How to Cut Down on Air Pollution at Home

Stop Smoking

Smoking cigarettes is unhealthy and dangerous both for your health as well as the environment. Various types of toxic air pollutants and heinous chemicals reside in cigarette smoke. Therefore, while you are smoking, these materials get released in the air and pollute it heavily. The same happens to your home too. If you tend to smoke frequently in your room, then its air would get filled up with these toxins.

So, to avoid the occurrences of serious diseases, you would have to put a stop to your smoking habit first. If you cannot restrict yourself from smoking, then make sure to do it outside. Do not smoke inside your house as it is harmful to you as well as your family.

Keep Doormats At Your Home’s Entrance And Outside Bathrooms

Most of our clothing items, especially our shoes, tend to attract a lot of dust particles and other pollutants. Therefore, if you do not wipe them or clean them appropriately, then the toxic materials might enter your home and pollute its air. Hence, it becomes very crucial for you and everyone else to keep a doormat in front of the house. It would help you to keep up your home’s hygienic quotient.

Many doormats, nowadays, come with several anti-bacterial layers. So, besides keeping your shoes clean and fresh, they can also help in preventing bacterial growth in your house. Moreover, with the protective coatings, they can eliminate all the heavy-duty germs that are residing in your shoes. Also, most doormats these days come with fascinating colors and designs. So, they can increase your house’s overall aesthetics and make it look a lot cleaner too.

Use Your Vacuum Cleaners As Often As Possible

No matter what kind of flooring you have, it will inevitably collect dust particles. If the dust buildup keeps increasing, then it will pollute your room’s air and make it unhealthy. Due to this reason, most hygiene experts and interior designers suggest everyone vacuum their rooms at least twice a week.

However, if you have a pet, then your job becomes even more difficult. Domestic animals, especially dogs and cats, tend to attract even more dust and other harmful microscopic particles. So, if you have a furry friend in your home, then you would have to vacuum your house at least three times every week. Also, if the floor of your house is made of carpets, then it would be better for you to use your vacuum cleaner four to five times a week. On the other hand, if your house has hardwood floors, then vacuuming your house once will be sufficient for you. These types of flooring generally do not hold on to allergens as much as others.

Bathe Your Pet Often

Pets, especially those that have a lot of fur, tend to attract much dust. Therefore, if you usually take your furry friend on a walk every day, he or she would naturally get a lot dirtier than usual. Even if you keep them inside your house all the time, which is definitely not recommended, they will still get messy. The dust buildup in their body can cause allergies and can also pollute your house’s air.

Thus, most pet owners generally bathe their pets at least once per week. On the other hand, if you take your pet out on a walk daily, then make sure to scrub him or her with shampoo and water twice a week. If you want to keep the environment of your room clean and fresh, then you would also have to wash your pet’s bedding daily. Also, it would be better for you to keep your pets away from your bedroom.

Keep Chemicals Away From Your Rooms

Chemicals are, nowadays, being used in almost every aspect. They help to make our house look clean and fresh, improve our health, and produce high-end products to enhance the quality of our daily life. However, a few of them, such as store solvents, pesticides, and glues, generally contain numerous materials that are harmful to our health. So, if you keep them in your house for a long time, then they can pollute the air in your rooms. 

So, if you want to live a healthy life, make sure to remove these pollutants from your room as soon as possible. However, if you cannot remove them from your place, then you can also use a few homemade air cleansing products. For example, the liquid mixture of water and white vinegar can substantially reduce the pollution caused by asbestos. Besides that, you can also use beeswax candles to keep your room’s air fresh and make it smell good.   

Use Salt Lamps

Like beeswax candles, salt lamps are a type of natural air purifier. When turned on, these lamps can reduce the number of airborne pollutants in your room. Besides, they can also help in lowering the level of allergens and pathogens from your house by dehumidifying its air. Moreover, a salt lamp has the capability of pulling toxins from the atmosphere of a room and neutralizing them thoroughly. 

Besides letting you breathe fresh air in, they can also add a touch of class and elegance to your home décor. Also, the natural glow of the product generally does not disrupt the function of your sleep hormones. Thus, if you want to, you can leave the lamp on for the whole night too. The salt lamps work a lot efficiently when they are turned on. However, they can work when they are turned off also.  

