- 2 reads
The air we breathe in our homes can impact the way we live. Many people forgot that air pollution also occurs indoors. The fact is indoor air quality is usually much worse than the air outside. If your home is not properly ventilated it prevents the flow of outdoor air that helps dilute harmful emissions and carry them out of the home. Both high temperature and humidity levels can increase the concentrations of some pollutants. The effects of poor indoor air quality include some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer.
In order to avoid these maladies and stay away from the doctor's office, here are some things to look for when trying to improve your home's air quality:
Check the Furnace - Make sure your furnace is clean, and have it serviced. The oil or gas could be leaking into your home, and even with a small leak, gas deposits can build over time.
Check the Filters - Take a look at the filters in your home appliances, like the furnace, vacuum, air cleaners, air conditioning, ductwork, or bathroom fan filters. With so many different things screening the air in your home, there is a chance that one or two is not functioning properly, either due to old age and clogging, or improper seating in the filter tray.
Look at the Ductwork - Make sure holes are sealed with insulation or some other duct sealing material. This is especially important at turns and 90 degree joints.
The Basement - Look at the seal on exit passages for pipes and tubing, as their contents could be leaking out unnoticed. Also check the vent tubes and washer/dryer vents, as they could be releasing right back into the home instead to the outside. Lastly, you should have your basement tested for radon, which is a chemical found in the materials of some homes that is most prevalent in basements and other underground rooms.
Miscellaneous - Many household products are made with chemicals you might not notice. When making a purchase, make sure you know what you're buying. For instance, many rugs, flooring, curtains, furniture, new cabinets, countertops and cleansers contain things that, over time, could cause health problems for you and your family. When painting, go for zero Volatile Organic Compound products, as they will have lower amounts of dangerous compounds.
Ozone Air Cleaners - With Ozone or Hepa Filter air cleaners, you are going to need to vacuum a lot more. It could help to place your fans on a light setting to prevent certain chemicals from being whipped around your home and evading apprehension.
Plants - Plants and humans go very well together. We exhale what they inhale, and vice versa. Your home will seem fresher and more lively with a few big-leafed plants in your home. The more the merrier too, as more plants will be able to convert higher levels of carbon dioxide into oxygen.
In addition to these options there is now another low cost natural product that helps purify the air indoors. Salt crystal lamps are natural Negative Ion generators. If you have ever experienced the air at a waterfall, on a mountain top, at the beach, or after a thunderstorm, then you have experienced the results of Negative Ions and how fresh the air smells.
Negative Ions are displaced electrons in the air, formed when an energy source acts on a molecule of oxygen, carbon dioxide, water or nitrogen. They are short-lived and highly reactive particles that attach and neutralize microscopic particles floating in the air, like mold, pollen, dust allergens, pet dander, odors, cigarette smoke and chemicals. Studies have shown that Salt Crystal Lamps not only help purify the air but provide health benefits and relief from hay fever, asthma and allergy relief, improvement with sinus related illnesses, migraines and reduce susceptibility to colds and flu.
While it may be difficult to find these natural products in your local “big box” store, you can find the best Natural Health Products online.
