With COVID-19 still having an impact across the US and Canada, it is likely that working and schooling at home will continue for many people.

Dana

Sundblad

September 9, 2020

MONTEREY, CA – Today, Hayward Score released additional safety recommendations that should be adopted on construction jobsites: increasing indoor ventilation and managing dust. “COVID-19 is an opportunity for the building industry to...

Dana

Sundblad

September 15, 2020

The Hayward Score team joined Bob Krell from Healthy Indoors for a special 90-minute episode focused on managing COVID-19 challenges with a healthy home...

Dana

Sundblad

May 18, 2020

Your home is the foundation for good physical and emotional health. Now that many people are finding themselves, and their families...

Dana

Sundblad

May 11, 2020

From New York Times (7/9/2020) – Apoorva Mandavilli How to protect yourself from a virus that may be floating indoors? Better ventilation,

Bill

Hayward

July 13, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is at the top of everyone’s mind, both by public health mandate and for personal survival. COVID-19 is called a “novel” coronavirus...

Carl

Grimes

May 5, 2020

Florence Nightingale emphasized community and home as the third factor for health and healing. Modern life makes this challenging because of how neighborhoods and cities are structured...

Carl

Grimes

May 6, 2020

Air cleaners (also called air purifiers) can be an important tool for reducing your exposure to airborne particulate matter and thereby reducing the health risks associated with that exposure. This can be helpful for both COVID-19 and wildfire smoke/odor.

Joe

Medosch

October 1, 2020

Florence Nightingale’s world no longer exists but her insights are as true today as they were during her lifetime. She would have advised us on how to implement her fundamentals of health during this crisis: fresh air, direct sunlight, and community.....

Carl

Grimes

May 6, 2020

Your home is the foundation for good physical and emotional health. Now that many people are finding themselves, and their families, home for longer periods of time because of COVID-19, we wanted to pass along a few tips to show you how not........

Dana

Sundblad

May 11, 2020

As we are all coming to terms with an issue of enormous scale and human impact, our thoughts are with everyone globally as we are...

Bill

Hayward

May 4, 2020

The COVID-19 virus has many similarities with the other corona-type viruses, plus those for the common cold and the flu. Therefore, routine preventive measures for those also apply to COVID-19. However, COVID-19 also has critically important differences......

Bill

Hayward

May 4, 2020

A home that is both clean and healthy not only has no musty smells from mold, off-odors from pet hair or accumulated dust, but also no added chemical “fragrances" from cleaning products........

Dana

Sundblad

May 5, 2020

Whether you own or rent, are in a home for a short time or it is your “forever” home there are simple, inexpensive things you can do to improve your indoor air quality (IAQ). Research shows that good IAQ can be a contributor to good health, so taking steps......

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

The new year is a great time to start practicing new, and healthier, habits and the kitchen is a great place to start!For many people, cooking “healthfully”...........

Dana

Sundblad

May 5, 2020

Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking/vaping........

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

Read what Hayward Score Founder and CEO Bill Hayward had to say in the Boston Globe in this excerpt from: Some building materials introduce.....

Dana

Sundblad

May 5, 2020

People tend to think that household dust is merely an unsightly nuisance... However, what we call “dust” is really a complex combination of particulates, dander, pollen, fibers........

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

In many parts of the United States, especially California, wildfires pose a significant threat. What was once a four-month.......

Dana

Sundblad

May 5, 2020

Wildfires not only cause extensive damage to forests and property, but they can also seriously impact health. The smoky and ashy conditions during.......

Dana

Sundblad

August 19, 2020

In 2017, Silent Spring Institute published a review of 158 observational studies of pollutants conducted..........

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

When you notice or suspect mold somewhere in your home it isn’t uncommon to want to test your home and get some concrete...

Carl

Grimes

May 5, 2020

Heading back to college? Here are some tips on keeping a healthy dorm room!...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

Hayward Score's Bill and Adriana Hayward are featured in the July/August issue of HauteLiving SF! Read about how their personal journey...

Dana

Sundblad

May 5, 2020

(WHO), more than 7 million premature deaths occur every year due to air pollution.While we often consider “air pollution” to be...

Zinhart

February 17, 2020

The first clue that something may be off with your car’s ventilation system is usually odor.A “musty” odor typically indicates mold while an “old sweat sock....

