University of Oregon

LET'S TALK.

FLEXTALK is a wellness resource library to help student-athletes grow both on and off the field. Use the conversation starters below to talk with your team or a mentor. New topics are featured weekly on Monday.

Tips To Help Protect Your Family From Dirty Electricity

Posted: January 7, 2026
Reduce electrical pollution, optimize device placement, and create a healthier home environment with practical tips to improve sleep and well-being.

Modern homes buzz with invisible energy. While families rely on electricity for everything from cooking dinner to charging phones, hidden electrical pollution often permeates living spaces. This electrical noise travels along wiring and radiates into rooms, potentially affecting the home environment. You can take control of your living space and reduce exposure with a few practical, proactive adjustments. Follow these tips to help protect your family from dirty electricity.

Swap Out Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) save energy, but they also generate high-frequency voltage transients. These bulbs chop the electrical current to reduce power consumption, which creates significant noise on the line. Replace these bulbs with standard incandescent bulbs or halogen options. If you prefer energy-efficient lighting, choose specific low-EMF LED bulbs designed to minimize electrical interference. This simple switch immediately lowers the amount of dirty electricity flowing through your lamps and fixtures.

Eliminate Dimmer Switches

Dimmer switches operate by rapidly turning the power on and off thousands of times per second. This process creates a jagged electrical wave rather than a smooth one, injecting significant noise into the wiring. Replace any dimmer switches in the house with standard on/off toggle switches. While you lose the ability to adjust the mood lighting, you gain a significantly cleaner electrical environment.

Install Filtering Capacitors

You cannot always control the power entering the home from the utility grid or the noise generated by essential appliances, such as the refrigerator. This lack of control is where filters help. Understanding what dirty electricity is allows you to see the value in smoothing out those erratic voltage spikes. Plug-in filters contain capacitors that short out high-frequency noise while allowing standard 60-hertz electricity to pass through. Place these filters strategically in outlets near major electronics to neutralize the pollution at the source.

Unplug Unused Electronics

Many devices continue to draw power and modify electrical current even when turned off. We often call these “vampire” devices. Chargers left in the wall, printers, entertainment systems, and computers all contribute to the problem. Simply unplugging these items when no one is using them stops them from adding noise to the circuit. Using a power strip with an on/off switch makes this task easier for clusters of entertainment devices.

Hardwire Your Internet Connection

Wi-Fi routers often introduce high frequencies onto the electrical wiring via their power supplies. Furthermore, the wireless signals themselves add to the electromagnetic smog in the home. Switch to hardwired Ethernet connections for computers, streaming devices, and gaming consoles. Connecting via cables provides a faster, more secure internet experience and lets you disable the router’s Wi-Fi, significantly reducing the family’s overall exposure.

Create a Cleaner Sanctuary

Reducing invisible electrical pollution requires consistent effort, but the result is a calmer, healthier home environment. Start with the bedrooms to maximize sleep quality, then move to high-traffic areas like the living room.

Talk About It:
  1. What are some common sources of electrical pollution in a typical household, and how can they be minimized?
  2. Why is reducing Wi-Fi exposure particularly important for improving sleep quality?
  3. How can creating a “cleaner sanctuary” positively impact overall health and well-being?
  4. Which areas of your home would you prioritize for reducing electrical pollution, and why?
  5. How can the placement of electronic devices in your home influence the levels of electrical pollution, and what strategies can help optimize their positioning?

 

CLICK FOR SERIES

  • Posts not found

CLICK FOR SERIES

CLICK FOR SERIES

w

PRIVATE SESSIONS

Need to talk to someone about one of the topics on this page? We can help! Email Tony Overstake to set up a private session.

3X Categories

Emotions
  • Posts not found
Relationships
  • Posts not found
Character
  • Posts not found

THE 3X SERIES

FLEXTALK'S flagship personal growth track: a 6-week series to bring out the good in everyone. 

SPOTIFY PODCAST

Listen to weekly topics through our Spotify podcast.