When it comes to a healthy home, the air quality in your home is very important. Not only does good air quality help improve the quality of life, it also reduces some of the issues that individuals with asthma or respiratory issues might have. This is why reducing allergens in your home is of utmost importance.
Air pollution is something that most of us are aware of, but it affects the world in a worse way than you might realize. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), air pollution was linked to the deaths of 7 million people in 2012 alone. This means that one out of 8 deaths that year were linked to air pollution. Even more shocking, of these 7 million deaths, 4.3 million can be linked to indoor air pollutants!
While most of the world’s air pollution is out of our hands on a personal level, there are still plenty of things that you can do to help improve the air quality. For example, many household products are full of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which are carbon-based chemicals. Household products that have VOCs include laundry detergents, air fresheners, cleaners, paint, disinfectants and more. These VOCs often include acetone, formaldehyde, benzene, methylene chloride and much more, all of which can cause both short-term and long-term health problems, from eye and nose irritation and headaches to liver, kidney and central nervous system damage.
The following are a few ways that you can begin improving your indoor air quality by reducing allergens in your home:
- Look for products that advertise low VOCs to help ensure healthier air quality in your home.
- Open your windows for 5 to 10 minutes a day to allow stagnant air out and fresh air in. This will also allow VOCs to evaporate more easily.
- Take your shoes off before entering the house to reduce the risk of tracking in germs and pesticides.
- Maintain a comfortable room temperature to ensure a steady flow of air.
- Use indoor plants to help clean up your air.
Focus on reducing allergens to help improve your home’s air quality, and don’t forget to have your ducts cleaned out!
