The average American spends more than 90% of their time indoors.
With so many of us enjoying the comforts of our own home, it might be surprising to discover that we are actually at growing risk from indoor air pollution whilst we are there.
Air contamination is everywhere, even inside our homes. But there are things you can do to help reduce your risks.
If you are interested in minimizing indoor pollution, then please read our guide and learn how to reduce air contamination in your home.
1. Don’t Smoke Indoors
The first easy step to prevent contamination in your home is to ensure that nobody is smoking inside.
85% of secondhand smoke is odorless and undetectable to the human eye. When children are exposed to tobacco smoke, they are at much greater risk of coughs, colds, and other respiratory illnesses.
2. Ventilate Rooms When Cleaning
Some cleaning products contain highly toxic contaminants, and when used in an under-ventilated room, they can cause serious respiratory problems. Look out particularly for cleaners that contain ammonia or chlorine.
When using harsh cleaning chemicals, make sure you open as many windows as possible. If possible, wear a mask to help reduce your inhalation.
The chemicals will linger in the house for up to several hours afterward, so keep the room well ventilated until they have cleared.
3. Don’t Have Carpets
Carpets are a hiding place for all kinds of pollutants, including pet dander, dust mites, toxic gas particles, dirt, and dust. These contaminants can be stirred up into the air when vacuuming or even walking across a carpet.
If you can, it is best to live carpet free and instead have hardwood or tiled floors. This may not be possible for everyone. If this is the case, you must endeavor to have your carpets cleaned regularly.
4. Check HVAC Systems Regularly
Ensure you have your Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system (HVAC) regularly serviced by a licensed HVAC company. The filters in your HVAC can become clogged with pollutants, including mold and mildew.
Regular servicing and replacing the filters will reduce the risks of respiratory diseases spreading around your home via the HVAC system.
5. Buy Plants
Having plants in the home is great for our respiratory health and mental well-being. Research shows that they can even help reduce the number of pollutants inside our homes.
A NASA study highlighted the benefits of having plants in your home for reducing indoor pollutants like cigarette smoke and bacteria.
6. Minimize Scented Candle Use
Scented candles may look beautiful and smell great, but they also release many pollutants into the air.
If you look inside of a dehumidifier after burning a candle, you will often see that the inside has become blackened by the invisible smoke particles in the air. So, limit your use of candles, especially scented ones, which also release chemicals as they burn.
7. Use a Dehumidifier
If mold or mildew is a problem in your home, then you should consider investing in a dehumidifier that helps remove water particles from the air.
If you have a lot of condensation on your windows in the morning, this is an indicator that your house is humid. Mold spores love to propagate in this environment, and dehumidifiers will help reduce the problem.
8. Reduce Usage of Air Fresheners
Air fresheners are a great way to remove smells, but in doing so, you are instead replacing them with pollutants.
Formaldehyde levels in homes have increased since the rise in popularity of using air fresheners. Chemicals like these have been linked to an increase in endocrine conditions and even cancer.
Keep Your House Free of Air Contamination
There are many risks of air contamination all around us at home, but they can be reduced and avoided.
Ventilate your house well and focus on reducing the number of chemical pollutants you use in everyday products. Do this, and you should be able to breathe a little easier in your home.
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