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Let’s clear the air!
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BY SANDRA WHITE
This is the month of family gather- ings, baking and cooking the beloved Thanksgiving meal. Family and friends gather in our homes to share in the celebration.
If you are like me and have pets, I am always conscious of my sweet fur babies’ aroma when guests gather. Let’s face it, they do not deliver the type of aromatherapy all guests appreciate. So what is the solution to have a clean smelling home without linger- ing odors of yesterday’s bacon or Miss Kitty’s litter box? The answer: a catalytic lamp!
WHAT IS A CATALYTIC LAMP?
Traditionally there have been two main cate- gories for atmosphere disinfecting systems.
1. Cold disinfection work through the natural evaporation of a liquid or solid antiseptic. Plant oils and solid based balm were used as passive disinfecting.
2. Diffusers or hygienic smoke-clearing lamps based on catalytic combustion.
The category we are focusing on in this article is the catalytic hygienic lamp.
HISTORY
Catalytic air purification goes back into the Industrial Revolution. It was a time of medical research in which bacteriology was of great focus. The correlation between hygiene and health became very apparent.
Catalytic combustion came about between 1885 and 1900. It was found that when primary alcohol oxidation came into contact with certain metals a reaction occurred changing O2 (oxygen) to O3 (ozone). Ozone was discovered to cleanse the air and help eliminate odors. Many odors actually come from bacteria, therefore the catalytic reaction was considered antiseptic and disinfecting. This was the beginning of the catalytic lamp.
The lamps were used to disinfect surgery rooms very early in their development. Several different companies produced the lamps, but one has survived the test of time and that is Lamp Berger of France.
36 Nature’s Pathways® | November 2018
A friend recently returned from Paris and said that when in the Hotel Le Meurice they had theLampBergercatalyticlampsthroughout the hotel for their guests’ pleasure and benefit. They have also been used to help disinfect buildings that may have been through a natural disaster. Recently a colleague’s home was taken by fire. With only a few items surviving, these possessions held the smell of the tragedy. To her delight, using the lamp actually helped to remove the smell. Thus the earlier name of the lamps were originally called hygienic smoke- cleaning lamps or effusion lamps.
BENEFITS
A study completed by Clean Air Labs in 2008 resulted in some interesting facts. Dr. Sobek conducted a series of indoor air quality tests to determine the efficacy of effusion lamp technology. Areas of interest included:
• Indoor allergens such as mold, dust mites and bacteria
• Odors including cat, dog and food spoilage
• Smoke-borne odors and particulates
The results were very exciting. The mortal- ity rate for dust mites was 99 percent after 90 minutes of exposure! The bacteria E. coli showed a mortality rate of 99 percent after 3 hours and mold spores had a 60 percent mortality after 3 hours. Finally, greater than 99.9 percent removal of smoke particles from tobacco smoke after 30 minutes!
As for the efficacy against dog, cat and food spoilage odors, the results are as follows:
• Cat: 56 percent reduction in odor after 3 hours of exposure
• Dog: 33 percent reduction in odor after 3 hours of exposure
• Food spoilage odors: 68 percent reduc- tion in odor after 3 hours of exposure
HOW TO USE
Lamp Berger offers many beautiful styles from Victorian to contemporary. Many people see them and think they are a decora- tive bottle. It doesn’t matter the style because they all have the same operation.
Each lamp comes with a loop cloth wick attached to a specialized stone. The lamp is initially filled with 2/3 of the neutral fuel, which is basically water and alcohol. A snuff cap is used to cover the stone for approximately 30 minutes. This allows the fuel to move through the wick into the stone. The cap is removed and the stone is lit. A flame will occur and is left to burn 2 to 4 minutes. Then it is imme- diately blown out. A decorative cap is placed over the stone, which allows air to move across the stone. The heat of the stone contin- ues to pull fuel into the stone and surrounding atmosphere changing O2 to O3.
The results offer purified air and a healthy atmosphere.
CONCLUSION
Every home can benefit from this vintage air purification system. It is simple, decorative and effective. Your guests will be impressed this holiday season as they experience the fresh clear air in your home. So take a deep breath, know the air is clean and you can now breathe a nice clear sigh of relief.
Sandy earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Science with an emphasis in plant physiology. Working with plants and plant chem- istry has been a passion for many years, which in turn led to her interest in essential oils, teas and herbs. Sandy received her certificate in herbology from the Oakwell Institute and an international certification in aroma- therapy from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy.
In 2013, her business, Botanical Indulgence, rebranded to The Natural Boutique. In 2017, the boutique moved to downtown Neenah. The new location offers more space and a large classroom for educating customers and clients on natural alternative products. It is the goal of The Natural Boutique to meet customer’s needs through unique product selection and education. For more information, visit the store at 125 W. Wiscon- sin Avenue, Neenah or call 920-725-1380. Visit them online at www.thenaturalboutique.com.
www.naturespathways.com