwise a smeary and sticky build- up of detergent occurs.
To remove marks from a linoleum floor, rub lightly with a fine nylon pad and neat detergent.
Tip: REMOVING STAINS FROM LINOLEUM AND VINYL FLOORS
Quick action is always best: wipe, mop, and scoop spills as soon as possible. Avoid using undiluted bleach (it may cause yellowing) and abrasive cleaners (they can scratch or dull the surface). If you are left with stains, try the following:
- Wipe the stain with an all-purpose cleaner. Try a pencil eraser.
- Use lemon and salt for rust stains: Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle with plenty of salt, and rub in the stain.
- Using a rag or sponge, rinse with water.
- For thick grease or tar, try mineral spirits, but use it with caution, testing on a tiny portion rst as mineral spirits can take the shine off. Another way to remove tar is to cool it with an ice cube and pry it off with a spatula when it is brittle.
Tip: A bleach solution made of two cups water and a quarter cup chlorine bleach will remove many stains, including beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks, coffee, tomato sauce, and mustard. Organic stains such as blood, grass stains, and pet accidents can be treated with this solution, lemon juice, or lemon and salt.
How to clean a stone floor
Prolong the finish of a stone floor by using rugs and mats in heavy traffic areas, such as entrances to the house. Cleaning protects by removing sand and other dirt that can scratch and dull a stone surface. Vacuum or sweep at least once a week. When necessary, wash with a mop, cloth, or scrubbing brush (not a hard one), using a mild detergent. Rinse thoroughly with plenty of clean water and dry with a soft cloth.
NO SOAP Do not use soap to clean stone, as it may leave a thin lm of scum that will gradually build up over time and can be difficult to remove satisfactorily.
How to clean quarry tiles and terrazzo
Glazed quarry tiles and terrazzo only need sweeping and damp mopping. For a more thorough clean, mop them occasionally with a cleaning solution or detergent.
If unglazed tiles are left unglazed, they will absorb stains, particularly oil-based ones, which can then be very difficult to remove. In areas where spillages are likely to occur, such as kitchens and family rooms, or simply to add protection, unglazed quarry tiles can be polished with a liquid or solid wax polish.
Before polishing, treat marks with very ne steel wool dipped in white spirit. Wash, rinse, dry, apply polish, and buff.
To restore a dulled surface, apply a pigmented wax dressing or polish. To restore faded color, remove old polish with steel wool and white spirit. Wash and rinse. When dry, apply a pigmented wax polish sparingly and then buff.
How to clean your carpet
To protect your carpets, use doormats, preferably one inside and one outside each entrance point. is removes a great deal of dirt that would otherwise get walked on to the carpet. Always wipe your feet and train others to do so too. Some families habitually remove their shoes on entering the home and this keeps floors cleaner as well as looking good for longer. Place castors and protectors under furniture legs to help prevent the pile from being crushed.
Manufacturers recommend regular care to keep your carpet looking its best.
- Vacuum at least once a week, more often in heavy traffic.
- Clean up spills and stains.
- Steam clean every one to two years or as needed.
Walls
Walls take a battering at various spots around the house—consider points of entry or tight areas when items are carried through the house—but inevitably, the rooms where the family spends most time are the most likely to show signs of wear. In a living/family room, walls are especially prone to smears and scuffs and grubby fingerprints.
Choosing a wall covering
Your choice of wall covering will depend partly on the size and make-up of your family. For example, if you have children who are still at the food-smearing, wall- drawing stage of their development, designer wallpaper or moire silk may not be the most sensible options!
Paint
Of the two most commonly used finishes, paint is the most popular, as it’s relatively inexpensive, easy to keep clean, and once a wall is finished, well, you can slap a coat of paint on quite quickly and transform a room.
Wallpaper
As well as being decorative, wallpaper is also useful for disguising irregularities in the smoothness of the wall surface. It comes in a wide range of types.
- Plastic wall “papers” will withstand scrubbing and scuffing.
