How to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution in Your Home
It may suprise you to know that air pollution levels within the modern house can be two to five times higher than the levels outdoors. Combine that with the fact that the average person can spend upwards of ninety percent of their time indoors, it will come as no suprise that the term Sick Building Syndrome has become a new adage in the English language.
Inside pollutants such as dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen tend to be continually recycled which ultimately means that folks who suffer from allergy induced asthma are making their complaint worse by being inside.
Other symptoms of sick building syndrome include dizziness, headaches, tickly throats, stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, nausea, lethargy and an inability to concentrate. However, because some of these symptoms are similar to those of a common cold, it is not always easy to to decide if indoor pollution is the cause or if it is due to some form of viral infection.
If you notice that the symptoms fade when you are in the open air, try to identify inside air sources that might be possible causes and endeavour to eliminate them. As luck would have it, indoor air pollution is one health hazard that you can do something about.
Here are seven tips for improving inside air quality in your house.
No Smoking Indoors
Even though this may sound obvious, you should effectively ban smoking inside your house or at least restrict it to one room. In our case, any friends or family that call are limited to the kitchen area or the back garden if they want to smoke. In the kitchen, an extractor fan pushes the smoky air outside as it does with cooking odors.
Let the Bad Air Out
Provided that it is not freezing cold or blowing a gale outside, let some outside air in by opening your windows and doors every now and then. Doing so will also do away with some of the pollutants that have built up within your home. If you have bathroom or kitchen extractor fans, use them on a regular basis. You should also routinely clean the vents in the extractors and make sure they function properly.
Use Natural House Cleaning Products
If you have ever taken the time to study the labels on home cleaning products, the majority of them will include a warning about how harmful the chemicals are for your health or skin. As soon as you use that product, a lot of those chemicals go into the air, the fumes of which are inhaled. How is it that some well known anti bacterial cleaners start your eyes watering and bring on a coughing fit. Not anymore though, as my natural housecleaning products of choice are bicarbonate of soda, washing soda, vinegar and pure lemon juice. These are all non toxic, environmentally friendly and can tackle most housecleaning jobs, either individually or combined with one another.
Keep you House Clean and Dust Free
Vacuuming your carpets and floors regularly will help to keep dust and airborne allergens at bay. It is said (although I have no proof) that some seventy percent of all household dust consists of dead skin, which we humans molt day in and day out. Dust mites like to feed on this dead skin which in turn makes them grow. They then shed their own skin and that, mixed with their faeces is what causes allergic reactions in some folks.
Pet Dander Triggers Allergies
For those families with a cat, dog or other pet, allergies such as asthma can be triggered off by their dander, which they shed day in and day out. Something needs to be done if you suspect that either you or another family member are allergic to pet dander. Ideally, it is better to keep pets out of the home completely although that is rarely possible. As a possible alternative, try and restrict the rooms that the pet is allowed into. One definite area to keep them out of is the bedroom.
Reduce Indoor Air Humidity
If the clime where you live is either very muggy or just plain wet (as in too much rainfall), you will no doubt be aware of just how much moisture levels within your home can increase. This excessive moisture or humidness is the ideal breeding ground for mold. For anyone with allergies, mold spores can cause as many health problems as airborne dust. Dehumidifiers can be a godsend in a humid environment since they are able to remove excess dampness from the surrounding air, thereby keeping mold and the resulting spores at bay.
Get an Indoor Air Purifier
Home air purifiers are units that clean indoor air of allergens, such as mold spores, pollen and pet dander. They are especially useful if you or a family member suffers from allergic reactions or asthma because they can reduce airborne contaminants by a considerable amount. Indoor air purifiers have become very popular of late since they are able to clean the air in your house while making it a lot healthier to inhale. However, there are several types of air purification technologies, some of which may not be suitable in all situations.