Whether you are inside your home or out and about, the quality of the air that you breathe can have a significant impact on your health. In fact, studies have linked poor quality outdoor air to serious health issues such as stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. Worldwide, air pollution causes a massive 3.3 million deaths, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. You may think that you’re only in danger if you live in a large city, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside your home is often more polluted than the air outside. So, what can you do to start improving the air quality in your home?
Open Your Windows:
Cracking the windows open is the simplest and easiest way to improve the air quality in your home. In fact, opening your windows for just five minutes every day can help to alleviate the accumulation of harmful pollutants in your indoor air. And if it’s warm weather, an open window is a cheaper alternative to turning the air conditioning on.
Get Some Houseplants:
Houseplants don’t only look great as part of your interior décor, they are also an effective way of improving the indoor air quality, according to a study published by the American Society for Horticultural Science. Spider plants, for example, are effective when it comes to reducing air pollutants such as xylene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and benzene.
Take Your Shoes Off:
Taking off your shoes when you enter your home won’t just save your carpets, it can also help to improve the quality of the air. The soles of our shoes carry some nasty stuff; fungi, pollen, pesticides, bacteria, and even traces of feces can be found on the bottom of your shoes when you’ve been outside, so don’t let that stuff into your home!
Use Nontoxic Cleaning Products:
Thoroughly cleaning your home from top to bottom may make it smell fresher, but it’s not actually that great for the air quality in your house. In fact, many popular cleaning products are very high in toxic chemicals which are more likely to cause air pollution than prevent it. Many store-bought cleaners contain chemicals that can cause irritation of your eyes, nose and throat – so make sure that you open the windows if you’re using them. Thankfully, there are more natural, non-toxic alternatives on the market today.
Use an Air Filter:
Your home’s heating and cooling systems can be a source of air pollutants, so it’s a wise idea to use an air filter to keep the air clean and improve the health and wellness of your family. An air filter or furnace filter used in your home’s central heating and air conditioning systems will keep pollutants to a minimum and make a huge difference in the quality of the air indoors.
Most people associate air pollution with large cities filled with fumes, but the air inside your home can be more polluted than you may realize! Follow these tips for cleaner, healthier air indoors.