- White lining paper is a pure white paper designed to provide a smooth surface for painting.
- Off-white lining paper is used under wallpaper as a base.
- Reinforced papers smooth down very uneven surfaces, such as old plaster walls, ready for papering.
- Standard wallpapers are inexpensive but not hard wearing.
Other types of wallpaper include embossed, wood chip (designed to be painted to disguise surface imperfections), high relief, flock, vinyl, foamed polyethylene, and foamed vinyl.
Other wall finishes
For alternatives to paint and wallpaper, you can choose from fabric, cork, or ceramic tiles, and wood paneling. Of the fabric coverings (perhaps more popular in the past than nowadays), the most common are burlap (paper-backed or not), grass cloth (a fragile fabric made by weaving grasses onto a ne cotton warp, then bonding it to a paper backing), and silk (usually adhered to a paper backing). As a general rule, the fabric coverings are the most difficult to clean.
Cork for wall covering is manufactured from pressed layers of tree bark. It is warm to the touch and a good insulator of both heat and sound. It should be sealed for ease of cleaning and maintenance.
Ceramic wall tiles, slabs of red clay decorated on one side with glaze, are hard, durable, water resistant, and stain resistant.
Wood paneling, which comes in a variety of sizes and styles, can be used to line a room completely or as a decorative feature. Like wood ooring, it needs to be painted or sealed in some way to make it a practical choice for wall covering.
Alternative paint products
Many commercial paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Learn more here: What are volatile organic compounds (VOCs)? | US EPA A growing number of paint manufacturers offer paints with natural products as their base.
Protein-based paints use proteins such as casein, milk products, bone, and glue. They do not emit VOCs, have little, if any, odor, and are nonallergenic. However, they are moisture sensitive and only suitable for interior use. Available in matte finish only, these paints are not washable.
Resin-based paints use wood resin and vegetable oil. ey have a pleasant smell, are available in a range of finishes and varnishes, and are both durable and washable.
However, being solvent based, they contain potentially irritating turpentine and white spirit, and require good ventilation.
Synthetic resin-based paints are available in a wide variety of finishes and varnishes. They are washable, durable, do not emit VOCs and are nonallergenic.
General care of painted walls and ceilings
Dust occasionally with either a soft attachment on the vacuum cleaner, a broom with a soft cloth tied onto the brush, or a dry cloth. Start at the ceiling and work down.
Spot clean regularly to keep walls looking good. Scuffs at door entrances, fingerprints near light switches and door handles, and sticky fingerprints at child height on the wall are the hot spots. A railing on both sides of the stairs is one way to prevent fingerprints from appearing by the walls up stairwells. To spot clean, try (in order of most gentle method first) a damp, clean, colorfast cloth; a clean cloth dipped in a mild detergent solution; any of the strong all-purpose household cleaner recipes see our Healthy Laundry post for other cleanser options.
Furniture
Your living room furniture is an investment that needs to be treated with care and respect to ensure it remains in optimum condition for as long as possible.
Wood furniture
A little maintenance will keep wood furniture looking its best.
What sort of finish?
There are three main ways of finishing wood for tables, chairs, and other furniture.
- French polish: This is a beautiful satin finish, achieved by repeated applications of shellac dissolved in spirit
- Lacquer: This hard-wearing finish can be applied directly onto wood or on top of a veneer of wood, paper foil, or plastic.
- Wax: Repeated rubbings of wax polish and turpentine give a rich look and feel.
Tip: Home-made furniture polish
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces beeswax
4¾ fluid ounces turpentine 2 tablespoons linseed oil
2 tablespoons cedar oil
METHOD
- Grate the beeswax into a heatproof
- Pour in the other Stir.
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until the ingredients
- Allow to cool before
- To use, rub sparingly over wooden furniture with a so
Cleaning and caring for wood furniture
Housework used to be tackled according to a routine of specific tasks every day, so dusting and polishing furniture would have been a major weekly job. There’s certainly something very appealing about the smell of newly polished furniture.
