People spend so much of their time indoors. Every day after you get out of work, you go to your house to relax and spend time with your family. It is absolutely important that you prevent any pollution that can damage the quality of air in your home. This article offers simple, easy-to-follow tips that will help keep air pollutants out of your home.
1. Make your home smoke free
Health experts recommend against smoking because it increases your risk of respiratory disease. But millions of people around the world are active smokers – whether trying to quit or not. Smoking is the number one indoor air pollutant that can make your home an unhealthy abode for your spouse and children. The residual particles from cigarettes pose health hazards, especially in rooms with lots of fabric such as carpeting. This risk can be even higher for children, who are likely to breathe in these particles. If you are a smoker, make sure you do it far from your home.
2. Use natural cleaning products
Many household cleaning products that are in the market right now are laden with harsh chemicals that can irritate your mouth, nose, lungs, and skin. The effects can be even worse for people with sensitive upper airways and lungs. For example, individuals who have chronic sinusitis and asthma. Even for healthy people, fumes emitted from cleaning products can cause inflammation or trigger allergies. To alleviate this concern, many health experts recommend using natural cleaners and elbow grease.
3. Minimize the use of pollutants around your home
Some products that we use on a daily basis in our homes can pollute indoor air and cause health concerns. Some good examples include irritating perfumes, particulates from incense and candles, office supplies such as toner ink and glue, fumes emitted by dry cleaned clothing, and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. Make sure that you make healthy choices when using anything that could damage indoor air quality and make your home an unhealthy place.
4. Ensure proper ventilation
Proper ventilation in your home is crucial to great indoor air quality. Ventilation helps reduce the amount of moisture in your home, cooking odors, smoke, and other indoor pollutants. This is even more important if you are using gas stoves that may increase exposure to carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde. A good tip for ensuring proper ventilation entails using exhaust fans to draw from a specific area of your home and vent it outside. Going natural can also go a long way to ensure that you maintain the best air quality. Open windows to let fresh air in at every chance.
5. Use an air filter
While opening windows in your home, office, or car can be a great way to ensure proper ventilation, it is not always possible due to extreme temperatures and allergies. In this case, air filter products can go a long way to ensure that you maintain optimal indoor air quality. Also, make sure that your HVAC system is checked regularly to ensure that it is working optimally. Stay away from air purifiers and aromatherapy because these can worsen indoor air quality rather than improve it.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy home for yourself and your family, it is the simple things that matter. Start by consistently following the tips above and your home air quality will improve dramatically.