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New Year, Healthier Home *Giveaway*

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This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Cori. Congrats!

I’ve suffered from chronic allergies since childhood and it looks like it might be genetic, given my son’s multiple environmental and food allergies.  While spring and fall are definitely the most troublesome, sniffling and sneezing are rather common occurrences in our household…which is why we try to spend a good amount of time outdoors. Despite our days out, we still manage to spend a good amount of time indoors (at least 14 hours if you consider dinner, sleep time, and breakfast).  According to the EPA, most Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. In fact, indoor air may be significantly more polluted than outdoor air (even in LA!).

Since the start of the year is all about making change, I decided that one of my goals is to make our home as healthy as possible.  In the past few years, I’ve managed to *almost* completely eliminate any household cleaners that are not safe and environmentally friendly.  We already encase our pillows and mattresses as a barrier to dust mites and allergens, dust every week, regularly wash all linens and stuffed animals, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, have a carbon monoxide detector installed and change our air filter with the seasons.  This year, we’re using an air purifier to remove indoor pollutants.

Therapure air purifiers feature a Triple Action Purification Process which can significantly improve the quality of the air you breathe. The air purifiers contain a permanent HEPA-type filter which removes allergens and pollutants, a UV lamp to kill bacteria and germs, and a Photocatalyst to remove VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) such as toxic paint and chemical emissions.  Some of the benefits of an air purifier include the following:

-Removes allergens including pollen, dust, animal dander, mold, and smoke.

-Controls bacteria and viruses

-Gets rid of unwanted odors from smoking, cooking, and pets

-Cleans the air by removing toxic fumes from household products, cleaning agents, and chemical emissions (i.e. new carpet, paint, wallboard)

Therapure offers 4 different models, depending on the size of the room you’d like to use the air purifier in.  We received the 201 M model which fits nicely into a corner without taking up a lot of space.  The purifier operates on three settings, the first two which are relatively quiet.  The high speed setting is audible but not disruptive.  On the contrary, you won’t even know the purifier is on after a few minutes if you turn it on at it’s lowest setting.  Three of the four purifiers offered by Therapure are Energy Star rated for maximum energy efficiency.  And apart from the fact that you simply turn it on to use it, I like that there are no filters to change.  You simply vacuum the filter after a month’s use.  I like our air purifier so much that eventually, I’m going to invest in at least one more so we have one upstairs and downstairs.  Therapure offers three models of air purifiers and they retails for $89.95 to $179.99 depending on the size.

In addition to the tips mentioned above, Dow Building Solutions recently initiated a campaign called Imagine Home Health to serve as a resource for improving the health of your home.  Here are some additional tips offered for improving indoor air:

1.  Insulate your home to keep your family comfortable and improve energy efficiency.

2. Air Seal your home to keep critters and insects out and conditioned air in!

3. Review the EPA’s tips for preventing and controlling mold.

4. Keep your home free of radon, a colorless, odorless gas that can cause lung cancer by  ensuring your home is properly insulated.

5. Ditch tobacco products.

6. Consider purchasing a hygrometer to maintain the relative humidity in your home between 30–50%. High humidity encourages mold growth.

While we’ve done much to improve the air inside our home, we can still do more. The two most immediate steps I’m going to take are to purchase a hygrometer (anyone have a great recommendation?) and look into AirSealing our home.

To read more about improving the air inside your home, I highly recommend reading The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, put out by the EPA.

Win It! I have a fabulous “Healthy Home” prize for one reader!  One of you will win four bags of SAFETOUCH R-13 insulation (ARV $256) which is free from formaldehyde and fiberglass fibers and does not support the growth of mold and a Therapure 201MB air purifier (ARV $129.95)!  Simply leave me a comment with something you learned from the SAFETOUCH site and from the Therapure site. Comments will close on January 26, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.  US Residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

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Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

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No compensation was received for this post. Products for review and giveaway were supplied by the company.

Caryn Bailey
Latest posts by Caryn Bailey (see all)

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183 Responses to New Year, Healthier Home *Giveaway*

  7. OH my gosh this is AWESOME! We have to replace some insulation in a flooded bathroom and this sounds amazing. I have helped to put in itchy, messy, hard to cut insulation and this SAFETOUCH sounds like a dream product:
    “Relief for installers has arrived. It’s a whole new deal now. No more gloves, goggles, masks or wearing long-sleeved shirts in a hot attic. SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-free Insulation actually feels nice. Like fluffy blue cotton balls. Go ahead. Touch it. It’s safe. And it can be cut so that you don’t even need staples”

    Yes!!!

