Many people think that their house is a safe space with no pollutants, bacterias, and potential health risks, when in fact, indoor air can be two up to five times more polluted than the air outdoors. Bad air quality can have a significant impact on you and your relatives, that’s why it’s essential to take some important steps in order to make sure that the air you breathe in your home in good shape and doesn’t cause any health problems.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are primary causes of indoor air quality problems in homes.” Luckily, it is not an issue that can’t be fixed. Here, you can find some essential tips for ensuring healthy air in your home.
Keep your house clean
The most obvious and easy way to keep the indoor air in good condition is cleaning the house regularly. Any dust, allergens, mites, and bacteria settling on furniture, floor, and ceiling contribute significantly to the contamination of the air. Regular vacuuming, washing the floor, wiping furniture can positively contribute to the improvement of air quality.
However, not all cleaning products are right for your health. Some of them can worsen the air quality in your place. Health advice by Dr. Hotze suggests checking the cleaning product’s composition before cleaning the whole apartment. You should be careful with chemicals like Phthalates, Glycol ethers, Quats, Ammonia, Bleach. Using them quite often may actually cause more long-term harm than most of the uncleanliness.
Invest in air filters
When it comes to keeping healthy air indoor, air purifiers are very beneficial. If you live in an apartment with little or no ventilation, investing in air filters can help you breathe more fresh air. Dust, irritants, and allergens coming inside can cause allergic reactions or even long-term respiratory problems.
Air purifiers have a superpower of eliminating asthma triggers, as well as dusty pollution, tobacco smoke, asbestos, radon gas, pet odor, and much more. If you suffer lung diseases or live in a polluted urban area, it’s a good idea to invest in such a filter and breathe a sigh of relief.
Bring the fresh air in
Air circulation is vital. If you’re lucky enough not to live in busy urban areas, opening the windows during the day will naturally ventilate the indoor air. However, if you are stuck in the city, avoid letting the outdoor air in the middle of the day during rush traffic hours.
Smoke-free area
Smoking indoors is one of the worst things you can do for your apartment and relatives. Burning tobacco releases toxic carcinogenic gases, such as carbon monoxide, radon gas, tar, acetone, hydrogen cyanide, and more.
Even after you air out a room, many of the toxic substances will stay in your apartment and keep poisoning you slowly. If you really feel a need to smoke, better go outside. The same goes for any other smoke.
Change your sheets
Even though we can’t see bacteria and fungi, we will surely sense their presence. That is why changing sheets play a crucial role in keeping the air fresh indoors. You should do it at least once a month. More is better, especially if you like morning cuddles with your cat or dog.
Before changing the sheets, it’s good to expose your pillows to the sunlight and let them breathe fresh air. The sunlight can actually kill germs, and that can keep your pillows clean and eliminate germs and pollutants.
Grow house plants
Another right way to ensure healthy air indoors is to place some lovely plants inside. Flora is a natural air filter that exchanges irritants for oxygen, including CO2, as well as humidity. Here, for example, you can find the list of the best air-purifying plants. It’s an attractive investment when you live in an urban area. Besides the air cleaning process, plants always look good as part of your interior design and are known to improve the mood and make for a friendlier workplace.
The bottom line
The importance of keeping the indoor air clean plays a vital role when it comes to living healthy. Your home is the place you spend a lot of your time, so it’s important to take care of what you inhale. Following the above tips can help you improve the quality of the air you breathe in and keep your health in check.
Author’s bio:
Paulina Porada is a polish-born writer, who obtained her first degree in Quality Science. Currently, she’s responsible for content writing in Blue Starling Agency with a specialization in nutrition, mental health, healthy lifestyle, and interpersonal relations. In her articles, she likes to highlight the importance of finding a balance in life.