How to Reduce Indoor Air Pollutants
Believe it or not, the air within modern houses can be up to five times more polluted than outside air. When you also take into account that we can spend up to ninety percent of our lives inside, the term sick building syndrome should need little explanation.
Inside pollutants like dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen tend to be continually recycled which ultimately means that sufferers of allergy induced asthma are making their complaint worse by being indoors.
Some Other symptoms of sick building syndrome include dizziness, headaches, tickly throats, sinus congestion, itchy or watery eyes, nausea, sluggishness and an lack of concentration. Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral diseases, so it is often hard to decide if the symptoms are a result of exposure to indoor air pollution.
If you find that the symptoms fade when you are in the open air, try to identify indoor air sources which may be possible causes and endeavour to get rid of them. As luck would have it, indoor air pollution is one health hazard that you can do something about.
Here are several easy measures you can take to better the air quality in your house.
No Smoking Indoors
Although this may sound obvious, you should in effect ban smoking within your house or at the least restrict it to one room. In our case, any friends or family that visit are restricted to the kitchen area or the back garden if they want to smoke. In the kitchen, an extractor fan pushes the smoky air outside as it does with cooking smells.
Let the Bad Air Out
Assuming that it is not freezing cold or blowing a gale outside, let some outside air in by opening up your windows and doors every so often. Doing so will also remove some of the pollutants that have built up inside your home. Make good use of kitchen and bathroom extractor fans. Clean and check the fan and any vents regularly and clean or replace any filters that may be fitted.
Use Natural Home Cleaning Products
Take any one of those so called miracle kitchen cleaners from your cupboard and somewhere on the label will be a warning as to how hazardous they are to your health. Furthermore, look at what they are made of and see if you can recognize the names of any of the substances in that bottle. As A Matter Of Fact, I doubt you will even be able to say the name, let alone recognize what it is. As soon as you use that product, a lot of those chemicals go into the air, the fumes of which are inhaled. How is it that some well known anti bacterial cleaners start your eyes watering and bring on a coughing fit. Personally, I have taken the eco-friendly route to household cleaning. Baking soda, washing soda crystals, white vinegar and pure lemon juice will work wonders for most cleaning jobs. Not only do they cost less but they also do not release any toxic fumes into your home.
Clean and Dust Your House On A Regular Basis
Hoovering your rugs and floors regularly will help to keep dust and airborne allergens at bay. It is said (although I have no proof) that around 70% of all household dust comprises of dead skin, which we humans shed all the time. Dust mites successively feed on this dead skin that falls from our bodies. They then grow and shed their own skin and it is this together with their faeces that causes allergic reactions in folks.
Pet Dander Triggers Allergic Reactions
If you have a family pet, they will molt dander that can trigger allergies and asthma. If you suspect that you or a family member may be allergic to your family pet, action is needed. The ideal solution is to keep pets out of the home altogether. If that is not a viable choice, you should restrict the number of rooms that the pets are permitted to go into and definitely keep them out of the bedroom.
Reduce Inside Air Humidity
If the clime where you live is either very muggy or just plain damp (as in too much rainfall), you will no doubt be aware of just how much moisture levels within your home can increase. A consequence of excessive moisture is the growth of mold and mildew. For anybody with extreme allergies, mold spores are as bad, if not worse, than dust. For that reason, a home dehumidifier can be vital. An air ionizer dehumidifier will extract moisture from the air and into a water tank which you can then remove and pour away.
Get an Indoor Air Purifier
Home air ionizers or room air cleaners do as their name suggests and clean the air of pollutants and allergens such as mold spores, pollen, cigarette smoke and pet dander. Besides being used to keep down the concentration of these airborne contaminants, they are particularly useful for folks who suffer from allergies and asthma. Air purifiers and room air cleaners are rapidly increasing in popularity because they make indoor air healthier and cleaner. All the same, there are different types of air ionizer, some of which can actually make allergies worse rather than better.
