When it comes to air pollution, we often think about congested roads and highways, public places, and other outdoor environments. But did you know that polluted air is present inside your home too? Even in the air-conditioned, fresh-smelling office you work at, air pollutants could be lurking around… putting your health at risk.
Air Pollution and Your Health
Air pollution is a serious concern. According to the World Health Organization, one-third of deaths from stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer are caused by air pollution. Even healthy people can experience the symptoms of being exposed to polluted air, such as an irritated respiratory system, difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, and the like. Severe air pollution can cause immediate health problems, such as cardiovascular and respiratory illness and cell damage. Furthermore, long-term exposure to polluted air can cause serious health problems like decreased lung function, bronchitis, emphysema, and even cancer.
Indoor Air – How Can it Be Polluted?
According to research, indoor air quality can be 10 times worse than outdoor air. Hard to believe, but it’s true. But you might wonder, how come indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air?
Pollutants are present everywhere. Inside homes and buildings, pollutants come from materials, household items, cleaning products, and furniture. Often, these things contain toxic chemicals that release gases, toxic chemicals or particles into the air. The presence of mold and mildew also contributes to indoor air pollution. Breathing mold spores can cause allergic reaction to some people, causing symptoms like asthma, wheezing, and shortness of breath. It can also trigger asthma especially in children. Mold and mildew can easily be transferred from one surface to another. From the damaged walls or ceilings, mold spores travel through air, contaminating almost everything in your house, from curtains, linens and fabrics to your children’s toys, dog toys, and bath toys. You can just imagine its hazardous health effects to your kids and pets. Thus, routine high-level disinfection is important to greatly reduce contamination.
How to Keep Your Home’s Indoor Air Clean
Take it from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the air inside your home is typically more polluted than the air outside. Fortunately, there are various ways to improve your indoor air quality. The following steps can help you get started:
Keep the windows open whenever possible.
You want the air to circulate properly inside your home. A good way to let fresh air come in and polluted air come out is to open windows whenever possible. Even just five minutes of opening your windows can significantly reduce the level of air pollutants inside your home.
Clean, clean, clean.
Cleaning should be part of your daily routine. Vacuum, mop and dust regularly. If you suspect mold infestation, have it removed immediately by remediation professionals. If the mold problem is pretty minor, you can clean it on your own using bleach and some other cleaning solutions.
Use air cleaning tools when doing home improvement work.
Home renovations can cause a huge amount of dust and debris to circulate in your indoor air. Add the toxic fume released by paint, glue, and other construction materials. When doing home repairs and improvement, consider using tools like air scrubber to lessen indoor air pollution. Air movers, on the other hand, make drying surfaces much faster especially when painting or cleaning wet carpets and mold.
Use an air purifier and diffuser.
Using air purifiers and diffusers is an inexpensive way to maintain the quality of your indoor air. These devices help lessen the pollutants circulating in the air, leaving you a fresh and clean environment. Adding essential oils to your diffuser makes your house smelling good too.
Indoor plants can do wonders.
Indoor plants are not only lovely to look at. They also make a good job in cleaning air inside your home. Plants release oxygen and take in carbon monoxide, an essential process that is highly necessary to maintain fresh air.
Use non-toxic cleaning products.
Many commercial cleaning products are made with highly toxic compounds that can greatly contaminate air inside your home. As much as possible, opt for greener options. Or, make your own using ingredients you can find at home, such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon.
Good health starts at home. Indoor air pollution is a serious concern that affects each and every household. Without doing anything about it, you could be putting your family’s health at risk. By taking steps to clean and sanitize your indoor air, you can prevent health problems brought by air pollution.
