Health & Safety

Mice don’t make the best roommates. Unlike bigger roommates, though, they tend not to take hints that it’s time to move along. If you need to get a mouse out of your apartment, you may have to do more than mention that it’s time to move along.

Doing research for this week’s article, I notice that I am probably living with more roommates than I knew was imaginable. Even worse, I am sleeping with most of them. So, as I highlight the nasty story and prevention methods, I am comforted by the sound of the washing machine and the thought of the book I will be reading tonight while I am unable to sleep in my own bed.

How about some cool recipes for hot days? Memorial Day is past so unofficially summer is here. The invitations that conclude with “bring a favorite dish to pass” will soon be arriving. This year, I vow that I am not going to resort to picking up the tub of baked beans or potato salad from the deli. I am going to try interesting alternatives and find new favorites.

Remember the good old days, when finding an apartment was as easy as walking up to the landlord and asking if there were any vacancies? Today, apartment hunting is a bit more involved, leaving renters with many things to consider before choosing a place to live. For instance, it’s no longer the noisy neighbor–you know, the one who plays Molly Hatchet CDs until two in the morning who is the big problem. The real concern is the kindly neighbor in Apartment 12, who just happens to be a registered sex offender. In this day and age, the old hippie with the love for southern rock may just turn out to be your favorite neighbor.

Most of us try to keep our wits about us on the street or while driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood. But the one place we’re supposed to be able to relax and not think about the potential of danger is in our own homes. That’s why it’s so deeply disturbing when we hear about a crime committed by a stranger in the victim’s own home. It’s horrible and it does happen. The chances are slim, but it makes sense to be prepared on the off chance that someone tries to break into your apartment.

How to Secure your Stuff in and Around Your Apartment
Living in an apartment complex can sometimes give you a false sense of security, as if your apartment is safer because your neighbors live so close by. In some sense, it is safer–it’s easier to find a neighbor to come to your aid in an emergency than it is for people in rural areas. But when it comes to keeping your things safe, living in an apartment can be more risky.

Once your apartment starts to feel like home, the rest of the building often follows. While pulling into the building lot after work or running downstairs to take out the trash, you may feel as relaxed and unguarded as if you’re actually in your own unit. While building parking lots, fitness centers, basements and storage areas are generally safe, you need to be aware that they aren’t really home. Here are some things to think about when you walk outside your apartment door.

When choosing an apartment, diligent renters pepper landlords and real-estate agents with questions about square footage, amenities and security deposits. However, few renters consider the air quality in potential apartments. Most of us don’t think about the quality of the air we breathe at all — until we begin to suspect that the air in our apartments might be making us sick. As we learn more about how air quality affects common diseases like asthma and with new concerns about “sick building syndrome” in office complexes, more and more people are starting to take air quality seriously.

Have you ever taken a good look at the labels on your household cleaning products? They probably feature a long list of chemicals you don’t recognize as well as warnings to contact the Poison Control Center if the product is accidentally ingested or inhaled. Unless the packaging explicitly states otherwise, you can bet the products aren’t biodegradable, natural or renewable. Unfortunately, many chemicals used in standard soaps, detergents and other cleaners aren’t removed by standard water filtration systems. They end up back in our waterways and it’s unclear how they might affect our environment and ourselves. Environmentally friendly cleaning products appeal not only to environmentally conscious consumers, but also to people worried about exposure to toxins or about the accidental poisoning of pets and children.