    I also found on the TheraPure site that they can be purchased at WALMART…so nice to have easily available to buy and no special orders!
    thanks much!

    ejrichter60 at gmail dot com

    Reply

  12. i learned that safetouch contains 35% post consumer recycled material, and that two of the therapure’s available are energy star certified.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    Reply

  18. I have also suffered from allergies all my life. I do not like to take medications so learning to avoid allergens and remove myself from them is a constant struggle. This prize package would be a big help to me!
    The Safetouch insulation certainly makes sense, I’ve always wondered why they would make insulation of dangerous to handle material, so this product would be healthier for the person installing it as well as those living there. The R values and other good properties of the fiberglass insulation was met by Safetouch without the endangering issues. I was also wondering about the Air-Seal you mentioned and they have products for that too – even wide gap filler!
    I am not a fan of having to change filters (cost-wise or handling them) so I was pleased to see that the Therapure has a permanent helpa-type filter & UV light to kill the germs! A Photocatalyst filter removes VOC’s (harmful fumes).
    This is a great package to help allergy sufferers – Like Me!!

    Reply

  23. This is interesting. I went to the site and read about how easy it is to put up the insulation. You can cut it so that you don’t even need to staple it. My husband would love this 🙂

    Reply

  25. SafeTouch: homeowners can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs by insulating with products such as SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-Free Insulation.
    TheraPure: Triple Action Purification Process provides maximum protection and instant clean and breathable air.

    Reply

  28. from therapure I learned CADR, which stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate, is an important tool for comparing the overall performance of various models of air cleaners. It’s a measure of the total volume of air that a particular air purification system cleanses of a specific pollutant in one minute

    From Safetouch I learned you can install SAFETOUCH™ Insulation without a mask

    Reply

  33. I am impressed that the SafeTouch would save me up to 20% in utility costs, That is an awesome amount, I also learned that the Purifier or any purifier for that matter can improve ones sleep which is something I would have never thought about.

    Reply

  36. i learned the therapure 250 will clean a room up to 16-17, and i learned safe touch insulation contains35% post consumer recycled content
    nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net

    Reply

  38. SAFETOUCH™ Insulation is manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers, not fiberglass, so it doesn’t irritate skin, throat, lungs or eyes.

    In the Therapure 250, there are no filters to replace

    Reply

  42. SAFETOUCH Insulation meets building code requirements for a Flame Spread Index (FSI)
    therapure 101 has the same features of the 201M but 1/2 the size perfect for small rooms

    Reply

  46. you don’t need gloves, goggles, masks or wearing long-sleeved shirts in a hot attic to install the insulation
    you need to know the size of the room to pick the right filter

    Reply

  47. Love that you can buy the Therapure at Walmart or Costco and you can get the SAFETOUCH R-13 insulation at Lowe’s! Thanks for the chance.

    Reply

  49. I learned that you need no more gloves, goggles, masks or wearing long-sleeved shirts in a hot attic to install it and it can be cut so that you don’t even need staples.
    tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com

    Reply

  52. from safetouch – No Protective Equipment Required to install
    from therapure – Triple Action Purification Process provides maximum protection and instant clean and breathable air.
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  58. My son has numerous allergies and asthma and this (especially the air purifier) sounds amazing! His bedroom is in the basement, but certain times of the year we have to move him upstairs because the air quality is just not as good. If I won this, the purifier would be in his room constantly.

    Thanks so much for the opportunity!!!

    Reply

  59. I learned that staples can be used to install SAFETOUCH™ Insulation, but they typically aren’t required because SAFETOUCH™ Insulation is made wider than the standard space it will fill, and friction will hold it in place. I also learned that This Triple Action Purification Process provides maximum protection and instant clean and breathable air
    Thank you
    [email protected]

    Reply

  62. I love that SAFETOUCH™ is Fiberglass-Free Insulation and there’s no glass dust or added chemicals.

    I also love that Therapure@ has a UV Lamp that kills harmful airborne germs, bacteria and viruses.

    Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  66. I did not know that the air purifier kills germs also. I wake up stuffy every day and would love to try the air purifier.

