Eliminating painting odors

Painting a room can give it a face lift in a day. While painting can have many appealing benefits, one of the project's pitfalls is the odor left behind. This can leave homeowners wondering how to reduce paint smells in the home.

The advancements of paint have led to many varieties of low-odor paints. However, even the most low-odor of the bunch will have some residual smell. What's more, homeowners retrofitting spaces that are older or who have used oil-based paints in the past may need to use a more potent paint to cover dark colors, block water infiltration or simply adhere to previous paint applications. These stronger paints tend to be more potent.

There are some steps homeowners can take when paint fumes are bound to overwhelm, particularly in a child's bedroom.

1.Empty the entire room of furniture and any porous materials that can trap paint fumes. This also will make it easier to paint with no obstructions.

2.Open the windows in the room before any paint cans are opened, and keep them open during the duration of the job.

3.Consider the use of latex paints, which are generally low-odor.

4.If alkyd, alcohol, or shellac paints must be used, add a few drops of vanilla extract to the paint to alleviate any odors. It won't affect the color of application.

5.Wait until the walls have fully dried before closing windows and returning the furniture to the room.

6.Promptly close paint cans and gather materials used for cleaning and removal from the room. Store them in a sealed container to prevent odors from spreading throughout the house.

7.If odors are persistent, placing a bowl of cut up onions in water in the room is an old trick that may or may not work. The onions supposedly absorb the paint odors, sometimes in as little as one day. This is an inexpensive idea to try.

Many consumers choose green clothing

Eco-friendly is the buzzword "du jour" in the fashion industry. More and more designers and manufacturers are turning to green fabrics and production policies to produce clothing for the mainstream.

So what is "green" clothing? Generally green items are produced with organic fibers of naturally sustainable materials. They also could be made from recycled items -- even plastic. Green clothing can be produced under the auspices of fair trade policies and without the use of dangerous chemicals or dyes.

According to Fashion and Earth, an eco-friendly clothing retailer, Organic and eco textiles cover a wide range of natural and recycled fibers. Certified Organic textiles are grown in controlled settings with no pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers and are certified by an international governing body such. The term 'eco textiles' refers to a select group of textiles that have a reduced carbon, energy and pollution impact when compared to the standard methods used to produce textiles and manufacture clothing. Generally, sustainable textiles are produced from crops that do not require pesticides or chemicals to be grown, use less water and energy to be produced and processed, and create less waste during production, processing and at the end of their useful lives (known collectively as their 'environmental footprint'). Sustainable textiles can also refer to manmade fabrics produced from renewablesources such as bamboo or wood.

People are looking for easy ways to improve the environment. Choosing green clothing is one of the easier ways to make voices heard.

Many consumers will purchase green clothing if it is easily accessible and on par with traditionally produced clothing items. It's rare that the average shopper will intentionally seek out eco-friendly clothing. Therefore, stores are stepping up their efforts to make green clothes as accessible and affordable as other items.

Oftentimes, shoppers can find tags and labels that tout the green properties of a particular piece of clothing. Some of the verbiage that can be found on labels includes green, organic, fair trade, renewable and sustainable.

What's more, the feel and look of green clothing is improving as much as its availability is increasing. It used to be that organic fibers were duller and more coarse than traditionally produced fabrics. Today, however, manufacturers of organic cotton, hemp and bamboo produce clothing that is just as attractive and comfortable as other fabrics.

While many organic items tend to be more expensive than traditionally produced clothing, some big-name retailers are offering items at prices that are equal or nearly equal to other clothing. This eliminates price point as a factor in choosing green over traditional clothing.

Choosing eco-friendly clothing is still largely a personal choice among consumers. But the improved feel, fit, look, price, and availability of green items is contributing to the increasing popularity of these items.

How to encourage your baby to self-soothe

There are many things parents can teach their children. However, there are some things that children must learn for themselves. Soothing is one of them. But that doesn't mean parents can't provide the environment for baby to do the learning.

If your baby never spends time playing on the floor, how can he or she learn how to crawl? The same concept applies to self-soothing. If your child never has the opportunity to try to calm himself or herself down, the baby will continually be reliant on you as the parent to provide the soothing.

Self-soothing takes time and practice, just like anything else a baby will learn. Ensuring your baby catches on quickly requires a few steps.

1.Create a consistent routine. If you want your baby to self-soothe at nap time and bedtime do the same things each day before you will be placing your child in the crib, and ideally at the same time. For example, at nap time tell your child that he is going to go for a nap. At night, give the baby a bath, feeding or whatever nighttime routine you use.

2.Learn to read the baby's signals that indicate he or she is getting tired. Chances are your baby will become tired at the same time each day and sleeping patterns will become predictable.

3.Baby goes in the crib when he or she is drowsy, but not entirely asleep. Place the child in the crib when he or she is showing signs of sleepiness. This way the infant grows accustomed to falling asleep in the crib, rather than in your arms or in your bed. The first few times will likely be met with resistance. However, give your baby time to figure it out. Don't run in and pick up the baby at the first whimper.

4.Recognize when waking the sleeping baby is acceptable. Many parents adhere to the mantra "never wake a sleeping baby." However, you have to look at the bigger picture and use your own instincts when baby is sleeping. If your child has fallen asleep outside of the usual schedule, or is taking a longer nap than usual, it may be alright to wake him or her to get the child back on track. Also, if your baby has fallen asleep in your arms at night, you may want to wake the child so that he or she has the opportunity to drift back off while in the crib. This way he or she learns how to self-soothe and that will pay dividends when the infant can go back to sleep without your help in the middle of the night.

5.Don't give up. If your baby just won't catch on, he or she may not be ready. Wait a few weeks and try again. Find out if there's something you're doing wrong, such as rushing into the baby's room prematurely or failing to create a relaxing, predictable schedule before it's time to drift to sleep. Eventually your child can learn how to self-soothe.