Do Not Use Your Fireplace Regularly

If you live in a colder region, then you probably do know the importance of a fireplace. It helps in keeping the inside of your house warm and cozy during the coldest days of the year. Furthermore, it also helps in amplifying the aesthetics of your room, especially if you have a rustic interior. Let us be honest; almost everyone loves to see the delightful scene of the flames dancing inside a fireplace.

However, to keep your fireplace working, you would have to burn wood in it, which can cause dark-colored smoke. This smoke generally contains a high amount of harmful pollutants that can pollute your room’s air completely. Also, if you tend to burn wood in your fireplace all the time, then it can also reduce the overall visibility of your room and cause bad odor. Inhaling this odorous and polluted air continuously can damage your lungs and lead to various health issues.

Clean Your Home With Microfiber Dusting Cloth

When cleaning their rooms, most people generally use brooms or leaf blowers. However, in terms of purging your room from pollutants, they are not that efficient. Due to this reason, most interior experts ask people to use microfiber dusting cloth for this purpose. These types of materials generally contain almost 200,000 fibers in every inch of fabric. Therefore, they can absorb a lot more water than their actual weight and can capture a lot more dust than usual.

Aside from that, the microfiber dusting cloths can also trap liquids and dirt inside of its dense fiber. Also, many microfiber products come with an anti-bacterial filter. Therefore, they can remove the microorganisms from your house quite effectively. Moreover, while working with microfiber, you would not really need water or any other chemicals. So, in that sense, they are a much more healthy choice than other cleaning materials.

Try To Keep Your Home Dry

Moisture in your house can lead to various problematic issues, including increasing the number of pollutants in the air. Because of being wet, a damp room will attract a lot more dust than usual. Thus, if you do not take care of these issues as quickly as possible, then it can make the smell of your room musty and odorous. This can lead to various health issues, including breathing problems and internal infections. Besides that, damp homes can also promote bacterial growth.

Thus, to get some help with this issue, you would have to opt for a proper solution. One of the best ways to keep moisture away from your room is to keep it adequately ventilated. For the same reason, you may also opt for a dehumidifier. These products are quite cheap and do not require much power to work. With them, you can lower the overall humidity level of your home quite effectively and keep the allergens away from it. Besides that, they can also reduce the musty smell that is caused by moisture.

Change The Filters Of Your Heating And Cooling System Frequently

Most people, nowadays, generally use a heating and cooling system in their house to control the room temperature. Besides making you feel cozy, most of these models can also help to reduce the number of pollutants in the air by sucking your home’s air in it. Moreover, they can also aid in freshening the smell of your room’s environment and restricting bacterial growth in your house.

However, when sucking the polluted air in, these machines tend to collect the dust particles in their air filters. Therefore, if you use your fireplace frequently or smoke cigarettes inside of your room, then these filters will get dirty a lot more quickly. Hence, if you do not clean them regularly, then they will not be able to collect pollen or dust from your room’s air anymore.

Attach An Exhaust Fan In Your Bathroom And Kitchen

Kitchen and bathrooms are two of those places where most people tend to spend much time. However, these places, especially the kitchenette, generally get dirtied a lot more than the other parts of your house. So, to keep the air of these two places clean and fresh, you would have to use exhaust fans. These types of fans work by sucking the air and pollutants in from your room and throwing it outside. 

The exhaust fan in your kitchenette will help in removing cooking fumes, which can promote strong odors. On the other hand, the fan in your bathroom will eliminate steam from it and lower its overall moisture level. However, while installing an exhaust fan, make sure to keep the dryer vent of the machine outside of your room. It will help you to minimize the risk of lint buildup inside your house.

Do Not Use Incense In Your Rooms

Incense sticks are very popular among many people because of their sweet smell. However, like cigarettes, they, too, carry a small number of carcinogens. Thus, if you burn these sticks daily, they can increase your risk of developing lung-related issues. A long time exposure to these products can also lead to respiratory tract cancers. Also, the smoke of a burning incense stick can amplify your risk of heart diseases. 

Moreover, most incense sticks produce a sweet yet strong odor. Hence, inhaling them for a long time can also trigger your asthma and worsen your symptoms even more. Thus, along with restricting yourself from smoking, you would also have to stop burning incense sticks to live a prosperous life. Besides these, you should never use scented candles and air fresheners.