Joe

Medosch

May 5, 2020

‘Tis the season for summer storms. After a flurry of hurricanes in the Mexican Gulf, Tropical Storm Barry has led to flooding...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

By Roy FurchgottIt is nearly impossible to avoid chemical additives in your home — they lurk in flooring, paint, fabric, wood and tile...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

When your child has asthma, it’s rough. Every changing season can play havoc with their symptoms, as climate...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

. While it is impossible to guarantee that any home is completely free of issues, here are ten things to pay attention to when you are looking at properties.1. Odors...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

The presence of asbestos is not obvious because it is not used as a material by itself like wood, metal, or lead-based paint. Asbestos is almost always part of another material. Which is why it is correctly referred to as "asbestos-containing material" (ACM). According to the EPA, typical asbestos-containing materials in houses include...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

. Why? Because those scented candles might produce a pleasant scent; but they also come with very real health risks.The Harmful Toxins in Scented...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

Pests can range from a nuisance to a serious health concern. They can carry disease-causing microorganisms and parasites, create odors, and can damage the structure of a building.

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

Dust is a common sight in any home, and it naturally gathers on top of shelves, tables, or counters as the days pass. It can be made up of many different kinds of particles including pollen...

Bill

Hayward

May 5, 2020

I was sitting on my porch in San Francisco watching kids play on the wooden deck and started to wonder, “is the dust on my porch contaminated with lead dust?

Alex

Stadtner

April 23, 2020

The most common misunderstanding – and fear – about mold is around a specific mold often incorrectly referred to as “toxic black mold...

Bill

Hayward

November 30, 2020

You cannot tell the kind of mold by the color. Mold is identified by the structure and the characteristics of the spores and growth structures (morphology)*. Furthermore...

Bill

Hayward

April 23, 2020

Duct cleaning is an important part of removing dust and debris from the forced air distribution ducting in homes. The routine maintenance for duct cleaning can vary from 3-4 years

Dana

Sundblad

May 1, 2019

Lead Paint In Homes Lead-based paint can be located on any painted surface in houses built before 1978, though older homes (built before 1960) have a higher likelihood of lead-based paint being present.

Dana

Sundblad

April 30, 2019

The presence of asbestos is not obvious because it is not used as a material by itself like wood, metal, or lead-based paint. Asbestos is almost always part of another material...

Dana

Sundblad

April 30, 2019

Rainy and snowy days now often mean moldy days later. Some molds can take up to 30 days to develop, so minimizing risk means doing more than just quickly fixing...

Bill

Hayward

May 21, 2020

Duct cleaning is an important part of removing dust and debris from the forced air distribution ducting in homes. The routine maintenance for duct cleaning can vary from 3-4 years to as long as 10-15 years....

Bill

Hayward

April 11, 2019

Lead-based paint can be located on any painted surface in houses built before 1978, though older homes (built before 1960) have a higher likelihood of lead-based paint being present...

Carl

Grimes

April 2, 2019

During the night your brain goes through wave cycles, which flush the chemicals you’re exposed to in the day. Your immune system wants to reset itself...

Joe

Medosch

July 8, 2019

No. Despite what you might read online or have been told by others, especially contractors. Using bleach on visible mold growth is not recommended by either the EPA or the CDC and is not part of the...

Bill

Hayward

July 21, 2019

This is a common question, and the short answer is no because professional mold removal is a better option. Mold removal methods must be effective at removing the mold, safe for the occupants of the house, and not cause unintended consequences later...

Bill

Hayward

July 3, 2019

A growing body of scientific research is connecting poor air quality and poor sleep and then with health impacts like fatigue, lack of alertness...

Dana

Sundblad

April 1, 2020

Even as a doctor and a mother, the thought that a home could make my family sick was not on my radar screen in 2008, when we bought our dream home by the beach in California...

Adriana

Hayward

March 27, 2019

Dishwashers “clean” with high water temperatures and heat during drying cycles which can result in temperatures of 160º or more. The heat causes any pollutants or VOCs present to vaporize and get released into your home as steam. Visible steam usually dissipates a few inches from the dishwasher, but the invisible VOCs travel throughout your home...

Dana

Sundblad

April 1, 2019

Tidying is having a(nother) moment right now in part due to Marie Kondo’s new show on Netflix. The new show has pushed people to reconsider their tidying habits...

Dana

Sundblad

August 2, 2019

The first step in choosing a vacuum is to identify your personal needs. What kind of flooring or carpet do you have? What is the age of your carpet?...

Dana

Sundblad

March 25, 2019

Teflon is the trade name for a synthetic polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This is a “hydrophobic polymer” which means that it doesn’t stick to water or anything that is wet. However, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), thermal degradation of PTFE can cause a medley of toxic compounds to be released...

Dana

Sundblad

March 24, 2020

Making your home healthier doesn’t have to hurt your bank balance. In fact, a healthy home can actually be far more energy-efficient than an unhealthy one. But you have to be careful – some energy-efficiency tips can inadvertently make your home less healthy!...

