VOCs—you’ve probably heard about those nasty volatile organic compounds that can cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, and even damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. VOCs are released into the air from things like synthetic carpeting, harsh cleaning supplies, and even the paints and varnishes you use to beautify your home and office. Levels tend to be 2-5 times higher indoors. New studies—including some by the science guys themselves over at NASA—continue to show that houseplants can rid some of these toxins from your air. Home improvement stores have even begun to label which plants are the best air purifiers, among them English ivy, spider plants, pot mums, and rubber plants.

The problem then, is not acquiring indoor plants, it’s keeping them alive. VOCs may be harsh but those of us without a green thumb know how unintentionally cruel we too can be. With these easy pointers, developing a green thumb may be easier than you think.

Put a pencil in it! The most common mistake of caring for plants is overwatering. You may think the plant is dying because it’s too dry but it may actually be rotting from too much water. Don’t know when it’s time to water? Insert a sharpened pencil about an inch into the soil. If it comes out clean, your plant is dry and needs water. If the soil sticks to the tip, wait and check again in a day or two. Remember to water slowly and reasonably—don’t drown your plants!

Get a little shady: Not all plants like bright light. If your plant seems sick, it might actually be overheating from too much sun. Before moving your plant into brighter light, research its light needs. If it does call for a direct sun location, place the plant in front of a south facing window.  As residents of the Northern Hemisphere, these windows receive the most direct sunlight.

Eat your veggies. The cooled water from cooking vegetables is full of the nutrients plants need and a great way to conserve water. Plants also love rainwater so consider purchasing a rain barrel if you don’t already have one.

Tell them how you feel. Your grandmother wasn’t kidding about talking to your plants—especially if you’re a woman. The Royal Horticulture Society found that tomato plants grew up to two inches taller when spoken to!

For more tips on plant care, read the Instructables article on how to keep indoor plants alive. Youtube also has a wide variety of how-to videos available—from caring for tropical plants to how to tell when it’s time to water! Good luck!

Casual Fridays might have more going for them than just an excuse to wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt. More relaxed office wear often means more climate-appropriate attire, especially in the summer months. While men and women alike may be happy to throw on wool-trousers in the middle of January, slacks have less appeal come August, especially in warmer regions of the country. Clearly, any employee arriving at work in 90 degree weather in a three-piece-suit is going to immediately turn down the office AC.

Understandably, certain occasions require such attire. If your company prefers to maintain traditional office attire, it might be worth noting what your business partners wear in their offices. Many companies have adopted a more casual dress code (such as slacks and a sports shirt for men in the summer). In doing so, they’ve found that their customers are more at ease during business meetings. What these companies may not realize, despite added comfort and higher sales, is that they’re actually saving their company money by choosing the khakis over the suit, as keeping the office just one degree warmer can cut up to 5-8% from cooling costs.

Consider whether it’s necessary for employees to dress as professionally on days when they will not be dealing with clients in person. Moreover, providing closet space for employees would allow them to bring suits to work while still wearing more climate appropriate clothing throughout the rest of the day.

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, climate-appropriate clothing doesn’t need to look unprofessional. There are many fabrics available that can keep both men and women cool in the summer. Some great summer fabrics include micro-fiber and linen blends, silks, and surprisingly, lightweight wools which breath better than linen and don’t wrinkle as easily.

By adopting a policy allowing more climate-appropriate clothing, you can adjust your office thermostat to a slightly higher temperature, saving money while eliminating unnecessary energy waste. When putting this policy into action, be sure to be consistent so that your employees will know how to dress. As ever, it’s always smart to layer rather than dressing warmly and turning down the AC!

Sources:

BBJ Today

Arkansas DFA

Monday morning: the office is freezing, again. Hot-Natured Hannah strikes again—turning the thermostat down to 65°F while everybody else catches pneumonia. After lunch, your desk area is burning up. Always-Cold Cory took the liberty of turning the heat up to 78°F while you were out.

You’d complain, but comfort is relative—who are you to say what temperature the office should be normally?

Fortunately for you, engineers with ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers) have said it. Based on tests of human comfort in different temperatures and humidity levels, they prescribe the “Human Comfort Zone” as a range of indoor temperature and relative humidity where human beings are typically comfortable.

The official word on comfort: wearing “normal” amounts of clothing, people are most comfortable around 69°F in the winter and around 74°F in the summer, at about 70% relative humidity. That means you, Sweater Stan—if you don’t need one outside, you shouldn’t inside either.

If Hannah, Stan and Cory remain skeptical, appeal to your business’s financial comfort zone: keeping temperatures in a moderate range, between 69°F and 74°F, adds up in savings over extreme cold or hot. Your boss will feel more comfortable, in any case—which probably means you will too!

Quick Facts:

1. Set your thermostat to 69°F, and then dress appropriately.

2. Still not your preferred temperature?  Try some hot (or iced) tea!