    Reply

  67. From Saftouch I learned it is not fiberglass, so it doesn’t irritate skin, throat, lungs or eyes and from therapure I learned that the inside air may be 100 times more polluted then the outside air

    Reply

  68. I learned that staples can be used to install SAFETOUCH Insulation, but are not required. Also learned that the TheraPure Triple Action Purification Process provides maximum protection and instant clean and breathable air.

    Reply

  72. I learned that SAFETOUCH Insulation can be installed without a mask, and that it will not make the installer itch.

    I learned that Therapure 201MB comes with a One-Year Warranty.

    Reply

  74. I learned that the insulation is made from the same polyester fibers used in clothes and bedding.
    I learned that the uses low power consumption for maximum energy efficiency.
    Thanks!
    jackievillano at gmail dot com

    Reply

  76. I learned that the Safetouch insulation has No Formaldehyde Binders or Borates – and that’s wonderful because I’m sensitive to formaldehyde. I also learned from Therapure that I want an air purifier in my bedroom! Maybe I could sleep thru the night then.

    Reply

  77. I learned that staples can be used to install SAFETOUCH™ Insulation but they are not at all needed.

    dchrisg3 @ gmail com

    Reply

  78. I learned that the Safetouch insulation vapor retarder should face the interior of the wall in northern states and the exterior in southern states, and that the photocatalyst filter on the Therapure removes volatile organic compounds such as toxic paint and chemicals from new carpets.

    Reply

  79. I learned that Safetouch Insulation doesn’t contain borates, yet it still meets all building code requirements for Flame Spread Index.

    And I learned that the Therapure 240 cleans a 14×15 room!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

    Reply

  83. I learned that there is no “safety” proceedures needed to handle, install, or remove safetouch insulation, that it performs just as well as fiberglass, and that its made out of the same stuff thats in your mattresses! I wish I knew about Safetouch sooner, but I’d love to add some more insulation around our back hallway. Thanks!

    Reply

  84. saving 20 % is huge when you x it by a year or 5!! i am soo excited about this!
    i am not trying to dupe a comment, but we had major mold issues in the kids bathroom. it has been torn apart but the redo is going VERY slow due to our budget, this would be a fantastic help in putting it back together!
    side note. i have been looking at air purifiers b/c of adult onset allergies. I have had my doggies for years so will never part with them, but need help with the airborn allergens that mess me up!
    this is the best giveaway ever,ever!
    tattgiff at centurytel dot net

    Reply

  88. the photocatalyst filter on the Therapure removes volatile organic compounds such as toxic paint and chemicals from new carpets.. right

    Reply

  89. I learned safetouch insulation has no added formaldehyde or borates and it’s not a known food source for mold…wow, good stuff! 🙂 Thank you.

    Reply

  91. Sorry, I don’t know how to “digg, stumble, fav, etc”….but I did “like”…little thumbs up icon. I am so ‘puter illiterate. 🙁

    Reply

  92. I learned that using one of these purifiers can help give a better nights sleep, because we are then breathing in fresher air! and, by using SafeTouch you can get a tax credit!

    Reply

  104. I learned the Safetouch insulation made from the same polyester fibers used in clothes and bedding. I also learned that the EPA says the indoor air may be up to 100 times more polluted than the air outside.

    Reply

  109. I learned that the Safetouch insulation won’t require me to wear a suit and mask to install it, the way other (fiberglass) insulation always has.

    Since we have allergies (and recently, asthma) and have both had sleep-depriving problems with the smoke of neighborhood wood stoves, this year more than last; the Therapure 201M air filter would be a life-changing improvement.

    VOC removal is a real plus, as we’re still fixing up our little fixer-upper retirement bungalow.

    Reply

  112. I would love to win this for my granddaughter due to she has asthma and it would help her breach better at night.

    Reply

  113. I learned that With it’s sleek and slender design, the 201 M packs tremendous power and fits anywhere in the house.

    Reply

  114. SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-Free Insulation performs as well as standard insulation. SAFETOUCH™ is better for you and your home and it meets the same standards of performance fiberglass insulation for fire resistance and insulating qualities.

    spiersrp at gmail dot com

    Reply

  116. SAFETOUCH™ Insulation is manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers, not fiberglass, so it doesn’t irritate skin, throat, lungs or eyes. It is manufactured from the same materials as clothing and bedding

    Reply

  117. Therapure: I learned the air purifier will treat up to a 13×14 room so this is perfect for my bedroom.
    Safetouch: I learned “With no irritating fiberglass shards or dust, SAFETOUCH™ Insulation is easier all around – on your lungs, the environment and your wallet.” Sounds perfect for the DIYer in me 🙂

    Reply

  129. Themoney and energy you save with insulation is amazing my wife and I have been trying to insulate under our bedroom we have done a little at a time with the cost .this would finish the job.