Joe

Medosch

May 13, 2019

Simply speaking, when cold air enters the airways, it can trigger a spasm. This swelling or narrowing of the airway makes it much harder to take in air, which causes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing...

Joe

Medosch

May 14, 2019

The air in your car. Poor outdoor air can actually have the most impact when you are driving in traffic. This is already a bad situation, with lots of pollutants from exhaust and brake dust, and now the combustion gasses are staying low to the ground and in your car...

Dana

Sundblad

April 1, 2019

Cold, stormy days may keep the family indoors – sometimes even without power! While it may be a great day to catch up on projects while the kids (and pets) play, it is also the kind of day when we hunker down with closed windows. When we start to not feel well, we blame it on the changing weather...

Dana

Sundblad

January 21, 2019

Mold spores are everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. Not only is it impossible to totally eradicate them, you don’t need to. The problem with mold isn’t just the spores, it’s mostly the mold growth created when the spores germinate and grow. If you’re reading this...

Dana

Sundblad

March 31, 2019

It comes as a surprise to most people that the air inside their home isn’t always “fresh air.” The air inside your home is a concentrated mixture of what is outside of your home (including pollution and pollen) plus what comes up from your basement or crawlspace, through your heating/cooling systems, and through all the hidden cracks and crevices....

Carl

Grimes

March 26, 2019

While it is true that you can see some dust – like chunks of sawdust (90 microns) and barely visible house dust (20 microns) – more than 98% of all dust in the air is much smaller...

Carl

Grimes

March 28, 2019

While changing your filter 3-4 times a year is typically sufficient, you may need to change more frequently if you are in an area that has poor air quality – such as areas impacted by a wildfire...

Joe

Medosch

July 22, 2019

While your Christmas tree probably doesn't need a warning label - bringing either a real or artificial Christmas tree into your home could be hazardous to you and your family's health! Christmas trees...

Dana

Sundblad

March 26, 2019

Did you know that a closet with one or more walls facing the exterior can retain excess moisture? This can lead to mold growth on those walls as well as on items stored inside, especially the ones on the floor...

Dana

Sundblad

November 27, 2019

For many people, cooking “healthfully” means choosing hormone-free dairy products, organic vegetables, and beef raised without antibiotics. But to cook truly healthfully, you need to pay as much attention to how you are cooking your food as to what you are cooking....

Dana

Sundblad

April 1, 2019

It’s especially important to make healthy toy choices if you have a child who suffers from asthma or allergies - but limiting exposure to chemicals is actually a good idea for all children...

Dana

Sundblad

March 26, 2019

Indoor air quality can be a complex, daunting subject. But that should not stop you from taking action to improve it. There are many easy, inexpensive things you can do which will have a significant positive impact on your home. Here are ten...

Dana

Sundblad

March 8, 2019

Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for, including an estimated seven million children...

Dana

Sundblad

March 28, 2019

The immediate life-safety concerns about fire are obvious and frightening, but what many don’t realize is that returning to fire-damaged buildings is also hazardous. Cleaning after a fire is part of recovery but done wrong this activity may do more harm. If you’re returning to a fire-damaged home...

Dana

Sundblad

November 7, 2019

The "new construction smell" you are asking about is the combination of the entire mixture of chemicals "evaporating" from new paint, sealants, flooring, sheetrock, wood, and other building materials. They are properly called VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds...

Carl

Grimes

March 15, 2019

Their stated purpose is so that they and their partners can “highlight the importance of recognizing serious fungal diseases early enough in the course of a patient’s illness to provide life-saving treatment.” Another CDC page highlights exactly this cause for concern...

Carl

Grimes

February 6, 2020

Every animal-loving family with an asthmatic member has asked the same question. Even when pets trigger allergies and asthma, many people are very hesitant to consider getting rid of furry (or feathered) friends. Learning how to deal with asthma while

Dana

Sundblad

March 27, 2019

Most articles about air pollution and health focus on conditions in third world countries, where people cook by burning wood or animal dung over an open flame, creating heavy smoke inside their homes with too little ventilation. In other words, we...

Carl

Grimes

June 6, 2018

Cold, stormy days may keep the family indoors – sometimes even without power! While it may be a great day to catch up on projects while the kids (and pets) play, it is also the kind of day when we hunker down with closed windows. When we start to not feel well, we blame it on the changing weather...

Carl

Grimes

March 21, 2019

Some truths and myths about "toxic black mold".We believe the best starting point for a healthy home is knowledge! And one topic where many people think they know the facts, and most marketing supports their belief, is about mold. But the reality is that a lot of the "facts" you think you know about mold are really myths and one of the most common myths as toxic black mold!