Opt For Low-VOC Furniture

VOCs, also known as volatile organic compounds, are a type of chemical that lingers in the air of rooms and pollutes it. These components can be found in various chemicals, such as glues and paints, which are frequently used in polishing furnishings. Thus, most of the furniture items that you see on the market do contain a certain amount of VOCs in them. So, if you purchase a new table or a sofa, then it will surely emit VOC and pollute your home’s air.

Due to this reason, while buying furniture, most people tend to look for low-VOC infused products. Unlike the others, they will emit a little amount of VOC, which would not be that harmful to you or your family members. However, if you want to be safer, then you can also air out your furniture. To do that, you would only have to keep the furnishing in a place where you or other members of your family generally do not go.

Choose Cooking Oils That Have A Superior Smoking Point

Using oils that have a lower smoking point can cause a higher amount of smoke while cooking. Hence, if you use them regularly, then your kitchen’s air would get polluted a lot more quickly. So, to keep things healthy and convenient, you should always use oils that have a higher smoking point (smokes at more than 450⁰ F).

Among the types of cooking oils, canola and sunflower oils generally do have the highest smoking point. Besides that, the oil products of avocado, safflower, and peanut are also quite excellent for this case. However, if you love the taste of olive oil, then opting for light olive oil products can be the best option for you.

Get Carbon Monoxide Detectors

One of the deadliest particles present in the air is carbon monoxide. If you inhale carbon monoxide combined air for a long time, it can slowly push you towards death. If you are wondering if carbon monoxide will spare you when you are at home, you are probably wrong. It can even be present in your interior air as well. The primary reason behind the production of the carbon monoxide at home is the unfinished combustion.

If your home has no proper ventilation in the area of the gas stoves as well as near fireplaces, the production of carbon monoxide can become huge. Well, you may not do anything about the improper construction of the ventilation. But, you can definitely do something to halt the production of carbon monoxide. The only thing that can help you out is the carbon monoxide detectors. It alleviates the buildup of gas and reduces pollution.

Detect The Presence Of Radon At Home

Similar to carbon monoxide, another harmful gas that can hide inside your home is radon. You might think about how radon can enter your home when your home is well ventilated and furnished. But, the fact is radon can be present anywhere. It is a typically occurring toxic element, which is the consequence of the breakdown of radium. Long time exposure to this threatening element can be deleterious to health

So, it is your primary responsibility to check the existence of radon in your households. Unless you do that, the element will dangerously affect the IQ level of your kids. There are several radon detectors available in the market. Those detectors identify the radon and lessen its formation. You can opt to utilize the sensors yourselves or can call for the help of professionals. A small step of availing the radon detector would help you maintain the air quality of your house.

Test Your Car’s Emission Issues

People having a separate garage for parking their cars will not suffer from indoor air pollution. But, those who park vehicles inside their home must think about this matter cautiously. The air pollutants that your car eliminates tremendously harm the ambiance of the house. Life-threatening diseases like cancer, asthma, and eye issues can be a result of the toxic emission. The situation is more acute for those who have a pregnant woman at their house.

Hence, your primary duty is to check your car emissions more often. With time, due to several inconveniences, your car tends to emit harmful gases. When it mixes with the air of your home, a mishap occurs. Thus, make sure to test your car emission after a certain period. Doing this can help you to prevent air pollution in your home at a high range. As an alternative, you can opt to park your car outside of your house.

Remove Your Shoes At The Door

You all must be aware of the fact that your shoes carry half of the germs, bacteria, and viruses tracked into your home. The dust and dirt that are carried with it contain deadly bacteria that can intensely affect the ambiance of your home. Consequently, you, along with your entire family, could face several hazardous diseases. Are you still going to allow the outdoor dust inside your home? If yes, make sure to take some essential steps regarding it.

The best you can do is remove the shoes outside of your home. Do not forget to use separate sandals for your home. No matter what, try not to wear your home sandal even at the rooftop or washroom of your home. The restroom has the maximum number of pollutants. If you do so, ensure to mop or wet clean the area where you place the sandals.