    Reply

  135. From Thereapure I learned that the Therapure air purification system is a three part cleaning system that removes allergens and pollutants including mold spores, pet hair and dander; kills bacteria and germs such as viruses and mildew; and removes toxic fumes caused by such agents as household cleaners, toxic paint, and new carpet.

    Wtrh Safetouch I learned it is a soft, durable and healthy insulation made from the same polyester fibers used in your clothes and bedding

    Reply

  138. I learned the Safetouch insulation feels like fluffy blue cotton balls and that I can buy theTherapure air purification system (perfect for my livingroom!) for less than $90 online through their website.

    Reply

  142. Ok, I’m happy-I learned that Safe touch could safe me a 20 percent heating cost and allow me to sleep better.

    Reply

  143. at safetouch i learned that you can install without gloves and goggles and at therapure i learned that i would love the THERAPURE 201M

    Reply

  144. You would think CA would be warm and we wouldn’t have a basement. Wrong! We have an old 1920s house with a basement and crawlspace and it is cold in the winter. My hubby is self-emloyed so we are in the room over the crawlspace and it has a dirt floor down there and our floor has NO insulation. Dang, it gets cold. What I like is this insulation says “Just a soft, durable and healthy insulation made from the same polyester fibers used in your clothes and bedding.” Love that and sure could use it in our floor.
    The other site says this about their air filters: “Permanent HEPA-type filter removes smoke, dust and pollen from the air
    UV Lamp kills harmful airborne germs, bacteria and viruses.” Both of these things would be GREAT to have. Our sons room is extremely dusty and he lives on antihistimines so this would be wonderful for his room. Having this old of a house we can even smell things in the basement. Ugh.

    Reply

  149. I learned to change air filters every few months to make sure dirty air isn’t re-circulating through the house

    Reply

  153. From Safetouch I learned that it is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers which will not make you itch.

    From Therapure I learned that its final stage of filtration is Photocatalyst filter and removes VOCs

    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

    Reply

  157. What a wonderful and generous giveaway. I learned that the HEPA filters do not need to be replaced – just vacuum
    I learned that the safetouch R-13 installation makes the air in your home safe for all to breath.
    thanks
    Chris Ann

    Reply

  159. Safetouch is so safe that you don’t have to wear a mask or gloves. That’ll make installation a lot easier. On the Therapure site, I learned that HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air”. A permanent HEPA-type filter can trap 99% of airborne particles at 2 microns.

    Reply

  160. I learned to purchase a hygrometer to maintain the relative humidity in my home between 30-50% since high humidity encourages mold growth.

    Reply

  167. I learned: With SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-Free Insulation, there’s no glass dust and no added chemicals. Just a soft, durable and healthy insulation made from the same polyester fibers used in your clothes and bedding

    I learned that:
    With Triple Action Purification Process, Therapure® air purifiers can dramatically improve the quality of the air you breathe, leaving your home or work area a more healthy and more refreshing space.

    A wall in my dining room has huricane damage & is leaking. I have to cut the power to that wall which is the same breaker for the cieling lights in my kitchen.
    If I won this I could finally gut that wall find & fix the leak & fix the wall. I would have done this soon..paneling does not cost much..but have been unbale to afford installation like this…NOT about to buy the fiberglass kind!

    Reply

  174. From SAFETOUCH – Their insulation feels like fluffy blue cotton balls!
    From THERAPURE – Therapure’s® permanent HEPA- type filter never needs replacing – – just vacuuming.

    Reply

  175. I learned that Safetouch Insulation doesn’t require gloves, goggles or masks for installation and Therapure’s HEPA Type Filters never need replacing.

    Reply

  179. I learned that SAFETOUCH™ Insulation has no irritating fiberglass shards or dust and is easier on your lungs
    I learned that the Therapure 201MB air purifier UV Lamp kills harmful airborne germs, bacteria and viruses

    Reply

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