It’s all very well and good having a beautifully decorated home, but that won’t protect your family from polluted air.
Rates of asthma have been increasing all over the world, year on year, for three decades now. Although that can be partly explained by better diagnostics, pollutants in our atmosphere are a big cause of rising rates of asthma.
Aside from that, poor air quality is linked to a whole host of other ailments, including greater susceptibility to the common cold, eye irritation, insomnia, and lung infections.
Although you can’t do much about the air quality outside your home–save putting your children in surgical masks–there are steps you can take to help your family breath better indoors.
Here are our top 8 ways to improve the air quality in your home.
Table of Contents
1. Ban Smoking
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If anyone who lives in your home is a smoker, get them to take that bad habit outside right now, or, even better, kick the habit to the kerb!
Smoking is one of the biggest pollutants people willingly bring into their homes. Up to 15,000 American children a year are taken to hospital with respiratory tract infections, which smoking only aggravates.
It’s not just bad for the little ones either–smoking exasperates lung and respiratory tract problems in older adults as well.
2. Don’t Idle the Car in the Garage
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Leaving your car running in an enclosed space inside the home, i.e. the garage, can cause a whole host of problems for your family.
Allowing a car to run in the garage can increase the amount of carbon monoxide inside your home–and carbon monoxide is a deadly gas.
Don’t allow these fumes to put your and your family’s health at risk; just turn off the car when you’re in the garage.
3. Invest in an Air Purifier
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Look into a device that will manually filter the air in your home of impurities.
Taken among other steps, an air purifier can really make the difference in improving air quality. Have a look at http://afresherhome.com/ for the best information on air purifiers.
4. Only Use Low-VOC Paints
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Most of us don’t know this, but the paints we decorate our home with often contain harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, that are released for months after the initial application.
This means our walls are releasing toxins into our home for months after the paint has dried. Prevent this by only using paints that are specifically low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). This way, decorating will only be a joy–not a damage.
5. Houseplants
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In this world we’ve filled with man made pollutants, thank God for mother nature, who developed a solution to our present malady long ago.
Houseplants–like their relatives, trees–help to remove toxins from the atmosphere, absorbing them and replacing them with pure, life-giving oxygen.
Although all houseplants are good for improving air quality, some are better than others. The butterfly palm, the rubber tree and the chrysanthemum are all great pollution-busters.
6. Beeswax Candles
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Burning candles in the home is so relaxing; it looks good, and it smells good–but unfortunately, it may not be as good for you as it feels.
Paraffin wax candles, unfortunately, release harmful carcinogens into your home as they burn. But this doesn’t have to mean the end of your candle habit! Switch to beeswax candles and get the glow without the guilt.
7. Remove Mold and Mildew
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If you live in an area with high humidity, you’ll notice mold and mildew entering your home without you having much say in it.
Unfortunately, dampness in the air and mold spores keep pollutants trapped in your home. Cut down on this risk by fixing all leaks, and removing all mold and evidence of fungus as and when it appears.
8. Kill Dust Mites
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A lot of people who believe they have allergies to dust are actually allergic to dust bites, microscopic pests who feed off moisture in a home.
Keep these critters out by covering your mattress in a bed bug protector, and replacing pillows which are made of natural fibers with foam pillows. When you do a wash, wash all bedding in very hot water to truly kill these bad boys.
