Keeping the air in your home clean is important for our health, especially if you have elderly people or young children living in your home. This is because poor indoor air can easily cause far-fetching health effects. But how do you keep the air in your home cleaner? Below are tried and tested ways to improve your air.
Control Humidity
High humidity levels in your home can lead to excessive dampness and moisture, both that can negatively affect your health. Dampness could aggravate asthma and allergies. It could also lead to the growth of dust mites, mildew, and mould.
Getting rid of mould can be very challenging and it could cause different health effects like asthma and allergies.
One of the ways through which you can control your home’s humidity is by buying a dehumidifier. The devices can draw moisture from the air, removing pollutants like mould and dust mites.
Ventilate The Kitchen
If you spend lots of time in your kitchen preparing various meals then you should ensure the area is well ventilated. If you’re using a gas stove, it’ll release nitrogen dioxide that might be harmful at specific levels.
The EPA has previously stated that levels of nitrogen dioxide are higher indoors than outdoors. It could result in more health hazards like chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases.
To minimize the risks of nitrogen dioxide, it’s important to ensure the gas stoves are properly adjusted as well as perfectly vented. Installing air vents in your kitchen helps lower the levels of nitrogen dioxide.
Remove Household Dust
Dealing with household dust can be tricky. It may be easier to remove what’s lingering on the corners, but what would happen to the airborne particles. Technically, inhaling airborne dust can cause various issues to your well-being such as coughing or allergies.
Investing in a vacuum cleaner with the HEPA filter could help remove dust on the surfaces and floor.
To eliminate dust from your home’s air, we strongly recommend an air purifier. The device draws in air and pulls it through a range of filters before you release the clean air.
Stop Indoor Smoking
Indoor smoking could result in secondhand smoking for other people in the house. Keeping the house ventilated is not a viable option; hence it’s best to completely do away with indoor smoking. This won’t just make a substantial difference to the quality of indoor air, but it will also improve your overall health.
Avoid Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) containing substances
VOCs are often found in household cleaners, aerosol sprays, and wood preservatives. VOCs can have a very negative effect on our general health. Research shows that levels of VOC can be almost four times higher indoors than outdoors.
It’s always important to avoid VOC-containing compounds. Although this might be difficult because the VOCs are different ingredients. Some of the ingredients you should look out for include:
- Perchloroethylene – Many of them are used by dry cleaners
- Benzene – Often found in tobacco smoke, paint supplies, and stored fuels
- Methylene chloride – Often found in aerosol sprays and paint strippers
References
Greenwood, V. (n.d.). Why indoor air quality matters to our bodies and our brains. BBCpage. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190724-why-indoor-air-quality-matters-to-our-bodies-and-our-brains
Rapaport, L. (2016, October 31). Clean indoor air as important as meds in controlling kids’ asthma. U.S. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-asthma-indoor-air-idUKKBN12V27P
How to clean your fan or air conditioner. (2020, October 1). Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/how-to-clean-air-conditioner-fan/