Use Activated Charcoal

You can get a total shock after hearing this fantastic technique of improving the inner atmosphere of your house. Simply make use of the activated charcoal. Yes, you read it right. Among all other favorable advantages of the activated charcoal, one of the most beneficial is its air-purifying nature. Long ago, when there were no other means of purifying the air, people used to take the assistance of the activated charcoal.    

The best thing about using activated charcoal as an air purifier is that it is odorless. Thus, it will not hurt any of your senses. It wonderfully absorbs all the toxins from your house and eliminates all the harmful residues as well. Hence, utilizing the activated charcoal freshens up your room, allowing you to inhale the fresh germ-free air. Apart from the activated charcoal, you can also use bamboo charcoal as an alternative.

Try Essential Oils

The aromas of essential oils are soothing and loved by all. But, do you know that these essential oils have several pleasing benefits? Despite serving you in your physical illness, these oils work remarkably in case of purifying the air of your home. Several essential oils like rosemary oil, grapefruit oil, cinnamon oil, thyme oil, tea tree oil, lemon oil, oregano, and clove oil can be your savior. It is because of the antiseptic components present in them.

These oils are proven to clear up the surviving bacteria, fungi, and viruses from your home. They can even help your household to remove stored up molds. According to a study conducted by Webster State University, these essential oils have the power of killing airborne diseases up to 99.96%. You can use them by mixing with your regular detergent powder, floor cleaner, or even with your room-freshener.

Have More Houseplants

According to a news piece from NASA, houseplants can deliberately reduce the interior air pollution of your home. Several houseplants can assist you in rejuvenating the inner air of your house. These houseplants soak up harmful gases like benzyne, formaldehyde, ammonia, and others. Adorning your home with some houseplants is the best way to decrease air pollution, especially if any of the members of your household have respiratory issues.

Along with purifying the air, these plants enhance the appearance of your home. Make sure to place the plant at a distance of 100 square feet to relish a better environment at home. Among the suitable houseplants that drench the toxic elements from the air, peace Lily is the best. Nevertheless, the Broadleaf or Lady Palm also provides excellent results. These houseplants require very little sunlight to survive. Hence, keep them in suitable positions.

Make Your Own DIY Home Cleaners

Very few home cleaners are eco-friendly. Most of the time, the home cleaners that are available on the market contain harmful components that can increase the toxic elements in the air. When you breathe in these chemicals, the risk of getting asthma or any other respiratory disease heightens. Hence, it is better to avoid using such products. Instead, you can make your own DIY cleaners to keep your household clean naturally.

To practice, take a spray bottle and pour it into equal parts distilled vinegar and distilled water. Then add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. You can choose tea tree or grapefruit essential oil. Mix all the ingredients, and now you are good to go. These natural cleaners work both in making your home spotless and maintaining the air quality of your home. DIY home cleaners are a way more economical too.

Cover The Trash Bin Properly

Well, it might not work as a direct air pollution preventer, but making a habit of covering the trash at your home can serve you with the utmost benefits. Along with assisting you to limit the lousy odor spreading around your home, it also acts in halting the air pollution in a roundabout way. The more you use the pesticide at your home, the greater it invites the dangerous components to move around your home.

But, when you choose to keep the trash in a covered litter bin, you are more likely bidding bye to the insects and pests. As a result, your home requires insecticides and pesticides be sprayed less than usual. Hence, it can save the interior environment to a more considerable extent. Regardless of this, some of the trash may contain air pollutant substances. When you cover it, you cut its contact to dissolve in the air.

Breathe Fresh Air and You’ll Feel Better

You might overlook small and basic things at your home, thinking they would not affect your household much. But, you are totally wrong in that case. The tiny aspect can gradually take the shape of a devastating trait. Keeping the place safe and secure where you reside is the most crucial thing to follow in life. Unless you are secured, you can keep others protected. Small changes in your home can give you a broad scope of healthy and peaceful living. Thus, opt to practice the guides mentioned above for creating a better environment to live in.

Sources:

Consumer Report – 14 Ways to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution

Conserve Energy Future – 41 Super Easy Ways to Stop Air Pollution From Today

Cleveland Clinic – 17 Simple Ways to Prevent Air Pollution in Your Home

NDTV – 6 Natural Ways to Purify Air at Home

Tree Hugger – 12 Ways to Get Clean Air in Your Home