Bill

Hayward

January 26, 2020

In many parts of the United States, wildfires can cause widespread damage and impact health. The smoky and ashy conditions during wildfires, and the windy conditions after wildfires, pose health risks for everyone, especially for children, older adults, and...

Dana

Sundblad

September 30, 2019

Lyme disease – which can sometimes be confused with mold exposure because of overlapping symptoms and low familiarity by some physicians – is on a dramatic increase this year according to a recent article in The New York Times (July 4, 2017)...

Carl

Grimes

March 26, 2019

Flooding is one of the most disastrous things that can happen to a home. There are often health risks from sewage that may have mixed with rainwater as well as the high likelihood of mold and mildew. It presents a truly daunting task for individuals and families, especially...

Bill

Hayward

July 10, 2019

The short answer is probably no. Wet carpets from clean water like from pipe leaks can be cleaned if the carpet itself is clean. Whether you can save a flood-damaged rug or carpet depends on the source of the flooding, how long it was wet, and if it can it be effectively cleaned and disinfected....

Carl

Grimes

January 18, 2019

A 2016 research study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University explored healthy home concerns and behaviors among American homeowners and renters. One specific topic that they explored was how people discovered issues...

Dana

Sundblad

February 6, 2020

In the wake of disasters, people who lose electricity often turn to fuel-powered devices to cool or heat their homes or cook their food. While having a generator can be a great help while power is out, gas-powered generators need to be used safely...

Dana

Sundblad

September 20, 2019

Here is what clean should really smell like: nothing. Clean does not have a scent! A really clean and healthy home not only has no musty smell from mold or mildew, off-odors from pet hair or accumulated dust, but also no chemical...

Carl

Grimes

February 6, 2020

Yesterday we mentioned research by the Joint Center for Housing Studies (2016) that explored what caused people to think that something in their home was making them sick. That same study also explored healthy home concerns and behaviors...

Dana

Sundblad

February 6, 2020

There are thousands of blogs, articles, and advertisements online insisting that the only way to know if you have a “mold problem” is to “test, test, and test again.” They will also have you believe that you cannot do anything about the mold until you...

Carl

Grimes

March 19, 2019

Cleaning must be more – and less – than we’ve been taught. Cleanliness may be next to godliness for some people, but for others, it can be a major cause of long-term ill health....

Carl

Grimes

June 14, 2018

While some green plants may help you breathe easier by making your space a little cheerier, they do nothing to mitigate poor air quality and the unintended side effects of some energy-efficient homes like reduced airflow and ventilation...

Dana

Sundblad

November 8, 2019

The internet is loaded with information about mold from hundreds of different sources. If you have done your due diligence and thoroughly researched “mold” then you know first-hand how confusing it is to separate mold facts from mold myths....

Carl

Grimes

April 1, 2019

The air you breathe is as important as the food you eat to keeping your body and mind healthy. There are lots of easy things you can do to make your indoor air healthier. Even small changes can make a difference so try something today!...

Dana

Sundblad

May 4, 2020

The symptoms most commonly reported by those affected by a “sick house” are many and varied, depending on the sensitivity of the person and the severity of the issues in the home. Common symptoms usually fall into a few broad categories....

Dana

Sundblad

May 4, 2020

Nobody intentionally wants to encourage house mold growth! But you may be doing things that not only lets mold sneak into your house but also “feeds” the house mold spores that are already there...

Carl

Grimes

March 28, 2019

Scientific American recently reported that “sneezing, watery eyes and runny noses from seasonal allergies are poised to land more people in the emergency room as temperatures rise. In a study published online in GeoHealth, scientists reported that...

Bill

Hayward

November 7, 2019

Many people are aware of the benefits of keeping what they eat and drink free of chemicals, including pesticides, mercury, and BPA. In addition to eating organic and drinking filtered water, to optimize your health, you should also...

Dana

Sundblad

May 4, 2020

Many people are aware of the benefits of keeping what they eat and drink free of chemicals, including pesticides, mercury, and BPA. In addition to eating organic and drinking filtered water, to optimize your health, you should also take care to...

Dana

Sundblad

May 4, 2020

Since you spend about 90% of your time indoors, the air you breathe inside is really important – especially if someone in your home has asthma or allergies. Making your home healthier for you and for your family, doesn’t have to involve...

Dana

Sundblad

May 4, 2020

One of the easiest and most impactful ways to freshen up your space is to paint the walls. Unfortunately, many traditional paints off-gas VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) while they are being applied and for years after. Even removing older...

Dana

Sundblad

February 8, 2017