All wooden furniture can be dusted with a soft cloth.
Upholstered furniture
While wood is ideal for many Living Room items the fact is they are not comfortable to sit on for any length of time. Upholstered furniture is a mainstay of every comfortable living room. Furniture can be upholstered in a variety of materials but the two most common are fabric and leather.
Fabric has the advantage of being available in limitless colors and styles to suit all tastes and budgets but will tend to wear and get dirty over time. Leather is an ideal covering for chairs and sofas that are going to take a beating from children or pets. Although it can be an expensive option in the first place, there are savings to be made on cleaning and replacement costs when compared with the life of traditional fabric upholstery. Leather might also prove less of a dust haven for the allergy prone. However, whether fabric or leather, all upholstered furniture needs care and maintenance to remain looking its best.
Cleaning and caring for fabric upholstery
All upholstery benefits from a regular vacuum to remove dust and other debris that finds its way into crevices. Preventative measures, some more fashionable than others, include these.
- Soil repellents and stain repellents work by making spills bead up rather than soak into the fabric.
- Throws are particularly handy for protecting upholstery from the rigors of pets and young children.
- Loose covers may be laundered.
- Arm guards and back guards protect the most vulnerable spots on chairs and sofas.
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
To spot clean minor stains, wipe leather upholstery with a little water, taking care not to get the leather too damp. To more thoroughly clean leather upholstery, dust, then use saddle soap or a similar product. Let it dry thoroughly before using the furniture again. If the leather is beginning to crack or seems dry, use a leather conditioner but test in an inconspicuous spot for its effect on color.
Window treatments
Curtains, blinds, and shutters not only enhance the decorative effect of your living area, but they also make it more energy efficient, keeping excess heat and harsh light out during summer and helping to prevent heat loss during winter.
Blinds
Dust blinds regularly. To refresh the color, wipe linen blinds with a cloth wrung out in rubbing alcohol and vinegar, then wipe with a dry cloth.
To wash a really dirty roller blind, take down the blind, keeping it rolled up but leaving the roller. Wet the blind and leave it for a few minutes. Give it a bath in warm water and detergent by gradually unrolling the blind and sponging it as you draw it into the bath. Keep going until you reach the end but do not dip the spring part. Rinse in the same gradual fashion. Let it drip on the clothesline for a few minutes then place on a towel on a table and dry from one end to the other with a second towel.
TO REVIVE VELVET CURTAINS Dust are the worst enemy here. Go over with a brush of medium stiffness—against the pile for velvet and with the pile for plush—then hang in the bathroom over a hot bath to revive the pile.
Lighting
Choosing lighting is very much a personal decision but do bear in mind that for a multifunction room, such as a living or family room, there will be lots of different lighting requirements that need to be addressed.
- Natural light is best, whether from windows, skylights, and light tubes (small, highly efficient skylights).
- Keeping these clean allows more light to enter your home.
- Make the most of reflected light: pale-colored ceilings, walls, and furnishings bounce light around rooms, making the best use of daylight and artificial light. Use diffusers over lights, light-colored shades, light tubes, and skylights to spread light over large areas.
- Fluorescent lighting is the most efficient and is now available in a range of shapes and colors.
- A single high-wattage bulb is more efficient than a cluster of lower ones.
- Locate lights where you need them and use spotlights for reading, sewing, and so on.
- Movement sensors, light sensors, and timers automatically switch lights on and off, and dimmers allow you to lower light levels.
Tip: COST OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTING
As energy-efficient bulbs are much more expensive you should plan to gradually changeover. Try picking the five most used bulbs in the house and changing those or choose the outdoor ones that you sometimes leave on for extended periods (We love getting home hardware gift cards as gifts - that is how we are approaching it).
Look for future posts that cover the Healthy Home Offices along with other rooms of th e house. Until then enjoy your family time!