Easy Ways To Improve The Quality Of Indoor Air

Because of the larger levels of outside pollution pouring into residences in major cities, indoor air pollution is more severe, but it also affects those living in rural regions.

According to the British Lung Foundation, indoor air pollution is described as “dust, dirt, or gases in the air within a building that harm us if we breathe it in.” It can be caused by a lack of ventilation, dampness, and chemicals found in cleaning goods and paints. Its name comes from the fact that it is made up of tiny particles that are rarely seen or smelled, earning it the nickname “invisible killer.”

The majority of individuals spend the most of their time indoors, inhaling polluted indoor air. Furthermore, our homes are better insulated and vented than ever before, lowering our energy expenditures but also lowering our air quality since dry, stale air stays longer.

What Effects Does Inside Air Pollution Have?

The idea of indoor air pollution is terrifying, yet most of it is natural and unavoidable. It only becomes an issue when it is not taken seriously and given time to grow.

Some people may not show symptoms, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t all look at our habits at home, especially when it comes to cleaning, ventilation, and spray usage.

Everyone is at risk from indoor air pollution, but children and people with lung illness are more vulnerable. If you’ve been breathing dirty air for days or weeks at a time, you may get a dry throat or cough. Shortness of breath, wheezing, and a runny or itchy nose are all possible symptoms.

It’s essential that we take a more careful approach to chemicals in our homes, that items be labeled similarly to foods so that consumers can make educated decisions, and that attention is paid to monitoring indoor pollution and ensuring enough ventilation.

Easy Ways To Improve The Quality Of The Air In Your House

1. Pull The Doors And Windows Open.

It may seem self-evident, but keeping your airflow clean is the simplest and most cost-effective approach to enhance the air quality in your house.

Opening the windows while you’re trying to stay warm and save money on central heating may seem contradictory, but it’s necessary for allowing oxygen in and pollutants out, as well as decreasing the humidity that dust mites need to survive.

Make sure the space is adequately ventilated before using chemical-based cleaning or decorating solutions.

2. Second-hand Furniture Is Preferable To New Furniture.

Despite the fact that your new sofa appears to be a luxurious purchase, it is secretly seeping toxins into your living room. Volatile organic compounds are produced by a variety of textiles, glues, and paints.

They create particles that irritate and harm our lungs when they react with sunlight or substances in the air.

The similar principle may be used to flooring. Carpet should be replaced with floors or concrete, which are simpler to clean and do not gather dust and dander.

3. Purify The Air With An Air Purifier.

Pollen and dust particles are often quite tiny. Cleaning something you can’t see is nearly impossible. As a result, air quality monitoring and purification systems are required. The best air purifying systems catch and remove nearly 100 percent of pollutants by taking in dirty air, filtering it, and releasing it back into the space, much cleaner and fresher.

Most air purifiers come with LED screens that glow green when the air is clean, which is especially beneficial during the peak hay fever season, which spans from May to July. Negative ions are released into the environment by some devices to help in the neutralization of airborne viruses and bacteria.

If your budget allows, get an air purifier with a fan to circulate the newly cleaned air throughout the whole space. Air purifiers that are smaller and less expensive can still be useful, but you’ll have to move them about if you use them in larger rooms.

While managing the outdoor environment is difficult, minimizing your indoor exposure to allergens is an excellent method for lowering asthma and allergy symptoms. By eliminating airborne particles like pet dander and pollen, an air purifier can help reduce the risk of an asthma attack or an allergy flare-up, so it’s an excellent addition to your allergy-control arsenal.

4. Dusting Is A Must.

Quality vacuum cleaners are expensive, but they’re a powerful weapon against dust, pollen, and pet hair, which may quickly collect and irritate your respiratory system. Vacuum as much as possible, particularly under sofas and beds.

To decrease the quantity of dust that cushions, carpets, and blankets contain, smack them against the outer walls. To keep dust mites and bacteria at bay, change your bedding once a week and wash it at 60 degrees. Dust often by keeping surfaces clear of clutter and wiping away dust with a wet cloth.

5. Your Cleaning Cupboard Gets A Green Makeover

Cleaning your house is a good thing in general. Or it would be if the bleach and other cleaning chemicals in your cabinet weren’t so hazardous to breath. Furthermore, flushing them down the toilet pollutes rivers and harms animals.

You don’t need to use hazardous chemicals to cut through grease and filth because there are plenty of eco-friendly cleaning options that work just as well and smell a lot better.

Natural alternatives to explore include castile soap, which is made from vegetable oils and is good at removing grease, vinegar for cleaning glass, olive oil for polishing stainless steel, and diluted lemon juice for removing persistent stains from chopping boards.

To clean effectively with only tap water, use reusable microfiber cloths that catch tiny dirt particles while wet. They also don’t contain bacteria, so they won’t cross-contaminate surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen.

6. Wave Goodbye To Your Wood-burning Stove.

Over a million of us use a wood-burning stove. According to studies, using it indoors exposes a family to more pollutants than standing on a crowded roundabout during rush hour.

Smoke from wood-burning stoves, particularly older ones, can cause lung tissue damage and long-term breathing problems. If you can’t stomach giving up your wood-burning heater, open the windows as often as possible to refresh the air.