Did you know that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than the air outdoors, primarily due to a lack of proper ventilation?
An increased presence of toxins happens because of different reasons:
– Smoking or indoor fires, from stoves, fireplaces and other cooking activities.
– Mold and asbestos, which can develop in areas like your carpets under damp, warm and dark conditions.
– Higher levels of carbon monoxide and radon, which are both toxic gases
All of these can have severe adverse effects on your health, contributing to severe asthma, lung cancer, and other complications.
Regulating the quality of air inside your home is essential to leading a healthy lifestyle.
How do you do it?
Using air fresheners and other similar products to cover up damp or stale air only adds to the overall pollution inside the house, as they only mask the effects of pollutants instead of getting rid of them.
Instead, here is what you can do.
- Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Using low VOC paint on indoor walls and installing carbon monoxide detectors in every room is the first step towards ensuring better air quality. However, there are many other methods you can employ to cleanse the air in your house such as:
2. Improve Indoor Ventilation
Open your windows! Install trickle vents or exhaust fans to regulate the air, especially in your kitchen and bathrooms to reduce the risk of mold and similar problems caused due to an increased moisture content in the air.
- Go in for Natural Purifiers
Beeswax candles and salt lamps are 100% naturally occurring substances, which act as natural air purifiers when burned as well as help elevate the atmosphere of the room.
- Purchase Air Purifiers
You can also buy an electronic purifier, for faster more effective air purification. These devices can filter out even the smallest of particles for fresh, helping you get clean breathing air inside your home. And they are cheap too, so you wouldn’t really feel any pinch on your pocket.
- Cleaning is Important
Your central heating system, ventilators, air conditioners and dehumidifiers collectively called the HVAC system require frequent cleanup and maintenance. Carpets, rugs, and furniture that catches a lot of dust also need to be dusted and often cleaned to avoid dust mites, especially if you have pets!
However, do look to reduce your dependence on cleaning products, as they contain strong chemicals such as bleach, hair sprays, deodorants, and nail polish indoors. Often, they include VOCs, chemicals known not just to affect your health but the environment as well.
Focusing on Your Daily Habits
Having plants inside the house can help by naturally decreasing the carbon dioxide content in the air as well as adding a natural, fresh and pleasant aroma to the room.
In a nutshell, some lifestyle changes can make a good difference.
– Do not smoke indoors
– Clean the carpets; they can be dirt magnets
– Take off your shoes before entering the house and use a doormat
These simple tips can help reduce the amount of air pollutants and improve your health by fresh, clean breathing air.