It’s time for a change – and a new kitchen can be a great way to give your home a serious spring spruce-up, and make it healthier, too.

But if you or someone in your family has allergies and asthma, there are important steps you need to take.

The Demolition

It’s great to get older (and likely more toxic) materials out of your kitchen – but it’s crucial that you do it carefully.

The first step is to mitigate the demolition dust, which can contain chemicals, molds and other irritants, says Eric Corey Freed, principal with San Francisco’s organicARCHITECT and author of Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies. In order to keep dust from spreading, tightly seal off the area with plastic sheeting. It’s also worth picking up some hairnet-like covers for your air ducts to keep the dust from being recirculated.

Everyone working in the area also needs to wear protective goggles and a ventilating mask. “Guys tend to say, ‘I don’t need that, it’s just a little dust.’ But it adds up,” says Freed. “And it’s not just the heavy dust that you can see – it’s all the fine particulate that you can’t see that you inhale.” (Freed also stresses that if you suspect there is asbestos or lead paint, you need to bring in the pros to do the demo work.)

Mold can also present a serious problem because moisture often gathers behind sink cabinets, creating the perfect place for mold to breed and set off allergy symptoms during and after a renovation.

“Many owners see mold, spray bleach on it and think it’s fixed,” says Freed. Not so: the affected area must be completely dried out – or the drywall replaced – to ensure it doesn’t grow back. Once the demolition is complete, wet-mop to capture remaining dirt and dust, then flush the space with fresh air before that new kitchen rolls in.

Next Page: Choosing the right cabinets plus ‘cured’ counters that don’t off-gas.

A study recently published in the American Journal of Pediatrics, shows that chemicals that we are typically exposed to on a day-to-day basis and the average increase in Body Mass Index (BMI) in young girls is sending them into early puberty. The study, published in August 2010, shows that girls as young as 7 years old are developing breast tissue.

Dr. Frank Biro, the lead researcher in the study, explains that reaching puberty too early is cause for concern, both for the child’s psychological health (receiving unwanted attention from the opposite sex) and physical health. The study was conducted through the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers and established that girls who reach puberty at an earlier age than average are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

Preventing exposure to certain chemicals, also known as endocrine disruptors, is key. The chemicals, such as phthalates, are commonly found in cosmetics, personal care products, processed foods and even in some plastic toys.

Since these chemicals mimic hormones that we produce on our own, over-exposure to them may trigger the beginning of puberty before nature means it to happen.

Living green is the simple solution, explains Dr. Biro. Avoiding these chemicals (as much as possible), eating a balanced diet, and getting plenty of exercise can help young girls reach puberty at the typical age.

Living green is a way of life that makes sense for people with asthma and allergies, and here we can see the direct positive consequences as well for young girls as they mature.

Sources:
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Cente
EPA